Ano Akria
Ano Akria is a village of the Gortyna municipality.
The settlement is 40 kilometers from Heraclion and built on the semi- mountainous area of the hummock of the northern side of Mesara plain, 460 meters above the sea level.
Administratively the Ano Akria district consists of the villages of Atsipades, Kasteli, Kato Akria and Morias.
Atsipades are on a hill, 460 meters above the sea level and with a great view of the Mesara plain. 161 residents live in the settlement according to the 2011 census.
The fortress Castel Bonifacio was built in Kasteli or Tsifout Kasteli and it gave its name to the area. The fortress was north- west of the settlement, 400 meters above the sea level, in Psilo Aloni. The village is 44 kilometers from Heraclion and 310 residents live in it. They come from Asia Minor.
Kato Akria is the smallest settlement with 23 residents. 115 people live in Ano Akria and Morias. Their main occupations are agriculture and livestock.
HISTORY
Ano and Kato Akria are mentioned in the Venetian and Kastrofilakas’s censuses. In records of 1368 they are referred as fiefs of Pizani and Pritzi families.
During the Turkish occupation, only Turks lived in Ano Akria. There was also a mosque with a great minaret. The church of the village is today in the place where the mosque was.
When Ano Akria became a community, Tsifout Kasteli, Atsipades and Mournia fell under it. Kato Akria became a district with Ano Akria in 1999.
During the Venetian Occupation, Atsipades were stated as “Azupades de Acra”, Mournia as “Murnea” and Kasteli as “Boniffacio proprio”.
CHURCHES
The church of Panagia is in Ano Akria and is celebrated on the 8th of September, while the small church of Agios Georgios is in Kato Akria and is celebrated on the 3rd of November.
The temple of Agia Aikaterini is in Atsipades. The Agia Paraskevi church is also in a beautiful place with a spring and dense plantation. The small church of Afentis Christos is also built in Atsipades between beautiful olive trees.
The temple of Agios DImitrios is in Morias and the churches of Agios Konstantinos,Agia Eleni and Agios Dimitrios are in Kasteli.
