Since 1453, Greece was conquered by the Turks, a slavery season lasting 400 years. The March 25 is a national holiday in Greece, as the day of the rebellion of the Greeks against the Turks in 1821. Arkadi Monastery is a monument of that revolution era for Crete.

An ideal destination for families and lovers of history. 

In 1866, 966 Cretans from all over the island were gathered at the monastery, of which only 250 were men. The Turks asked the abbot of the monastery to draw off rebels from the monastery by the threat that would destroy the monastery. After the negative answer, 15,000 Turks and 30 cannons besieged monastery, defeating the second day the line of defense. To escape capture, warriors and women locked in gunpowder warehouse and set it on fire. The explosion caused the destruction of the monastery and the death of Greek and Turkish warriors.

The Arkadi Monastery is located on a low plateau 23 kilometers from the city of Rethymno. Built during the Byzantine period in the 5th century, with perimeter fortress dating back to the Venetian period. Inside the monastery there is a museum, exhibiting major historical relics of the monastery. In the southwestern part of the church there is part of the burnt altarpiece that survived the explosion. Outside of the monastery there is an ossuary with the remains of 1866 soldiers too.

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