Therisso Zourva – The Gorge of “Eleftherios Venizelos”

The feet of the White Mountains

Meskla is the site of an ancient city, and various artefacts and remains of cyclopean walls have been found here. The ruins of the houses and the remains of a city wall can be seen around the village of Meskla. It is unsure which city was situated here and what was its actual name.

Meskla has traditional stone houses and is situated between green hills in the heart of the fertile Keritis Valley. Through this valley, runs a river and at the back of the village, the visitor can admire the White Mountains.

Meskla is actually situated in a ravine, at the feet of the White Mountains. The village was first destroyed during the Venetian period, when the leader of a local revolt, Kantanoleon, used it as his headquarters, and a second time, during the Turkish period.

Nevertheless, two of the Byzantine churches with 14th-century frescoes at the village, have miraculously survived both destructions! One of these churches is dedicated to the Christ Saviour, or “Sotiras Christos Church” with paintings by the hand of Theodoros Daniel and his nephew Michaeli Veneris, dating from 1303 A.D. The church was founded by the monk Leontios Khossakis.

A bit further on the road, if the visitor walks through the village and over the bridge situated at its north side, one can find the 14th century Virgin Mary Church.

This church contains parts of even earlier buildings, including a temple of Aphrodite that was once built in this exact place and the mosaic on the floor of the present church floor, was once the mosaic floor of a fifth-century basilica! Behind this church, a very large and imposing modern, Orthodox church has been built.

Towards the end of our excursion, we will go to the lake of Agia.

It is a small lake of 450 acres, which is close to the valley of Fasas. This valley is considered the most humid of Crete. Agia Lake receives water from underground springs and the river Xekolomenos. The lake was a swamp before the Power Public Corp. radically reformed it, to create an artificial lake, for producing hydroelectric power. Today, the power station is abandoned, but visitors still can see the old mechanisms.

This small lake hosts the largest variety of aquatic plants in Crete but also hosts very important species of fauna, such as rare species of ferns and frogs. Moreover, the lake is a shelter for many migratory and non-migratory birds.

The ecological significance of Agia is reflected in the fact that it is protected. In recent years, the irrigation works in the region have reduced the size of the lake, which has become a swamp once more in several places. Moreover, the wetland has faced a tremendous alteration, after the introduction of the American bullfrog by a mindless businessman, a creature that has displaced the endangered Cretan water frog since.