Moni Toplou Traditional Geocache
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Size: 
(micro)
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A cache by the beautiful, historical and very rich Toplou Monastery.
Moni Toplou is built high on a rugged plateau on the way to Vai. It looks like a fort because throughout history it had always had to defend against bandits, pirates, and invaders.
Moni Toplou literally means "Monastery with the gun", named so by the Turks due to its possession of a small cannon - in Turkish top = cannon.
The monastery was founded in the 15th century but was destroyed several times by earthquakes and during the Turkish occupation of Crete. Nowadays the monastery seems to own the entire land mass of northeastern Crete, which it uses as grazing pastures for the free-ranging goats. This is one of the main reasons why the entire area has remained pristine and undeveloped.
The monastery functions as a museum of Byzantine icons and engravings. There are also rooms with historical exhibits that reflect the monastery's role in Greek history. In fact, much of the destructions on its buildings and slaughter of the monks were caused by the direct involvement of the monastery in the organized resistance against the Turks, and more recently against the Nazis in WWII.
The cache is a vitamin tube hidden at the parking area, outside the Monastery premises.
Please, specially mind the muggles around you! Don’t forget your pen!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Va gur jnyy