Panagia Kera Limniotissa by Episkopi
A few meters west of Episkopi village, province Pediada, there is the imposing church of Panagia Kera Limniotissa dedicated to the Virgin Mary, (Panagia) surrounded by dense vineyards and olive groves. The church was a part of the nunnery of Kera Limniotissa that was probably founded in early Venetian years and stopped its operation after the Turkish occupation of Crete.
The monastery, initially independent, was later added to the monastery of Agarathos. There are still some ruins of the nuns’cells. The temple is single aisled with a dome. The dome collapsed but fortunately has now been restored by the archeological authorities. There are many ancient pillars scattered around the temple, depicting its former religious use since the Greco-Roman Times.
The interior walls were covered with frescoes of exceptional beauty of three different periods. The oldest layer of murals is from the 11th century, while the newest are from the 15th century. Characteristically, in the area of the sanctuary the surviving hierarchs are of the 11th century, the Saint Stephan of the 13th and the Virgin Mary in the arch of the 15th century. The wider area of Episkopi has many Byzantine churches and could be characterized as a Byzantine Park.
