Upload your photos for Μυριοκέφαλα and share them with us! Press here.
Address:
Λαππαίοι 
Telephone:
Places near Μυριοκέφαλα
The Monastery of Virgin Mary (Panagia) Antifonitria is located in Miriokefala village, a small mountainous village 29 km south west of Rethymno Town, in the borders between the prefectures of Rethymnon and Chania.
The Monastery of Panagia Antifonitrias, according to tradition, was built during the second decade of the 11th century by Saint John the Stranger and the Hermit (Xenos kai Erimitis). This monk was active in the area of western Crete during the late 10th and first half of the 11th century. He founded nine
monasteries
in Rethymnon and Chania, as we learn from his manuscript of life. The most important institutions of the Hermit, who is today one of the greatest religious shrines of Crete is the Monastery of Our Lady of Antifonitrias, which after his death, he devoted there all the other founders.
The monastery flourished in that era and it was decorated with frescoes in the 11th and the 12th century. In fact, it is said that Saint John brought to the monastery ecclesiastical equipment and valuable relics from Constantinople, after the authorization of the Emperor and the Patriarch, but nothing has survived till today.
The Byzantine church of the Panagia Kardiotissa of the monastery of Antifonitrias contains very well-preserved frescoes from the twelfth century. The church has cruciform architecture with a large dome on a drum, and a large narthex in front of the church. The narthex has blind arches and it is also painted.
Miriokefala is built at 500m a.s.l. and 37km away from the city of Rethimno. It has 400 inhabitants most of them farmers and stock breeders. One more village, Maroulou, belongs to the same municipality.It took its name because of its location, "MIRIOKEFALA" means thousands of heads (here :Hills).
Here is the birth place of George Maravelakis, a great fighter of the 1866 revolution against the turks.The monastry of Miriokefala, an interresting sight, devoted to the Holly Mother, was established by Ai Kir Giannis (a Cretan Saint) in the 11th century. There are many icons of Byzantine art, among them this of Holly Mother.
Login with
Facebook