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The history - The monuments
At Psiloritis, the sacred mountain of the Cretan born Zeus, Kourites, the ancient fighters and first dancers, kept the secret of the king of Gods birth well hidden, striking their shields and dancing war dances that were considered as the roots of the Cretan dances as we know them today.
The land, where the myth became one with history continued to bustle with life and create culture. At Elenes village, inhabitance traces from the Neolithic era were found. At Apodoulou village an important Minoan dorp was discovered, while at Monastiraki the building block of the old palatial period (2000-1700BC) is impressive. During ancient times, at the cave of Agios Antonios at the entrance of the gorge of Patsos, Hermes Kranaios was being worshipped. Ancient Sivritos, today known as Thronos, presented a period of flourishing from the Geometric era as the first Byzantine era. In all the historic periods, Amari brought out eminent figures. During the second Byzantine period and the Venetian invasion, noble lords, such as Vlastoi, Kallergides, Varouches and Chortatzides lived here. At Amari, the Cretan Manouel Vernardos, one of the founders of "Filiki Etairia" (Friendly company), was born. According to modern history, Amari was the center of resistance in Crete. Its residents paid their participation in the National Resistance with blood. The climax was the holocaust of the villages of Kedros during August 1944.
During the Roman and first Byzantine years, this province was neighbors with ancient Gortina, the center of cultural and economic life. Thus, its residents embraced the new religion and created their own ways of worshiping very early. Characteristic of Amari is the plethora of Byzantine churches with particular architecture and frescos that are preserved in every corner of the dorp. The old Christian basilicas of Sivritos at Thronos, those of Vizari, as well as the temple of Agia Anna at Neus Amari which is the chronologically oldest temple in Crete, are distinguished. Especial beauty and archeological interest present the temples of Agia Paraskevi of Amari (near Scholi Asomaton), Agios Ioannis Theologos at the site of Gerakari, Panagia of Meronas, Agios Georgios Ksiroforos at Apodoulou village, Agios Onoufrios at Genna, Metamorfosis Sotiros at Monastiraki and Panagia Kera at Amari.
During the later Venetian and Turkish invasion, the Byzantine Monastery of Asomatoi flourished, while in the middle of the twentieth century it was converted into a School of Agriculture. Agios Antonios at Veni village, near Voliones which was a glebe of the historic Monastery of Arkadi is the religious center of the area and attracts a large amount of worshipers at the 15th of August. Another important part of the area was the abandoned Monastery of Kaloidaina at Ano Meros.
