Moni Toplou

Moni Toplou () is a 15th-century monastery located in a dry and barren area in the Prefecture of Lasithi, on the eastern part of the island of Crete in Greece. It is about 6 km north of the village of Palekastro and 85 km east of Agios Nikolaos. The monastery was originally called Panagia Akrotiriani (Virgin Mary of the Cape), after the nearby Sidero cape. Its current name literally means "with the cannonball", thus called by the Turks for the cannon and cannonballs () it had in its possession for defensive purposes.
==History==
Toplou monastery is one of the most significant monasteries in Crete, dedicated to Panagia
(Virgin Mary) and St. John the Theologian.
It was founded around the mid 15th century, probably on the ruins of an earlier convent.
The monastery was plundered by the knights of Malta
in 1530 and shattered in 1612 by a strong earthquake. Due to its strategic position,
the senate of Venice, then ruler of Crete, decided to financially aid in rebuilding
it. The monastery flourished until the surrender of eastern Crete to the Turks in 1646, after
which it was abandoned for a long time. In 1704, it acquired special protection privileges
from the Patriarch (i.e., stauropegic) and was re-inhabited.
After its monks were slaughtered by Turks in 1821 during the Greek Revolution of Independence,
Toplou was again deserted until 1828. In 1866, during the massive
Cretan revolt against the Turks, it was once again devastated.
During the German occupation of 1941-44,
Toplou was providing shelter to resistance fighters and housed their
wireless radio. When this was discovered by the Germans, the abbot and two monks were
tortured and executed.
==Architecture==
Having to defend itself from pirates and invaders, Toplou monastery is heavily
fortified, being laid out around a courtyard paved with sea pebbles and surrounded
by strong, 10 meters high square walls. In its present form it extends to about 
800 square meters in three floors, divided into cells, guest houses, kitchens and
warehouses. The main church (katholikon) is built as a two-nave basilica
and the belltower dates back to 1558.
==Current status==
Despite its turbulent history, Toplou has many works of art to its possession. Today, it hosts an interesting exhibition of Byzantine icons, books and documents, a display of ancient engravings and a collection of artefacts which reflect
its role in the historical events that influenced Crete during the last centuries.
Several of its walls are also adorned with remarkable fresco paintings.
==The Cavo Sidero dispute==
UK-based Minoan Group
(formerly Loyalward Group Plc) plans a €1.2bn construction project on the
25.9 km2 Cavo Sidero peninsula that is located in the northeastern
part of Crete. This land is owned by Toplou monastery and is leased for 80 years.
Backed by strong political support, the so-called Cavo Sidero project is
advertised as one of the largest tourist investments in Greece. It includes the
construction of six tourist villages with 7,000 beds, three golf courses,
a conference center a marina plus sport facilities. However, the Cavo Sidero
peninsula is a Natura 2000 designated area of particular biodiversity
and archaeological importance and home to the Vai natural palm
forest, the largest of its kind in Europe. On top of that, it is one of the
driest areas on Crete and the large amounts of water that would be required by
the developments when in operation will have a tremendous negative impact on the 
environment,.Harsh course of nature, The Guardian, 5 March 2008Trying to Be Green, With Very Little Water, The NY Times, 19 August 2007
Thus, despite the investors assurances that the project has been designed to
operate according to the principles of sustainable development, there has been
strong opposition against it by the local population and several environmental
groups,Save the Cretan Landscape (online petition)
including WWF. Serious doubts about
the intentions and the financial strength of the investors have also been 
raised.Επενδύσεις στην άμμο (Investments on sand), Ο Ιός της Ελευθεροτυπίας, 15 Ιουλίου 2007
In April 2009, the Supreme Administrative Court accepted the request of about 
300 Sitia residents who sought to annul the ministerial decree of 2007, which adopted the environmental impact
study for the project. According to the Court, the environmental licensing of the project was not
legitimate«Mπλόκο» από ΣτE στα έργα της Μονής Τοπλού, Το Βήμα OnLine, 10 Απριλίου 2009 since the land use planning foresees only a mild tourist development for the area.
==References==
==External links==
* Toplou monastery: History, description, icons
Category:History of Crete
Category:Lasithi
Category:Monasteries in Crete
Category:Christian monasteries in Greece
Category:Greek Orthodox monasteries
Category:Religious organizations established in the 15th century
fr:Moni Toplou