Akrotiri, Crete

F6

F9f3

Akrotiri (Greek Ακρωτήρι (n. sg. ), Dt, ch ') is the name of a 112 km ² peninsula in the northwest of the Greek island of Crete. Previous names of the peninsula were Kiamon or Byzantine period Charaka.

As part of the Greek government reform in 1997, the five municipalities were merged to form the Municipality of Akrotiri, which in turn came up on 1 January 2011 in the greatly enlarged Municipality of Chania, where she has since formed a district.

• 2.1 Traffic

• 3.1 monasteries
• 3.2 caves
• 3.3 beaches

Geography

Geographical Location

The Akrotiri peninsula lies off the north coast of Western Crete. The teardrop shaped into Cretan Sea prominent in the north-east peninsula is connected by a wide land bridge in Southwest with Crete. Here lies to the west of Chania, the second largest city of Crete, and in the east port town of Souda. The completed from the peninsula Souda Bay is the largest natural harbor in the island.

The southwestern part of the peninsula is formed by a plateau, which lies 100 to 200 meters above sea level. This plateau ends in the Bay of Kalathas ( Όρμος Καλάθας ) in the west of the peninsula. The northeast part of Akrotiri on the other hand is quite mountainous, with the highest point of the peninsula is in the east of the mountain Skloka with 528 meters height.

Community structure

The community Akrotiri is formed from the towns of

• Aroni
• Chordaki
• Kounoupidiana
• Mouzouras
• Star

Economy and infrastructure

The Akrotiri was originally coined purely agricultural, in the lower parts prevail garden and olive groves before. More recently, a lot is mainly in the southwestern part near the coast built, the relative proximity to the city of Chania make this part of the peninsula into an attractive residential area, the city of Chania is growing here about their community boundary to the territory of the peninsula. In the same area spreads in the beach tourism economy. In Marathi, Kalathas and Stavros are sandy beach coves. Besides the permanent residential development here also arise whole " villages " of apartments.

In the south and east in the area of the air base and military importance Souda Bay there are several military areas.

Traffic

Named after the national hero Daskalogiannis Chania International Airport is located on the plateau in the southern part of the Akrotiri peninsula. Apart from the airport of Heraklion, it is the second most important airport of Crete. In the area of ​​the airport and along the road link to Souda and Chania can be strengthened down farms.

Culture and sights

Monasteries

• Moni Agia Triada (also Agios Triados Tsangarolon ) was built in 1631 on the southern edge of the north-eastern mountain range of Akrotiri. It is one of the Holy Trinity consecrated establishment of two Venetian monks who had joined the Orthodox Church, the brothers Giancarolo ( Zangarola ). They renovated an older monastery, which had been given to them by a family Mourtari. The embedded in olive and orange groves buildings are built in Venetian Renaissance style. They were rebuilt in 1830, after the monastery was burned down in 1821 by the ruling Turks. Moni Agia Triada is directly subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople Opel.

• Moni Gouverneto ( Agiou Ioannou also Gouvernetou or Theotokos Gouverneto ) located four kilometers north of Agia Triada in the mountains and can be reached from there via a 440 meter-high pass through a small ravine. This is also the patriarch of Constantinople Opel Subordinate Marie Gouverneto Monastery fortress looks similar. A large building is built around a central courtyard. In it is one of the holy Virgin Mary, consecrated Renaissance church in the Venetian style. The monastery was founded in 1548 has been repeatedly rebuilt after fires, so even after the revolt of 1821, when most monks were killed. It houses a library and a collection of sacred Byzantine objects.

• A paved with natural stone path leads from the Moni Gouverneto at the Bear Cave (see below) passing down into a gorge to the sea open to Moni Katholiko, a now abandoned monastery, which was probably founded in the 5th or 6th century. The church extends far into a natural cave in the rock face into it. The outer monastery is now overgrown, among others, of olive trees. A very large specimen is rooted in a two-story buildings and towers through the roof. The monastery was abandoned in the 16th century because of repeated Arab pirate raids ( Saracens ) in favor of Moni Gouverneto. An architectural feature of the monastery is about 30 meters long and 12 meters wide arch bridge that spans the gorge in the valley, the monastery is built. The built of hewn sandstone and natural stone bridge is like the other monastic buildings exceptionally well preserved.

Near Katholiko there are numerous caves in the cliffs, where once lived the hermit, among others, next to the monastery, the cave of St. John of Gouverneto (John the stranger ), is said to have worked around the year 1100. The 150 meter long cave is accessible to 40 meters. Legend has it that John Gouverneto on the run on his coat from the Middle East over the sea on the coast of Akrotiri, below the present monastery ruins, landed. After that he lived with 98 companions in the local caves, where he died.

The gorge, which is spanned by the monastery bridge, walk through and ends at the so-called " pirate bay " in the sea. Here are also the remains of the quarries, where once the light, porous sandstone ( " Aeolos " ) was reduced, which was built in the lying above the gorge monasteries.

• Arkoudiotissa (also Arkoudospilios, translated: the bear or bear cave ): Situated between the monasteries of Moni Moni Gouverneto and Katholiko in the north Akrotiri is the cave named after a bear- shaped -looking stalagmites. It is believed that the cave served cultic purposes already in the Neolithic and Minoan period. In classical times here the goddess Artemis was worshiped, who was the bear holy. On the left side of the cave entrance is the small chapel of Panagia Arkoudiotissa ( Our Lady of the Cave Bear ) from the 16th century, in their devotion to the elements of the ancient cult have received.

Beaches

The beach of Stavros in the northwest of Akrotiri and the location opposite mountain in 1964 filming location for the cable car and beach scenes in the movie Alexis Zorbas by Michael Cacoyannis, starring Anthony Quinn. The cameraman Walter Lassally has settled in Stavros. The Oscar, which he received in 1965 for Zorba is to see today in one of the restaurants on the beach of Stavros.