In 2016, Greece released a commemorative ringed-bimetallic €2 coin featuring the Arkadi Monastery (Μονή Αρκαδίου) to mark 150 years since the Holocaust of Arkadi during the Cretan Revolt of 1866.
The design proudly features Arkadi Monastery, inscribed with “ARKADI MONASTERY” at its centre. On the left edge, in Greek, appears “HELLENIC REPUBLIC”. The issuance year, “2016”, is positioned at the top right, accompanied by a palmette, the Greek Mint’s emblem. The artist’s monogram, George Stamatopoulos, sculptor and engraver at the Bank of Greece Mint, sits at the lower right. Surrounding the coin is the European Union’s circle of 12 stars.
Quick Facts
- Issuing volume: Up to 750,000 coins
- Release date: December 2016
Stamatopoulos is renowned for his craftsmanship. His portfolio includes the design of Greek euro coins and memorable pieces such as those marking the “Treaty of Rome” and the “30th Anniversary of the European Flag.” His distinctive touch is evident in the Arkadi Monastery coin. According to the sculptor, this coin’s design was thoughtfully crafted to echo the monastery’s historical and cultural relevance: “Every detail of the design brings the past into a tangible form, allowing each holder to connect with a piece of history.”
For more insight into this unique coin, visit the European Central Bank’s official page.
Holocaust of Arkadi
The story of the 943 Cretans, mostly women and children, who sacrificed themselves between these holy walls is part of the place’s documented history. Their sacrifice is commemorated each year on 8 November, a vivid reminder of unwavering resistance that ultimately caught the world’s attention.
Somehow, as you enter the powder magazine at Arkadi, time stands still. Even if you are not familiar with the history of the monastery, there’s a sense of pious tranquillity about the place. It’s like the sacrifice of the Greeks is embedded in stone, and if you close your eyes, you can almost feel the souls of the departed passing by.
Friday, November 8, 2024
Arkadi Monastery
- 11:45 AM – Arrival and honors at Arkadi Monastery by the 547 & 548 A/M TP Honor Guard and the Cretan Division.
- 12:00 PM – Thanksgiving service led by Archbishop Eugenios of Crete, alongside Metropolitan Pródromos.
- 12:15 PM – Anniversary address by Maria Lionis, Deputy Governor of Rethymno.
- 12:30 PM – Archiereus Memorial Service at the Mausoleum.
- 12:40 PM – Wreath placement by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, followed by a moment of silence and the national anthem. Flag raising by “Synpolis” Active Citizens Association.
- 1:00 PM – Refreshments served at the Monastery courtyard.
- 5:30 PM – Official lowering of the city flag at the Unknown Soldier Memorial executed by the 547 & 548 A/M TP Honor Guard.
Arkadi Monastery stands as an emblem of freedom on the island of Crete, reflecting a turbulent history marked by defiance. By the 19th century’s dusk, Crete had languished under Ottoman rule for two hundred years, enduring constant, albeit bloody, revolts by locals yearning for liberation and unification with Greece.
As the Cretan uprising gathered momentum in 1866, Arkadi Monastery became a bastion of rebellion. It housed 259 armed defenders, 45 monks, and 943 Greek refugees, mostly women and children. On 8 November, a formidable Ottoman force consisting of 15,000 soldiers and 30 cannons, led by Commander Suleyman, encircled the sanctuary. A fierce exchange erupted after their request for surrender was met with defiance.
- 259 armed men, including 45 monks
- 943 Greek refugees, mostly women and children
- Attacking force of 15,000 Ottomans with 30 cannons
- 846 Cretans killed, including explosion victims
The ensuing battle, halted only by nightfall, resumed violently on 9 November. Supplies dwindled as cannon fire breached the monastery walls, forcing desperate hand-to-hand combat. Ultimately, the fight turned in the Ottomans’ favour. Some defenders sought refuge in the monastery but were soon discovered and slaughtered.
Meanwhile, Cretan patriot Konstantinos Giaboudakis led the remaining men, women, and children in a dramatic choice—ignite the gunpowder barrels rather than surrender. The resulting explosion claimed numerous lives on both sides, killing more than 1,500 Ottomans and leading to a tragic yet heroic end for the Cretans.
The dispiriting fall did little to quell the Cretan spirit, but it did stir global indignation. Countries like Serbia, Hungary, and Italy sent volunteers to aid the Cretan cause. Gustave Glourens, a French educator, spearheaded a movement enrolling several European and American supporters to raise the island’s plight.
Victor Hugo’s poignant letters, testifying to the tragedy, were published and galvanised international sympathy:
One knows this word, Arkadian, but one hardly understands what it means. And here are some of the precise details that have been neglected. In Arkadia, the monastery on Mount Ida, founded by Heraclius, six thousand Turks attacked one hundred ninety-seven men and three hundred forty-three women and also children. The Turks had twenty-six cannons and two howitzers, the Greeks had two hundred forty rifles. The battle lasted two days and two nights; the convent had twelve hundred holes found in it from cannon fire; one wall crumbled, the Turks entered, the Greeks continued the fight, one hundred fifty rifles were down and out and yet the struggle continued for another six hours in the cells and the stairways, and at the end there were two thousand corpses in the courtyard. Finally, the last resistance was broken through; the masses of the Turks took the convent. There only remained one barricaded room that held the powder and, in this room, next to the altar, at the center of a group of children and mothers, a man of eighty years, a priest, the higumen Gabriel, in prayer… the door, battered by axes, gave and fell. The old man put a candle on the altar, took a look at the children and the women and lit the powder and spared them. A terrible intervention, the explosion, rescued the defeated…and this heroic monastery, that had been defended like a fortress, ended like a volcano.
I feel it’s important to see Arkadi for its historical meaning. Its beauty will touch your heart, revealing what Crete truly is for the people who live on these lands. The courtyard is a tranquil plot beautified with colourful flowers and herbs.
There are always people walking around the grounds, some stopping in awe to admire the Venetian church from a distance, others preoccupying themselves with capturing the most captivating sights of the monastery’s fortress-like structures on smartphones and cameras. But even the occasional tourist, who usually lands at Arkadi with a local tour guide, seems overwhelmed by the sense of sacred I described above and walks about in devout silence.
Despite lacking immediate intervention from European powers, the Cretans’ perseverance eventually earned results. Although an 1868 motion in the US to recognise Cretan independence faltered, persistent efforts bore fruit in 1898, with the collective aid of Greece, England, France, Italy, and Russia ending Ottoman dominion. By 1913, Crete was officially united with Greece, culminating in a long and arduous struggle for autonomy.
It’s hard to describe Arkadi and do it justice. As magnificent as the striking Venetian church is seen from the outside, the beauty of its 1902 iconostasis is awe-inspiring, too. To me, this is the gem of the church, the thing that brings me peace and close to God. To see Arkadi, you need to commit at least a couple of hours of your time.
Walk carefully: as I said, this is holy ground because the souls of 943 Greeks rest here. Take your time to discover the hidden gems: a monk’s cell, the hospice, the stables, and the memorial of the dead outside the fortified walls of the monastery that shows you what the Cretans hold sacred:
Nothing is more noble or glorious than dying for one’s country.
