Panagia Odegetria Monastery

The Holy Monastery of Panagia Odegetria was built in the 16^th century around a two-aisled old church, probably of the 14^th century, whose southern aisle collapsed and was replaced by a narrower northern aisle.

The Turkish invasion of Crete came as no surprise and so the monastery had been prepared as a defensive area and a wall had been built around it. The Monastery of Apezanon, a few kilometres further to the east, had also been fortified for the same reason.

There were several small springs around the Odegetria Monastery, but the defence complex required an independent water supply, so as to cope in case of a siege. A large cistern was cut into a rock to collect rainwater and a vaulted well was built at the end of the inner courtyard.

Photos: Wikipedia