Stilos
Encyclopedia
Stylos or Stilos is a village, part of the Armenoi
municipal unit in the Chania Prefecture
of the Greek island of Crete
located where natural springs rise at the foot of the White Mountains on the fertile and tree covered Stilos Valley.
The Greek etymology of the name of the village is 'column' or 'pillar'. No existing topographical or surviving architectural feature could account for this naming.
The village is laid out to the south side of the road from Megala Horafia to Neo Horio. The two aisled Byzantine
church of Agios Ioannis stands by the village road as does as a prominent, modern domed church.
Stilos is well known locally for its riverside restaurants shaded by giant Plane trees where weddings and Christenings are celebrated. Performances of amplified voice, lyra, guitar and violin can be enjoyed through the night on music nights at the Kritiko Kentro at the Taverna Tou Moustakia which serves generous dishes of locally produced food including notable Cretan salads, one topped with Myzithra cheese.
A new fountain, mini markets and cafes attest to growing prosperity associated with commuters from Chania and Souda, holiday houses in the surrounding hills rented by British visitors and a strong agricultural base.
The Etanap (Greek ETANAΠ Α.Ε. - Επιτραπέζιο Νερό ΣΑΜΑΡΙΑ) bottling plant in the village provides exceptional quality mineral water for Crete, mainland Greece and, it plans, the wider world, under the Samaria
brand. The Stylos brand appears to be being phased out.
On 26 and 27 May 1941 Stilos was the site of a battle between the New Zealand and Australian rear guard forces and the Austrian 85th Mountain Regiment that successfully delayed the Nazi invaders' pursuit of the Allied retreat to Sfakia. Allied troops that were left behind after the evacuation were subsequently sheltered by locals at great risk of Nazi reprisal. A number of steel helmets from the period hang on the wall of the old village shop.
The land to the north between Stilos and Megala Horafia is believed to be an important Minoan site, possibly associated with Aptera, or maybe ancient Aptera itself. No systematic excavations have been done but two kilometres north-west of the village at Sternaki there is an excavated Minoan settlement which includes a potter's kiln, a four-roomed building and a Late Minoan tholos tomb with a long dromos.
Closer to the village, to the north east of the road to Megala Horafia, the church of the Panagia Serviotisa in the monastery of Agios Ioannis can be seen in the middle of the orange groves. The church can be reached by a narrow track. The church is one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in Crete. It was built early in the second Byzantine period, the twelfth century, and shows influences of previously developed new forms of church architecture which originated in Constantinople. The church has a cruciform plan based on an equidimensional 'Greek' cross and a dome whose supporting drum is on the intersection of the two aisles. The church was restored in the early 21st century as part of a programme of church restoration throughout the Prefecture.
North of the village the Gorge of Diktamou is a shaded and beautiful 3 to 4 hour walk of around 10 km best taken descending from Katechori at 300m above sea level down to Faraggi (meaning 'Gorge'), a settlement just outside Stilos.
Armenoi
Armenoi is a village and former municipality in the Chania peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Apokoronas, of which it is a municipal unit...
municipal unit in the Chania Prefecture
Chania Prefecture
Chania is one of the four regional units of Crete; it covers the westernmost quarter of the island. Its capital is the city of Chania. Chania borders only one other regional unit: that of Rethymno to the east. The western part of Crete is bounded to the north by the Cretan Sea, and to the west...
of the Greek island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
located where natural springs rise at the foot of the White Mountains on the fertile and tree covered Stilos Valley.
The Greek etymology of the name of the village is 'column' or 'pillar'. No existing topographical or surviving architectural feature could account for this naming.
The village is laid out to the south side of the road from Megala Horafia to Neo Horio. The two aisled Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
church of Agios Ioannis stands by the village road as does as a prominent, modern domed church.
Stilos is well known locally for its riverside restaurants shaded by giant Plane trees where weddings and Christenings are celebrated. Performances of amplified voice, lyra, guitar and violin can be enjoyed through the night on music nights at the Kritiko Kentro at the Taverna Tou Moustakia which serves generous dishes of locally produced food including notable Cretan salads, one topped with Myzithra cheese.
A new fountain, mini markets and cafes attest to growing prosperity associated with commuters from Chania and Souda, holiday houses in the surrounding hills rented by British visitors and a strong agricultural base.
The Etanap (Greek ETANAΠ Α.Ε. - Επιτραπέζιο Νερό ΣΑΜΑΡΙΑ) bottling plant in the village provides exceptional quality mineral water for Crete, mainland Greece and, it plans, the wider world, under the Samaria
Samaria (water)
Samaria is a Greek brand of pure natural spring water without any chemical treatment that comes from the natural springs of the White Mountains of Stilos, in Crete. Samaria water is very beneficial to the human body and is also an official product for the US Forces....
brand. The Stylos brand appears to be being phased out.
On 26 and 27 May 1941 Stilos was the site of a battle between the New Zealand and Australian rear guard forces and the Austrian 85th Mountain Regiment that successfully delayed the Nazi invaders' pursuit of the Allied retreat to Sfakia. Allied troops that were left behind after the evacuation were subsequently sheltered by locals at great risk of Nazi reprisal. A number of steel helmets from the period hang on the wall of the old village shop.
The land to the north between Stilos and Megala Horafia is believed to be an important Minoan site, possibly associated with Aptera, or maybe ancient Aptera itself. No systematic excavations have been done but two kilometres north-west of the village at Sternaki there is an excavated Minoan settlement which includes a potter's kiln, a four-roomed building and a Late Minoan tholos tomb with a long dromos.
Closer to the village, to the north east of the road to Megala Horafia, the church of the Panagia Serviotisa in the monastery of Agios Ioannis can be seen in the middle of the orange groves. The church can be reached by a narrow track. The church is one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in Crete. It was built early in the second Byzantine period, the twelfth century, and shows influences of previously developed new forms of church architecture which originated in Constantinople. The church has a cruciform plan based on an equidimensional 'Greek' cross and a dome whose supporting drum is on the intersection of the two aisles. The church was restored in the early 21st century as part of a programme of church restoration throughout the Prefecture.
North of the village the Gorge of Diktamou is a shaded and beautiful 3 to 4 hour walk of around 10 km best taken descending from Katechori at 300m above sea level down to Faraggi (meaning 'Gorge'), a settlement just outside Stilos.