Location information

Monastery of Assomati at Amari

Tel: +30 28310 23653, 58842
Fax: +30 28310 58843

  The Byzantine Assomaton Monastery in the Amari Valley, beside the village of Agia Paraskevi, probably dates from the first Byzantine period, even though most references to it allude to the thirteenth century. The church of the monastery is Michael Archangelos, built on top of an older Byzantine church. The monastery has a long history of support for the Cretan fight for freedom and for education. As a result the monastery was plundered and destroyed many times during the Turkish occupation but it only fell completely in the earthquake of 1810. The dates 1692-1847 are inscribed on the south entrance. It now houses an Agricultural School. The many relics of the monastery's rich past are preserved in the Historical Museum of Iraklion.

This text is cited Dec 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.

Crete TOURnet WebPage
• http://www.crete.tournet.gr/Site.jdp?ID=286 (6 img.)

Aghia Paraskevi in the Monastery of Asomatos

West of the Monastery of Asomatos the Church of Aghia Paraskevi, a cruciform church with a cupola, is situated, which was probably built during the 13th century and restored during either the 15th or the 16th century. At the north wall of the church a tomb with a vaulted apse can be found, in the interior of which two figures with raised hands are depicted. According to the inscription they represent the brothers Theodoros and Georgios Hortatzis

Rethymno Prefecture Tourism Committee WebPage
• http://www.rethymnon.gr/culture/ekkl_en01.htm (1 img.)

Crete TOURnet WebPage
• http://www.crete.tournet.gr/Site.jdp?ID=1228 (5 img.)