DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9840#0281
XIII.]
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS.
227
merous, and which are near the chief city, did not join
the Greeks of western Crete in their attempt to shake
off the Turkish yoke till more than a year after the
outbreaking of the revolt. A very tragical scene oc-
curred at Kani-Kasteli, while it was still inhabited only
by a few Mohammedans, and a peaceful and submissive
Christian population.
On the morning of Good Friday, in the year 1822,
the Greeks of Kani-Kasteli assembled to celebrate the
usual religious service of the day, in the church of their
village. Two papadhes, a father and son, officiated.
Three Mohammedans of the village thought the occasion
too good to be let pass, and went well armed to the
place of Christian worship. Since the Greeks of the
district of Temenos, at that time, had none of them
joined their correligionaries of Sfakia and the western
parts of the island, they were all unarmed. One of the
three Mohammedans took his post outside the church-
door. The other two entered it and shot thirty men dead
on the spot. Five others were wounded but recovered.
Two women also received severe wounds, inflicted by
accident, for the Mohammedans meant only to massacre
the men. One of these women died the next day. The
young papas escaped through a window behind the
altar. It would seem as if, from the moment when the
partial insurrection of the mountaineers in the west took
place, the Mohammedans had perpetrated every cold-
blooded atrocity and cruelty that was likely to drive
all the Christians of the island to make common cause
with the Sfakians, who, if they died, at all events did
so with arms in their hands, and were not butchered
like sheep, as any Christian might be in all the other
parts of Crete.
We left this place before sunset to go to the mo-
nastery of Haghio Gheorghio Epano-Siphi, which is
about four miles hence, to the south-south-east beyond
the small Mohammedan village of Karkadhidtissa. We
did not experience the kindness of the Hegumenos and
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS.
227
merous, and which are near the chief city, did not join
the Greeks of western Crete in their attempt to shake
off the Turkish yoke till more than a year after the
outbreaking of the revolt. A very tragical scene oc-
curred at Kani-Kasteli, while it was still inhabited only
by a few Mohammedans, and a peaceful and submissive
Christian population.
On the morning of Good Friday, in the year 1822,
the Greeks of Kani-Kasteli assembled to celebrate the
usual religious service of the day, in the church of their
village. Two papadhes, a father and son, officiated.
Three Mohammedans of the village thought the occasion
too good to be let pass, and went well armed to the
place of Christian worship. Since the Greeks of the
district of Temenos, at that time, had none of them
joined their correligionaries of Sfakia and the western
parts of the island, they were all unarmed. One of the
three Mohammedans took his post outside the church-
door. The other two entered it and shot thirty men dead
on the spot. Five others were wounded but recovered.
Two women also received severe wounds, inflicted by
accident, for the Mohammedans meant only to massacre
the men. One of these women died the next day. The
young papas escaped through a window behind the
altar. It would seem as if, from the moment when the
partial insurrection of the mountaineers in the west took
place, the Mohammedans had perpetrated every cold-
blooded atrocity and cruelty that was likely to drive
all the Christians of the island to make common cause
with the Sfakians, who, if they died, at all events did
so with arms in their hands, and were not butchered
like sheep, as any Christian might be in all the other
parts of Crete.
We left this place before sunset to go to the mo-
nastery of Haghio Gheorghio Epano-Siphi, which is
about four miles hence, to the south-south-east beyond
the small Mohammedan village of Karkadhidtissa. We
did not experience the kindness of the Hegumenos and