The Convent of Chrysopigi, just outside Chania, is dedicated to Mother Mary, the Life-Giving Font (Panagia Zoodochos Pigi). The convent is built in a fortress style and it was founded by Ioannis Chartophylakas at the end of the 16th century. During Venetian rule it was a significant spiritual centre with a well-stocked library.
Its stopped flourishing with the Ottoman siege in the summer of 1645, when Philotheos Skoufos, the Father Superior, escaped to the Ionian Islands, taking with him the holy heirlooms of the monastery. Since then the place was deserted until it was restored in the 18th century. During the Liberation Revolution against the Ottomans it was burnt down.
After 1830 it played an important ecclesiastical role, but during the Second World War the Nazis obliged the monks to leave and caused serious damage to the buildings. In 1976 Chrysopigi was restored and became a convent. In the interior of the church dedicated to the Life-giving Font (Zoodochos Pigi), there are wonderful icons of the 19th century and a wonderfully carved wooden iconostasis.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.