 |
| Checkpoint! |
Day three in Crete!
We left Heraklio late on day two, and headed for the town of Rethymno. This was also our last official touring day. Our first stop was to the Fortress of Fortezza Rethymnon. This fortress is essentially a much enlarged idea of the Byzantium fortress in Heraklion.
 | |
| Tomb stone |
 |
| Mosque |
This structure has been restored and is an active part of the town. Concerts and other events are held there. There were old rooms and tunnels to explore as we were told about the strategic way at which it was set up. There were four corners with posts for them to be able to communicate. There were even old houses that are in the process of being overgrown, as people no longer live in this area. There was a beautiful Mosque there as well. It was build over a church when the fort changed hands (one of many times). There was also a room full of old tomb stones and such. It was literally my favorite part! The tunnels were eerie to see. There were also overgrown secret entrances that are now closed off, but still cool to see.
For more Pictures, Click here!!
the Password is "Fortezza"
 |
| Sarcophagus |
Next, we visited another Archaeology museum. This museum had only a small display, and a large part of it was still unpublished, so again, we were not able to take many photos. There were still some very cool sarcophagi there. These peoples would bury their dead in caves. The new body would be placed in some of these coffins and left there. However, once another death occurred, the bones would be removed and added to a pile. And the new body would take its place. Kind of morbid in comparison to how we go about handling the dead.
 |
| Fusion |
Afterwards, we were given a quick tour of the town. The most interesting part was that you could still see the mixture of Phoenician and Turkish structures. There were many buildings that had stone or clay first stories, but then had additional stories in wood (which would have been the Turkish influence). After the tour, we were given a break for lunch and a swim, if we so desired. Which of course, we did!
For more pictures of the Sarcophagi, Click here!!
The password is, "RethymnoMuseum"
For more pictures of the town, Click here!!
The password is, "RethymnoTown"
 |
| The Church is Regal |
 |
| Students in the Gunpowder Magazine |
Our last stop of the day was to the Arkadi Monastery. This monastery is still functional. It produces some of the best Raki in Crete. (Raki is essentially Cretan moonshine. Its customary to have it with meals. If its offered to you, its considered rude to refuse. In my opinion its like sipping death, its so strong. But here, you don't take shots like in America. You're supposed to sip it, even if its in a shot glass) The church here is a mixture of Phoenician and Renaissance influences. If you weren't wearing a skirt, they gave you a scarf to tie around your waist. This Monastery has some eerie history tied to it. When the Turks invaded Crete in November of 1866, the people knew that they would be persecuted for their religion. When the Turks came and tried to invade the Arkadi Monastery, they tried to fight the Turks off, about 15000 troops. It was useless. There were about 900, about 2/3 women, children, and elderly taking refuge in the monastery at that time, not really able to defend themselves. So they made a DRASTIC decision. The 900 of them holed up in the gun powder magazines and blew themselves up. They chose death over religious prosecution. The explosion claimed about 1500 Turkish soldiers. Only about 120 women and children survived this. The survivors were taken to prison, suffering horrible conditions, until the Russians liberated them. Many students went into the reconstructed gun powder magazine, but there was a small group of us that chose to stay out. I fully believe that such a tragedy marked that space, and the eerie presence was overwhelming. I could not bring myself to enter.
For more pictures, Click here!!
The password is, "Arkadi"
No comments:
Post a Comment