Anogia is a lovely, picturesque and attractive mountainous village, considered as one of the most beautiful and authentic villages of Crete.It is standing at an altitude of 750 meters on Mount Psiloritis, the highest mountain of Crete, about 50 kilometers east of Rethymno. Due to its isolation, the village has kept a strong authentic character, the local customs, its traditional costumes and an old dialect.
The men of Anogia are famous for their courage and their pride and took an active part in every movement against the Turkish and German oppressors.
The village has a nevertheless a bloody past: The Turks burned it during the Ottoman occupation and, in 1944, German forces destroyed every building except the church and killed all the men they could find as a payback for the kidnapping of the German General Von Kreipe by the village's resistance fighters.
Worth-visiting is the 12th century church of Saint John, with its beautiful frescoes and icons. The village of Anogia is one of the major handicraft and cottage industry centers of Crete and the woven and embroidered articles produced have superb motifs which are unique to the village. It is interesting to visit one of the many workshops open to the public and observe articles being woven on large looms.
Birthplace of the famous Cretan singer and composer Nikos Xilouris, Anogia has a great musical tradition and many excellent singers and lyre (a local and traditional instrument called ?lyra? in Greek) players are originated from here.
Some are still living in the village and can be heard playing during the cultural festival of Anogia in mid-August. Many traditional cafes and taverns can be found in the narrow streets of Anogia as well as a few accommodations. From this charming village one can enjoy some nice excursions such as a visit to the Minoan Palace of Zominthou, the cave were Zeus grew up, or the ?mitata? on Mount Psiloritis.
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