Voni is famous for its religious tourism due to its female monastery in the village that is dedicated to Agia Marina.

Administratively the village is under the Minoa Pediados municipality and 30 kilometers from Heraclion. It is built between hilltops and 330 meters above the sea level.

600 people live in the settlement and their main occupation is agriculture. The residents are famous for the production of “kapriko”. “Kapriko” is a traditional recipe with the pork as its main ingredient. The people that live today in the village come from Lasithi.

Administratively, the Galatas settlement is under the Voni district.

HISTORY

The sarcophagus that was found outside the village in 1957 proves the existence of life in the settlement from the Post-Minoan Years.

The village was stated as “Vogni” in 1583. In 1834 30 Turkish families lived in the village. In 1881 there were 314 Turks and only 35 Christians.

During the Turkish Occupation, Voni (Dedeler Küyü= the village of the dervishes of Mpekatsides) was given by the Sultan for the maintenance of the Voni “tekes” (i.e. tekke in Turkish, a “khanqah”) in a suburb of Heraclion.

CHURCHES

The church of Metamorfosi of Sotiras and the female monastery of Agia Marina are in the settlement.

FESTIVITIES

A large feast and a bazaar for 3 days are held on the 17th of July, on the day of the celebration of Agia Marina.