The Agios Panteleimon monastery on the island of Crete

The Agios Panteleimon monastery is located in the north of the Heraklion district, 25 kilometers from the capital if you drive westward. The monastery is located about 5 kilometers south of the nice village of Fodele and the route is signposted from that village with directions. The ride is over a dirt road and leads through the woods, olive groves and orange plantations. The monastery dates from the 15th century and was originally built in the form of a fortress because of pirate attacks. Not much is left of the walls that surround the monastery, but the monastery church is still there. In the Agios Panteleimon monastery there are icons dating from the 17th century. During the Turkish rule the monastery was a center of resistance. According to the sign the monastery is open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm but when we arrived at half past eleven we found the gate closed and the monastery seemed completely deserted.