Pediada

The monastery of Panagia Gouverniotissa is located near the village Potamies, 3km east of Heraklion. Today it operates as a monastery, but the church is used regularly for liturgies. It is built on a small hill with nice views to Potamies valley.

The Early Christian basilica of Agios Nikolaos is located east of Hersonissos town, at the site of the current church of St. Nicholas. The basilica of the 6th century had dimensions 50mx19m. It was decorated with a mosaic floor which is preserved in better quality than the floor of the nearby basilica in Kastri.

The monastery of Kallergis or Kaleris is located southeast of Smari village, about 35km east of Heraklion and 4km north of Kastelli. It is built in a wooded area with many hills and mountainous morphology.

The monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is located at an elevated position, east of the village Sgourokefali. The nunnery was founded in 1990 and has beautiful views to the village of Sgourokefali.

The Early Christian Basilica on the hill Kastri, above the port of Hersonissos, was one of the largest in Crete (dates back in 5th century). It was three-aisled and its floors were covered with wonderful mosaics.

The church of St. Basil was built in 1840, having nested the single-nave chapel of the 14th century in the sanctuary. The chapel was fully painted. The triumphal arch depicts the “Holy Shroud” and the “Annunciation”. On the east side of the arch, inside the sanctuary, there is the “Ascension of Jesus” along with 4 Angels and 6 Apostles.

The church of St. George Kleidas is located at a beautiful site close to Katalagari village and is the temple of a small monastery that operated here during the Venetian period, probably as a dependency of a larger monastery. The name Klidas is probably taken after the surname of the founder or owner of the land.

The small church of St. Constantine and Helen is located west of the village Avdou, on the boundaries with the dam of Aposelemis. It is a single aisled vaulted church with its interior adorned with frescoes of the brothers Emmanuel and Ioannis Fokas, very important representatives of Constantinople art in Crete.