Panayia Spiliotissa paleokastro

Holy Monastery of Panayia Kera/Spiliotissa is a small cavy church. It is considered to be built during the prehistoric period and it is located outside Ayios Thomas village, in Heraklion. It is said to be the center of Crete and inside the monastery there is hole which has been covered by cement and in the past it was called ‘’Hades’ hole’’. Local people living there, used to throw in that hole objects and gifts, as the believed that they would arrive to their dead relatives. Even nowadays, this tradition has managed to survive somehow, as the monastery celebrates on the first Tuesday after Easter and many people organize memorials/requiems with Easter sweets and traditional recipes for their losses