At the Archaeological Museum of
Rethymno, one can admire remarkable finds
from the excavations around Rethymno:
statues, pots, tools and jewels of the Neolithic
Period, from Gerani Cave and Cave Elenes
Amariou, clay pots, seals, sarcophagus and
statues from Idaion Andron cave, a small
eguptian collection, statues, finds from the
wreckage in the bay of Agia Galini, coins, red
vessels and a multitude of other objects of
great historic significance.
The cave of Melidoni is located in the
Rethymno Prefecture, 2 km north-west of the
village of Melidoni (229 m. altitude). Finds in
the area prove that it was a shrine in the
Minoan Era, to honour the giant Talos, Taleos
Hermes and Taleos Zeus.
In January 1824, in this cave 370
villagers perished, after seeking refuge here
from the Turks. They all died of smoke
suffocation, caused by fires lit by the Turks at
the cave's entrance, in attempt to force the
villagers to surrender. At the cave's entrance
there is a monument, serving as the burial
place of these villagers.
Fortezza was built in 1573-1580 by
the Venetian commander Alvico Lanto. It was
designed by an engineer, called Pallavicini,
and it stands on the site of the earlier
medieval fortress and the ancient acropolis of
Rethymno. It is surrounded by four ramparts
and strong walls. With a total length of 1,400
meters and a mass of 6,000 cubic metres, it is
an imposing presence over the city.
Inside Fortezza there used to be
barracks, storage-rooms, public buildings and
a military hospital.
Today, one can only spot the remains
of the Imbraem Chan mosque, built in 1648
on the site of the earlier church of Agios
Nikolaos (1583), a venetian church, the
storage-rooms, and the cisterns.
The view of the city of Rethymno from
Fortezza is fascinating.
The gorge of Kourtaliotis is situated
near the village of Koxare, 22 km south of
Rethymno, between the mountains of
Kouroupa (984 m.) and Xero Oros (904 m.).
The gorge was named after "Krotala", or
"Kourtala" as one forms the impression that
drums beat and someone applauds, whenever
the strong wind blows through the rocks. The
2,000 m. of the gorge are crossed by the river
of Kourtaliotis which floods in a captivating
area.
Idaion Andron is found on the eastern
side of mount Ida (1,540 m altitude), 21 km
away from Anogia (Rethymno Prefecture). It
is one of the two Cretan caves claimed as the
birth place of Zeus. The other one, is
"Diktaion Andron" in mount Dikta.
According to mythology, Zeus'
parents were Rhea and Cronus, the children
of Uranus and Gaia. Cronus intended to
swallow Zeus, in order to preserve his
kingdom. To fool him, Rhea put a diaper on a
stone and Cronus swallowed it, believing it
was his son. Nymphs Adrasti and Ida raised
Zeus, feeding him wild honey and milk from
the goat Amalthia. When Zeus cried, the
Kourites protected him, covering his cries by
hitting their swords against their shields.
Finds in the area (shields, weapons,
tools, objects made of elephant bone, etc.)
indicate that the cave served as a shrine from
Pre-historic to Roman times.
Mount Idi, alias "Psiloritis", spreads
along the central part of Crete. The
mountain's highest peak, Timios Stavros
(2,456 m.) is the tallest area on the island.
Psiloritis is part of the Dinarotauric Arrow
which begins at Dinaric Alps and crosses all
the mainland of Greece.
At the area of Prinos (1,100 m.
altitude), there is a cabin, with room for 16
people, which belongs to the Heraklian Club
of Mountaineering.
The monastery of Arkadi is located 22
km south-east of Rethymno. It is a symbol of
the Cretan fight for liberty and independence
from the Turks.
There are many versions concerning
its date of establishment. It is said to have
been built by emperor Arkadios in the 5th
century, or, between 961 - 1204 AD by the
monk Arkadios or, in the 14th century by the
Venetians. During the 16th-18th century, the
monastery thrived, owning a great fortune, a
rich library and a workshop of golden
embroideries and sacred vestments.
On November 7th 1866, while the
leaders of the Cretan Revolution had
gathered in the monastery, abbot Gabriel
Marinakis refused to deliver them to Mustafa
Pasha and the Turks, thus resulting in a tight
siege of the monastery. After resisting for two
days, the 964 Greeks - fighters, monks,
women and children - chose to blow up the
gun powder room and die rather than
surrender to the Turks.
The monastery’s exterior is very
impressive with thick (1.20 m wide) walls,
while the church, built in 1587, is dedicated
to St. Constantinos and the Metamorphosis of
the Saviour. The monastery includes a
guesthouse and an altar with an ossuary,
where the bones of the Cretan warriors are
kept, and a small collection of ecclesiastic
heirlooms, post-Byzantine icons, vestments
and documents concerning the monastery's
history.
The monastery of Preveli is situated
35.5 km south of Rethymno, in an area of
unique natural beauty. It was built in 1670 by
Abbot Prevelis, upon the ruins of an earlier
monastery which was destroyed by the Turks
in 1646. According to another version, the
monastery was built by the feudal lord
Prevelis, who offered his land to the monks,
along with the chapel of St. John which was
built in the estate.
During the Cretan battle against the
Turks and the German Occupation, the
monastery contributed significantly to the
Greek struggle for liberty and independence,
as it provided refuge to all fighters, Greek
and allies.
The exterior of the monastery is
dominated by an imposing bell-tower, built in
1629, while, in the interior, one can visit the
guesthouse, the library, the abbot's office and
a small museum with the remarkable
ecclesiastic heirlooms, valuable documents,
sacred vestments and the edict of Gregory E'
offering the monastery the protection of the
Patriarchate of Constantinopole, in 1789.
The church was built in 1836 and
dedicated to St John the Theologist. Inside,
one can admire the pure-gold Holy Cross, the
silver chandelier and the bishop's throne.
Near the monastery of Preveli stands
another, with the same name, dedicated to St
John, which is abandoned.
The Neradges is the biggest mosque
in Rethymno. It is stands at the Venetian
square in Rethymno and it is a modification
of the church of Santa Maria and an
Augustinian monastery. The mosque was
completed in 1657 by Turk Gazi Hussein
Pasha. The exterior is dominated by the
imposing minaret, built in 1890.
The Rimondi fountain is located in the
centre of Rethymno. It was built in 1626-1629
by the Venetian commander, Rimondi, whose
name it took. When the Turks occupied the
city in 1645, they added the arched roof.
This is a remarkable sample of
Venetian architecture and sculpture,
decorated with four columns with lovely
capital pillars and three water spouts in the
shape of lion-heads. On the front, one can
admire the coats-of-arms of the house of
Rimondi, while above it there is a Latin sign.
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