The Arkadi Monastery (???? ????????) is one of Crete’s most venerated symbols of freedom. The Arkadi Monastery (???? ????????) is one of Crete’s most venerated symbols of freedom. By the mid-19th century, the Ottomans had occupied Crete for more than two centuries, despite frequent bloody uprisings by Cretan rebels determined to win independence and union with Greece. During the Cretan revolt of 1866 , the Arkadi monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance of Ottoman rule. It was manned by 259 armed men (including 45 monks) and sheltered 943 Greeks (mostly women and children) seeking refugee from the...