Myriokefala
Myriokefala is one of the mountain villages of the prefecture of Rethymno located on the northwestern slopes of the Mountain Kryoneritis, 32 km southwest of the city of Rethymno.
Built at an altitude of 570 meters, the Myriokefala is located on the ridge of central Crete and were named after the myria kefalia (=many heads), referring to the hills that rise around the village. Another version speaks of the monks of the monastery of Panagia Antifonitria, who were beheaded by the Turks in 1770 because they were hiding rebels and the yard of the monastery filled with severed heads (myria kefalia).
The Myriokefala village has been inhabited since the 10th century, as mentioned in the will of John Ksenos or Hermit, who founded the monastery. One the oldest monasteries in entire Crete, the monastery of Panagia Antifonitria no longer functions as such, but today is a parish church of Myriokefala. From all buildings and cells of the monastery, at present, only the Katholicon (the main church) is remaining in the center of the courtyard.
In the village there is a spring with plenty of cold water, which according to tradition was created by the hand of John Ksenos. When he touched the ground, the water began to oozing from five points (his fingers). The water of this source is considered holy water by the locals.
