Christ Savior and Saint Gedeon Monastery at Margarites
Located in the village of Margarites, 30km south of Rethymno, the monastery dates back to the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It is a dependency of the Monastery of Karakalou at Athos, and was founded by a member of the Venetian Dandolo family. In front of the stunning entrance, a well-preserved tomb with the Dandolo crest can be seen.
Initially, the monastery seems to have been a convent, and as per local tradition, during the Ottoman rule, the Turks sought to kill the nuns and plunder the monastery. The nuns fled to a nearby cave for safety. The Turks pursued them, but a white cloud is said to have covered the entrance of the cave, saving the nuns.
Under Ottoman Rule, the monastery was given to Karakalou Monastery and eventually became a male monastery. Saint Gideon, who hailed from Tyrnavos, Larissa (Central Greece), was one of the monks who resided there for six years until 1803. He was killed by the Turks in 1818 at Tyrnavos.
Father Callinicos, the last monk, is buried in the founder’s tomb within the temple. Following his death, the monastery was abandoned, and restoration efforts began in October 1998, backed by the local community.
Location
Christ Savior and Saint Gedeon Monastery at Margarites is located at Christ Savior and Saint Gedeon Monastery at Margarites, in the Rethymno region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
