The history of the monastery begins in the middle of the 9th century, when it was first built by zealous monks in the Menies location of Akrotiri in honor of Saint George. The frequent and barbaric pirate raids in that area and of course against the monks forced the monks to seek a safer way of life. So they built a small monastery which is today the cemetery of the monastery.
Later in the 17th century, the monk Vlasios (after an apparition according to tradition) builds the monastery in its current location. The Monastery of Gonia is dedicated to the Theotokos Odigetria. It is surrounded by a courtyard where the monks' cells, the abbot's house, the bank, the storerooms and the cellars are located. The monastery was looted by the Turks many times but the monks had the foresight to hide many of the treasures that the monastery had. It also functioned as a hospital during the German revolution. Thus the monastery emerged as the mother of the enslaved people in this place.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou