Toplou

The monastery of Toplou lies on the out skirt of the island. All the way to the east in a desolated area. The monastery was ones a refuge place. Cretans were hiding here for the Turks. Even in more recent times the monastery rebels against the intruders of Crete. During the second world war, the monks hide a underground radio transmitter. For this act the abbot Selognakis was executed by Crete invaders.
Because of its rebels role the monastery looks like a fortress.

While entering the monastery you come into a small court patterned with cobbles. From here you can visit all the room and workshop in the monastery.
On the facade of the church, to the left of the doorway, four stone slab are let into the wall. One is a relief of the virgin wit het child.
The 2 central inscriptions record the labours of the abbot Gabriel Pandogalos, who restored the monastery after the earthquake in 1612 with the help of the Venetians.

The two aisled church has a double dedication. The nothern aisle of Panagia Akrotiriani and the southern to Agios Ioannis Theologos.
Recently new frescoes has been dicovered in the north aisle and dated back to the 14th century AD.