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Arhontiki

Arhontiki is a small village in the prefecture of Rethymno, located 18 km far from the city of Rethymno and 12 km from Episkopi.

The village of Arhontiki lies east of the Mouselas River and is built upon a hill with panoramic view both at the sea and the Apokoronas range.

The Arhontiki or Arkoudaina, a name that derived from the Goddess of bears Artemis (arkouda=bear), who was worshiped at the area of Black Sea and whose cult was transferred to the western Rethymno, is a traditional village with rare architectural buildings that were constructed during the Venetian rule. In 1865 it was renamed to Arhontiki to remind of all the revolutionaries who participated in the fights for the freedom of Crete against the occupiers.

The Arhontiki village has been known since the Venetian era and was burnt to the ground by the Turks in 1866.

At present, there are still some youngsters who live in the village of Arhontiki, since the capital of the prefecture is nearby and the area offers animal husbandry occupations.

As ecclesiastic attractions of the area of Arhontiki, the following could be mentioned: the church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary that operated as a mosque during the Ottoman occupation, the old Venetian church of Agios Georgios, the church of Holy Spirit, the church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos (the Baptist) and the chapel of Transfiguration

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