Agios Thomas Roman Tombs

The Agios Thomas Roman tombs are carved into free-standing boulders at Gria Mandra, on the edge of Agios Thomas, a mountain village in the Heraklion region whose name means Saint Thomas. Agios Thomas sits on rock that cuts easily, and that single geological fact explains almost everything at the site: about 30 tombs were cut here, along with Minoan presses and chapels hollowed out of the stone.

The village keeps cliffs, natural caves, Byzantine churches and green surroundings around those carvings. The tombs are the reason most people come, and reaching them takes a two-minute walk from the centre of the village.

Finding the path to Gria Mandra

The path starts south of the church of Agios Thomas, at the statue of Demetrius Varouchas, a local hero. Follow it for two minutes and it arrives at Gria Mandra, the archaeological site itself. The walk is short and level, so the tombs are reachable straight from the village centre.

The Roman tombs at Gria Mandra

Gria Mandra is a scatter of towering boulders with a trail weaving between them. Many of those rocks hold carved Roman tombs, and the tombs are preserved in excellent condition. Around the wider Agios Thomas area there are about 30 of them, so the count does not stop at the boulders beside the path.

The Kera Spiliotissa chapel and its inscription

Kera Spiliotissa is a cavernous chapel carved into a rock covered in ivy, on the route towards the abandoned settlement of Ardachthia. About 15 metres past the church, inside a recess, archaeologists found a Greco-Roman inscription in 1910. The inscription is still there and can be read today.

The Greek text states plainly who the site belonged to: “Dedicated to the goddesses Larkia Artemis, Demeter and Kori”. All three were deities of Hades.

The Gate of Hades

Residents of Agios Thomas say a chasm once opened inside the chapel, and that they called it the Gate of Hades. The chasm has since been covered with cement, so nothing of it is visible now.

A site of chthonic worship

The findings at Agios Thomas point to a place of worship for chthonic deities, the gods of Hades. The dedication in the inscription, the carved cavernous temples and the story of the chasm all run in the same direction. One local custom has survived the whole sequence: when someone from Agios Thomas dies, their clothes are dropped into an underground river to carry them to the other world.

Getting to Agios Thomas

Drive into the village of Agios Thomas and park near the church, then take the path south past the Varouchas statue. Two other sites sit within about 6 km: Paliani Monastery near Venerato 5 km away, and Ancient Rizinia 5.7 km out.

What else is nearby

The hill country south of Heraklion holds monasteries, gorges and two more ancient sanctuaries within easy reach of the village. They are listed below by distance from Agios Thomas.

• Paliani Monastery near Venerato lies 5 km away.
• Venerato Gorge starts 5.5 km from the village.
• Agia Varvara village is 5.6 km out.
• Ancient Rizinia stands 5.7 km away.
• The Monastery of St. George Apanosifis lies 6.6 km from Agios Thomas.
• Silva Daskalaki Winery is 7.1 km away.
• Agios Charalambos Gorge runs 7.7 km from the village.
• Saint George Gorgolainis Monastery stands 9.2 km away.
• Spiliotissa Gorge and the Panagia Spiliotissa Monastery at Houdetsi lie a little further out.
• The Anemospilia sanctuary and the Jiouchtas peak sanctuary stand near Archanes.
• The Tourkogitonia Minoan palace and the Fourni Minoan cemetery are also at Archanes.
• Rouvas Gorge at Gafaris is the furthest of the gorges listed here.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the Agios Thomas Roman tombs?

The tombs are at Gria Mandra, on the edge of the village of Agios Thomas. The path to them begins south of the village church, at the statue of Demetrius Varouchas, and the walk takes two minutes.

How many Roman tombs are there at Agios Thomas?

About 30 tombs have been recorded around the Agios Thomas area. Many of them are cut into the towering boulders at Gria Mandra, and they survive in excellent condition.

Why is so much carved into the rock at Agios Thomas?

The rock in this region cuts easily. That is why the area carries Minoan presses, Roman tombs and cavernous temples rather than built structures.

What does the Greco-Roman inscription at Agios Thomas say?

It reads “Dedicated to the goddesses Larkia Artemis, Demeter and Kori”. Archaeologists found it in 1910, about 15 metres past the Kera Spiliotissa chapel, inside a recess, and it can still be seen.

What is the Gate of Hades at Agios Thomas?

It was a chasm that residents say once opened inside the Kera Spiliotissa chapel. The chasm has been covered with cement, so it is no longer visible.

Which gods were worshipped at Agios Thomas?

Chthonic deities, the gods of Hades. The inscription names Larkia Artemis, Demeter and Kori, and a local custom still sends the clothes of the dead into an underground river to reach the other world.