Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Kriti

Arkadi Monastery is located on the edge of the Psilorítis Mountains at an altitude of 500 metres, on a fertile plateau with olive groves, vineyards, pine, cypress and oak trees. The exact date of the foundation of the monastery is not precisely known. Sometimes it is attributed to the Byzantine emperor Heraclius and sometimes to the emperor Arcadius, somewhere in the 5th century. However, in Crete, it is common for monasteries to be named after the monk that founded the building, which lends support to the theory that Arkadi may have been founded by a monk named Arkadios. The building of the present Venetian church - with its striking façade of golden stone - started in 1562 and took twenty-five years. The two-nave church with its graceful bell tower stands in the centre of the courtyard. Inside is a beautifully carved iconostasis of cypress wood, executed in 1902 (PiP 2). The surrounding buildings were added during the 1600s (PiP 3) . By the 19th century it had become one of the most prosperous monasteries on the island and was a centre of resistance against the Turks. During the 1866 rebellion, nearly 300 guerrilla fighters and some 700 women and children took refuge in the monastery. The Turks laid siege to it and after three days broke through the gates on 9th November. As they rushed in, the abbot ordered the ignition of the gunpowder magazine (PiP4), even though civilians were hiding inside. Hundreds of people, Cretans and Turks alike, were killed in the massive explosion. The angry Turks slaughtered most of the survivors. The tragic event in 1866 made Arkadi Monastery to a national symbol of Crete’s heroic struggle for independence. Arkadi became certainly the most historic monastery of Crete the most sacred symbol of the struggle of the Cretans for independence. It is the theater of the tragic battle of 1866, which opened the way for the liberation of the island in 1898. UNESCO has designated Arkadi as a European Freedom Monument.

Lake Kournas is the only natural lake in Crete. It is one of the very few areas with plenty of fresh water throughout the year; for this reason, it is protected under the Natura 2000 program. Lake Kournas has been created by accumulation of groundwater coming from the White Mountains. There are also two springs in the lake. Located just a couple of kilometers from the beach it is surrounded by the mountains and olive groves. The lake is not that big with a perimeter of 3.5 kilometres, has a maximum depth of 22.5 metres and lies approximately 20 metres above sea level. The volume of the water is summer is 7.5 million cubic metres. The dark colour of the lake is caused from the seaweeds coming from the depth of the lake. Many species of birds find shelter here, like moorhens, ducks, herons and cormorants. Lake Kournas has always been known for its eels. The surrounding wetlands also host water snakes and terrapins

The old harbour of Chania - situated next to the old city - was built in the mid 14th century by the Venetians during their occupation of Crete. It was an important center, serving the Venetian military ships, as well as one of the most important commercial ports of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. In the 16th century the harbour was included to the new fortification plans of the city of Chania. During the period of the Turkish rule, the port continued to be a trade center. Much later, in the19th - early 20th century, the largest ships at that time, had to anchor outside the harbor and reach the pier by boat. The port gradually abandoned and today the Venetian harbour offers moorage for fishing boats and other small boats and yachts. The promenade along the water is lined with cafes, restaurants, bars and tavernas (PiP). A little bit further away you will find the (former) Turkish Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque (PiP) and the Venetian shipyards and arsenals (PiP). Another landmark is the lighthouse, built at the harbour entrance by the Venetians and restored between 1830 and 1840 in its present form by the Egyptians. (Four images stitched together for the main image)

Aptera (literally meaning "without wings") is a lesser known archeological site not too far away from Chania. It was the most powerful city of western Crete from Minoan through Hellenistic times. The earliest mention of the Aptera is found as “A-pa-ta-wa” on the Linear B tablets of Knossos, dating back to the 14th-13th centuries BC. The currently findings of the excavations indicate that the place was inhabited from the 8th century BC until the 7th century AD, when abandoned due to a strong earthquake and attacks by the Saracen Arab pirates. Archaeologists finished in 2009 the first face of the excavation at the carved-in-ground amphitheater of Aptera. Originally it was thought to be a Roman theater but actually it dates back to the Hellenistic times and was rebuilt during the Roman occupation of Crete. More recently the theater was restored.

