Saint George at Hamalevri
Hamalevri is one of the 18 villages of Palea Roumata, Chania. It is very small with only 3-4 houses and should not be confused with the larger village Hamalevri in Rethymnon. It is hidden in one of the most beautiful chestnut woods of Crete at a hillside overlooking Apopigadi. Below the village, next to a beautiful river there is one secret treasure of Crete. It is the church of Saint George in Hamalevri which according to tradition operated a secret school during the Turkish Era. Saint George is a very small church really difficult to see from far.
Today outside the church there is a small yard for visitors next to olive and chestnut trees. The tradition says that the secret school operated by the Turks in Saint George was so famous that students came from Platanias by Chania and Sklavopoula by Elafonisi. According to tradition, its existence was revealed to the Turks with treason. Then they surrounded the temple and then slaughtered 70 children and the monk who taught them.
