Xilouris Nikos Statue Anogia

On the north face of Mount Psiloritis, a sacred mountain in antiquity, at an altitude of about eight hundred meters above sea level, stands the village of Anogia with a history as old and as turbulent as Crete’s. A rallying point of resistance against foreign invaders throughout the centuries, Anogia was one of the villages of Crete that were razed in 1944 by the Nazi forces. Nowadays, Anogia is renowned for its music that incorporates the brave and tragic history of its people and is the birthplace of some of Crete’s greatest traditional musicians. Among them stands out Nikos Xylouris, a lyra player, who became famous mainly for his unique voice and whose house-museum you can visit in the district of Perachori at Anogia.