Mikri Episkopi - one of the best kept secrets of Crete

This seems just another quiet, semi-mountains village of Crete when taking a look at the map. Well it is not quite so! With its impressive semi-ruined cathedral of Agios Ioannis Cathedral (Saint John), this place is one of the best kept secrets of the island. There are several villages called Episkopi on Crete but nothing like this one - off the beaten path, well hidden from main roads and travel paths - utterly surprising. Let's explore!

Agios Ioannis Cathedral ​

Entering the village, the impressive semi-ruined cathedral of Agios Ioannis Cathedral Episkopi Milopotamos strikes the view. It draws like a magnet to explore ins and out of once-upon a time impressive building. The remains of the church of Agios Ioannis have cruciform architecture that was completed with rooms so that it had the external shape of a parallelogram. The church had five domes, one in the centre and four in each corner. It did not have supporting columns, but the arches went down to the floor directly. On the exterior there were blind arches decorated beautifully with bricks. In the upper part of the church there are two small marble columns with column capitals forming a window with three openings. The church also has traces of frescoes. It is known that in 1568 the church was partially renovated by the Venetian Bishop Sorreto and on one of the side doors is the coat of arms of the bishop and the above date.