Today, the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi observes the canonical rules of the Orthodox Church, both as a fully operating monastery and as a pilgrimage destination of religious tourism. Seven monks live, work and serve the Church in the monastic cells of Christ the Savior, St. Constantine and his mother St. Helen.
The visit of thousands of people on an annual basis helps preserve the reputation of this historic monastery. Specifically, inside the monastery, it is possible to visit and see the Church (the Main –Catholic- Church of the Monastery), the Historic Dining Room, the Cellars, the Powder Keg, the Museum and the Art Gallery of the Monastery.
Celebrations of the Monastery
The monastery celebrates:
May 21st, for the right transept of the Main (Catholic) Church that is dedicated to the Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Constantine and St. Helen.
August 6th, for the left transept of the Main (Catholic) Church that is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ the Savior.
November 8th (Archangels Michael and Gabriel), celebrating the Holocaust of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi in 1866, where the heroes who defended the monastery set fire to the powder keg and exploded to avoid falling in the hands of the Turkish besiegers.
Visiting Hours
View here the visiting hours of the Monastery.
September: 09:00 to 19:00
October: 09:00 to 18:00
November: 09:00 to 17:00
March 09:00 to 18:00
April – May: 09:00 to 19:00
June - July – August: 09:00 to 20:00
The above given hours apply daily, Monday to Sunday.
From April to October, the Museum and entrance to the Monastery operate daily.
On Sundays, the Museum opens after the completion of the Divine Liturgy.
The Holy Ceremonies are performed at the monastery daily according to the Orthodox ecclesiastic rites. The morning ceremony starts at 06:00 a.m. and the evening ceremony starts at 05:00 p.m.
Tour around the Monastery
Plan of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi
News
Read about the latest news of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi.
Cretan Shot – Special Event
The Organizing Committee of School Sports Activities of Rethymno, in cooperation with the Sports Club OKA Preveli and the “Cretan Breeched Dancers Club” presented the traditional game “Cretan Shot”.
Learning history … through play: on-line treasure hunt on Arkadi
The third On-Line Treasure Hunt for Junior and Senior High School students of our region is organized by the Secondary Education Administration of Rethymno in cooperation with the Association of Classical Greek Teachers of Rethymno, under the auspices of the Metropolis of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, the Sub-region of Rethymno and the Municipality of Rethymno, in the framework of the celebrations of the Regional Entity of Rethymno for the Arkadic Self-Sacrifice.
Depiction of the Holocaust at the Powder Keg of the Arkadi Monastery
With the support of His Eminence the Metropolitan of Rethymno and Avlopotamos Mr. Evgenios, a new piece of artwork has been produced in memory of the heroic self-sacrifice of the defenders of the Sacred Patriarchal and Stauropegic Monastery of Arkadi, on the night of November 8th 1866.
