Arkadi

Arkadi was one of my favorite sites on Crete, though the story of the tradgey at Arkadi is both harrowing and powerful. During the tale end of the Ottoman Empire, Greeks were fighting for their independence from the Turks occupation and the Arkadi monastery became the Cretan rebels' headquarters because of its strategic position. The morning of November 8, 1866, the rebels awoke to find the monastery surrounded by 15,000 Turkish soldiers. There were also almost 700 unarmed women and children inside the walls of Arkadi, seeking refuge from the Turks. Though there was several days of battles, it was evident that the Cretans didn’t have the materials or manpower to fight off the Turks. The greatest fear of the refugees at Arkadi wasn’t death, but being enslaved by the Turks. More than 600 women and children gathered into the gunpowder storage room waiting until the Turks broke through the door. Before the Turks could capture them, a spark was put to the gunpowder keg and a massive explosion killed all the refugees and many Turkish soldiers.

When Andreas first told us this story, I got goosebumps. To be standing on ground that a holocaust occurred on was upsetting. The grounds of Arkadi now are beautiful, and that contrast between death and a flourishing garden really struck me.