The single arched bridge is known by many as the ‘Venetian Bridge’, but although the style is Venetian the bridge was built in 1850 by the monks of the nearby monastery. The bridge comprises of two inclined stone laid levels of 13,30 meters width and 7,60 meters height. The construction is highly regarded both from the architectural and the aesthetic points of view. Right by the bridge is a summer taverna (PiP) and just up the road from the bridge are the ruins of Kato Moni Preveli. The bridge crosses the river Megas Potamos (literally ‘Big River’) which flows towards the sea through the palm forest of Preveli. It is one of the few rivers in Crete which has water all year round.

The Kourtaliotiko Gorge (Κουρταλιώτικο Φαράγγι) is considered being one of the most beautiful gorges in Crete. It follows the Kourtaliotiko River flowing southwards between the mountains of Kouroupa (984 m) and Xiron (904 m). Coming from the north the gorge starts nearby the village of Koxare winding almost three kilometers among bare vertical cliffs, which reach a height of hundreds of meters. The elevation difference between the entrance point and the outlet is hundred and fifty metres. The Kourtaliotiko Gorge is named after the clapping sounds which can be heard when a strong wind is beating against the rocks of the gorge. These sounds are called “kourtala” in the local dialect PiP1: the entrance of the gorge seen from the road below the village of Frati. PiP2: Agios Nikolaos, about halfway the gorge steps are leading to this picturesque chapel

Unlike many other churches we visited in Greece and Crete this church (Saint Peter and Paul Church or Saint Raphael Church ??) is a quite modern one, being built in the early 1990’s in a tasteful way. The church is located just outside the village of Spili - at the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Lambi, Sivritos and Sfakia. It is home of a theological seminary and most probably one will see many priests (in training) in and around this little town. We were free to walk around and admire the arched entryways, marble-floor courtyard, nicely decorated church and numerous illustrations of religious motives.

Gortys, (also called Gortyn or Gortyna) was the most important Roman town on Crete, but its origins go back to the end of the Bronze Age. It is one of the most important cities in Crete with an unbroken history of 6.000 years and one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Greece. The city was destroyed in the 9th century by Arab raiders and the area has been uninhabited ever since. At the end of the 19th century Italian archaeologists began excavating ancient Gortys, which continues until today. The pictures show a small Roman amphitheatre, where musical recitals were staged. There are still four carved stone stepped rows of seats and two flights of stairs. The stage is paved with brick and marbles; the semicircular orchestra has white and grey marble slabs. The north wall of the stage has four niches, which were used for statues.

Freshly harvested peppers in a pickup truck in a street in Ierapetra. Ierapetra is the centre of agriculture on the south coast of Crete. Besides the traditional olive cultivation, the area also exports large quantities of fruit and vegetables. These are grown in plastic greenhouses, which are spread over an area of 15,000,000 square meters around the town of Ierapetra.

Ano Zakros, a little village in the eastern part of Crete, is well known for its fresh lush green water source. The crystal waters - about 800 cubic meters per hour - flowing ceaselessly for centuries, making the surrounding land fertile and supplying the olive trees with water. In the past this source gave power to function numerous watermills.

The palm forest of Vai, is considered being one of the most beautiful natural sights in Crete. Vai is not the only natural palm forest in Crete, but with an area of approximately 250.000 square metres and about 5.000 palm trees it is certainly the largest, even in Europe. Scientists have proven that the Vai palm trees are an endemic species known as Phoenix theophrasti, or Cretan Date Palm. There have been palm trees in Crete since ancient times, as historical sources attest. The name Vai comes from ‘vayia’, the Greek word for palms. Vai beach has fine golden sand and pebbles at its north end. A viewing platform offers a panoramic view of the palm forest and beach of Vai. The palm forest and surrounding area is owned by the powerful Toplou Monastery, which is the largest landowner in eastern Crete.

