Asceticism

On the eastern side of the gorge of Rouvas, high above the monastery of Saint Nicholas, we meet the location of Kalives, where the Saints Euthymius and Nikolaos Kourtaliotis lived in the 17th century (around 1670). For some researchers, these are the same person. Inside the cavernous church there are some frescoes and there is a rock-carving with the number 1432, but it is not probably a date, as dates in that era were written with Greek symbols.

The village Avdou gets its name from the prophet Obadiah. At position Lines locals restored a ruined temple that was believed to have belonged to the prophet Obadiah. The church celebrates on November 19.

There are many cavernous chapels throughout Crete, most of them dedicated to Saint Anthony. Such one totally unknown chapel is that of Saint Anthony by Roustika, Rethymno prefecture. It is built in a cave in the heart of the cypress wood covering the Roustika Gorge and is well hidden in the dense vegetation.

The Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi at village Siva is a small single-nave church with a dome. Remarkable are the frescoes dating from the early 14th century, and there are parts of wall paintings of older periods.

Between the villages Aroni and Argoulide at Cape Akrotiri we meet the double-aisled church of Saints Artemios and Paraskevi. This Byzantine church has been built in two phases with the right aisle belonging to Agia Paraskevi probably being the oldest. Between the two doors of the temple there is an old well for the collection of rainwater and there is a carved stone trough in bedrock. The construction of the temple dates back from the 14th century, a few years after the nearby Byzantine church of Saint George (only 25 meters away).

Between Loutro Sfakion and the famous beach of Glyka Nera, at Perlovakia, we meet the white brushed chapel of the Holy Cross (Timios Stavros) where a big feast takes place on September 14th every year.

At the western village of Sitia province, Lastros we meet the church of Panagia Myrtidiotissa at position Sygomalia. The chapel celebrates every year on September 24th and is one of the few called "Myrtidiotissa" in Crete. The church is located at an idyllic countryside location overlooking the sea and the village of Lastros. The area is covered by maquis vegetation of wild olive, oak, locust trees and brushwood.

Akrotiri Cape by Chania hosts the largest (in density) number of temples than every other part of Chania. Many of these temples are very well known to visitors due to their history and architecture. There are of course several that are less known or completely unknown, however they might carry a special story sometimes. One of the more obscure temples of Akrotiri is that of Saint Gerasimos at Aroni. Saint Gerasimos is a new church but is built on the site of an older church of St. Gerasimos.