Icon Shrines

Cretan countryside is full of icon shrines; From the edges of the roads to the most unexpected places, such as beaches or mountains, gorges and woods. It is estimated that nowhere in the world there are so many religious shrines as in Crete. Most people mistakenly believe that all shrines are there to commemorate a fatal accident. However, the reality is very different for the shrines we meet in places other than the roads (where indeed, most of them are due to accidents).

Cretans from the ancient years tended to build outdoor shrines to thank the higher powers for the goods and the fruits of earth. This habit arrived until the present day and ancient rural sanctuaries were replaced by the famous icon shrines encountered in the countryside. The reason for the creation and existence of a shrine that has always been dedicated to a saint was to protect the field and cause the blessing of fruits and crops, honey or livestock products.