Sunset at the beach of Matala. Matala once was the place of the flower power and the hippy-scene. Before 1970, when the flower-children and the hippies overrunned the quiet fishing village, Matala only existed of ten houses, one tavern, a beautiful beach and of course the ancient cave houses to which Matala owns her fame. Nobody knows quite who started cutting these caves, but it seems likely that they were first hollowed out as Roman or early Christian tombs. The artificial caves, with their passages, stone beds and fireplaces, have now been put under monumental care.

Mochlos is located on the north coast of Crete, between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. Only being accessible along one of the two narrow winding roads from the main road, it still is one of the few truly quiet places left on the island. The heart of the village, where all life is concentrating, is its quiet bay, lined with tavernas and also offering a small beach. A main feature of Mochlos is the island of the same name that is only 150m from the shore. It was probably still connected to the 'mainland' in Minoan times and was an important harbour. The island can be visited, swimming or by a boat from the local jetty.

Spinalonga (officially known as Kalydon) is an arid and barren rocky islet lying at the mouth of the natural port of Elounda and opposite to the village of Plaka. From the year of 1204 Crete was ruled by the Republic of Venice. To protect the port of Elounda against the Ottomans they built a large fortress on Spinalonga in the late 16th century. Crete was conquered in 1669 by the Ottoman Turks, but Spinalonga remained Venetian until the year of 1715. After that, the island was occupied by the Ottomans. In 1903 the last Turks left the island and Spinalonga was subsequently used as a leper colony till 1957. Approximately 400 people inhabited the island over the half-century. Today, the uninhabited island is a popular tourist attraction in Crete. The island can easily be accessed from Plaka, Elounda and Agios Nikolaos.

One of the few remaining windmills on the Lasithi Plateau, located on an altitude of more than 800 metres in the eastern part of Crete. The plateau was famous for its thousands of windmills with their typical white sails. As a matter of fact they were more wind-pumps, a local invention that have been used for two centuries to irrigate the land. Despite their vast number in the past, most of them are not used any longer, but replaced by modern diesel and electrical pumps. However, there is renewed interest in the restoration of the windmills, which would bring back the picture of the Lasithi Plateau as it once was.

Agios Dimitrios is a small Orthodox church. It is a real hidden gem, located a little bit out of the way. I tried to find any further information, but didn’t succeed; even the tourist information centre of Heraklion couldn’t tell anything about the church.

The first attempt to create a harbour in the bay of Heraklion (in that time called Chandax) took place during the Arab period (9th-10th century). Following the restoration of Crete to the Byzantine Empire in the year of 961, Chandax developed into a thriving city and its harbour was consequently fortified and improved. When the island fell into the hands of the Venetians (1204), Candia (as the Venetians called both Heraklion and the whole island) became "the other Venice of the East". Especially during the last two centuries of Venetian rule, it was the greatest harbour in the Eastern Mediterranean. Very few modifications were carried out to the harbour during the Turkish period (17th-19th century). In the 20th century the construction of a coast road demolished much of the Venetian harbour installations. Nowadays the old Venetian harbour is used by fishing boats and yachts. In the background of the image stands the Venetian fortress of Koules (Rocca al Mare), dominating the entrance to the old harbour. The PiP shows a Venetian lion above the entrance of the fortress.

The church of Agios Titos (Saint Titus Church) is one of the most important monuments in Crete. It can be found on a lovely square in the city centre of Heraklion. The original church of Agios Titos on this location was built in the 10th century by the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, who liberated Crete from the Arabs. During the Turkish occupation of Crete, the church of Agios Titos was turned into a mosque, named Vezir mosque. During its many historical phases the church suffered substantial damages, and renovations - including major alterations by the Venetians in the 16th century - and was used as the metropolitan church by the Catholics. The severe earthquake of 1856 totally destroyed the church, which was rebuilt in 1872 on its own foundations. The minaret was demolished in 1920, when the last Ottomans left the island. In 1925 the church was renovated and nowadays the cathedral still works as an Orthodox church, dedicated to St. Titus, St. Paul’s disciple and the first bishop on Crete and guardian of the island.