Jerusalem Monastery
The Monastery of Panagia Jerusalem is located in Loutraki (20.9 km from Heraklion). The Monastery dates back to the 16th century and, unfortunately, is no longer operational. It is said that it took its name from a monk from Jerusalem or that it was part of the Holy Sepulcher. The Monastery of Jerusalem is honoured on November 21st of the celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
In 1671, it was mentioned in a document with Abbot Joasaph, while in 1842, it was mentioned among the 41 monasteries of Crete. Also, in 1867, the Turks destroyed the Monastery and set fire to its property.
The Monastery was a centre of revolutionary action and a refuge for many well-known Cretan warlords. It was fortified, but the continuous destructions completely changed its original form. Today, the katholikon (a two-aisled church that was originally a single room), parts of cells, and the sanatorium, which was built before the Second World War, are preserved from the Monastery, but the sanatorium was never used.