Monastery of Anapafsas: By the Hand of Theophanes

The Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas is located at a fairly lower altitude compared to the others, very close to Kastraki, "crammed" on a very narrow rock, the whims of which it is forced to follow, forming strange angles and does not "tire" with its volume and grandeur.

The lack of "living space" imposed its development not in width, but in height. In the single three-story building, all the individual parts of the monastery coexist in a limited space, one on top of the other. On the first floor you will find the chapel of Agios Antonios and a crypt. On the second floor there are some cells, a narrow corridor and the catholicon of the monastery, dedicated to Agios Nikolaos and above it is the bank, the ossuary, the chapel of Prodromos and some more cells.

The monastery seems to have taken this particular form in the early 16th century, although there are traces of habitation from the 14th century. The catholicon is small with little light, due to the "blind" dome (above which is the third floor) but here you will find the most important sights of the monastery, the amazing frescoes of the Cretan hagiographer Theophanes (in the world Theophanes Strelitzas-nickname "Bathas"), who in a limited space developed a rich iconographic program, laying in the early 16th century, the foundations of the famous Cretan School and style, which he himself perfected later on Mount Athos.

Anapafsas Monastery - Visiting Hours (T/ +302432022375)

All year round : 9:00-16:00 Closed every Friday