GREECE : 2 Euros ( Greek  Coin )  

UNCirculated

YEAR : 2016

This coin is  COMMEMORATIVE

for  the  150  years   from  the

ARKADI  MONASTERY  TORCHING

Limited to 750.000 issues worldwide.

Coin designed by :  G. Stamatopoulos

Date  of  Issue : 21 December 2016

Only  750.000  pieces

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Diameter	25.75 mm
Thickness	2.20 mm
Weight	8.50 gr
Composition	Ring Cupronickel (75% copper - 25% nickel clad on nickel core), center Nickel brass (75% copper - 20% zinc - 5% nickel)
Edge	Edge lettering (Hellenic Republic), fine milled

!!!   GUARANTEED    AUTHENTIC   !!!

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2 euros -  Arkadi  Monastery

The Arkadi Monastery (in Greek: Μονή Αρκαδίου / Moní Arkadhíou) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, situated on a fertile plateau 23 km (14 mi) to the southeast of Rethymnon on the island of Crete in Greece.

The current catholicon (church) dates back to the 16th century and is marked by the influence of the Renaissance. This influence is visible in the architecture, which mixes both Roman and baroque elements. As early as the 16th century, the monastery was a place for science and art and had a school and a rich library. Situated on a plateau, the monastery is well fortified, being surrounded by a thick and high wall.

The monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance of Ottoman rule during the Cretan revolt of 1866. 943 Greeks, mostly women and children, sought refuge in the monastery. After three days of battle and under orders from the hegumen (abbot) of the monastery, the Cretans blew up barrels of gunpowder, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender.
The monastery became a national sanctuary in honor of the Cretan resistance. 8 November is a day of commemorative parties in Arkadi and Rethymno. The explosion did not end the Cretan insurrection, but it attracted the attention of the rest of the world.

The monastery is quite large and its high walls relate to a fortress. This holy place has been well-known from the events of November, 1866, when Crete had rebelled against the Turks, dominating the island for the past 200 years. When the Turkish soldiers violated the monastery after many hours of siege, the besiegers with a monk as leader put on fire a room filled with gunpowder. The explosion, which killed all the people inside the monastery and most of the Turkish soldiers, was a desperate act of the besiegers to remain free and not fall in the hands of their enemies. This act symbolizes the Cretan liberation and makes the Monastery of Arkadi one of the most famous monasteries in Crete. There are few monks who still live there taking care of the church and the surrounding buildings. Inside the monastery you will find a small souvenir shop with handmade items and great copies of Byzantine icons. The monastery also houses an interesting museum with a great collection of post-Byzantine icons, pontifical from the 16th century, blazonry and relics from several revolutions. Outside the monastery, there is a memorial structure dedicated to the Cretans who died in 1866, displaying the remains of the dead.

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Condition :

The coin characterized :  Unc

of the rolls  of euro-coins  Bank  of  Greece

See the scan (picture), shape your own opinion.