Lord Christ Church at Jiouktas
The Monastery of Christ the Savior (Sotiras Christos), better known as Lord Christ (Afendis Christos) was built on the second highest peak of the sacred mountain of the Minoans, Jiouktas. Today, from the abandoned monastery survives only the four-aisled temple dedicated to the Transfiguration (Metamorfosis - celebrates on August 6), the Holy Belt of Virgin Mary (Agia Zoni - 1 August), the Holy Apostles (Agii Apostoli - 30 June) and Holy Unmercenaries (Agii Anargyri - July 1).
The view from the whitewashed chapel hanging over the western cliffs of Jiouktas, to the bay of Heraklion is amazing. The monastery can be accessed through dirt road from Epano Archanes. Afendis Christos served as a Venetian monastery and was well known to all travelers coming to Jiouktas, to see the place where the ancients placed the tomb of Zeus. Below the church, there are the cells of the Nuns (Kelia Kalogradon), a very weird religious building on the steep rock.
Afendis hosts the greatest feast of the whole region on August 6th
