map of Crete One kilometer before the village of Kritsa, in the site named "Logari" you find the old Byzantine church of "Panagia Kera", with uniquely painted and important Byzantine frescoes dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th century. The church is dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, Saint Anthony and the Holy Anna (the mother of the Virgin Mary). For hundreds of years the residents have hidden the frescoes to prevent destruction by the Turkish occupiers. The precise starting date of the building of the church is unknown but the middle part (the central nave, its vaulted roof and dome) dates from the 13th century. The central aisle, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, contains the oldest paintings which reflect a mixture of styles. The other parts of the church were added in the 14th century. The south aisle has the best-preserved paintings. In contrast to the more stylized paintings of the period, these paintings display a tenderness and humanity in their rendering of the story of Anna, the Virgin Mary's mother. The north aisle is dedicated to St. Anthony and has pictures representing the Second Coming. The western wall is painted with men and women in hell. There is a painting of the Holy Fancis on the western piece of the northwestern construction. It shows a fusion of a Catholic saint with Greek orthodox iconography which is rare in Byzantine churches.

According to local tradition there was an icon of Maria in the church that had magical powers. During the second iconoclasm between 814 and 842 in which Emperor Leo III and his successors prohibited religious images, the icon was moved to Constantinople. Although the pope encouraged the use of icons, many icons were destroyed during that period. Later the icon of the Virgin Mary returned to the church, but during the Venetian period in 1498 the icon was stolen and it was sold by a trader. The icon is now hanging in Rome. In the 18th century the church was renovated and an unknown artist made a copy of the icon.

There is a 3 euro entrance fee to get into the church and you are not allowed to take any pictures with flash. There are a few other equally beautiful churches, like the ones in Pirgos, Fodele, Fres, Deliana or Anidri if you want to take a look at nice frescoes for free. The church in Kritsa is probably the most beautiful of all but, for example, the less famous Byzantine church in the village of Fodele is one of the big competitors. Especially in the southwest of Crete above Sougia and Paleochora there are countless Byzantine churches with their doors open, where you can walk in with your camera and make pictures if you want to.