Located 25 kilometres from the town of Rethymnon, the Monastery of Arkadi is a living monastery with an heroic history. This fortress like construction dates back to the Byzantine era. During the 16th Century the monastery grew to become a major part of the island’s cultural life. When the Turks invaded, its importance waned, but was later reasserted and the Muslim Turkish oppressors even allowed the ringing of church bells. There are still monks and some nuns living and looking after the monastery. Within the monastery is a museum where relics from both the church and the monastery are kept.

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