Agios Syllas, Heraklion

Agios Syllas is a village in the Municipality of Heraklion, Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. It is located at an altitude of 210 meters, about 15 kilometers south of Heraklion city, on the foothills of Mount Giouchtas. The village offers views of the sea and the Psiloritis mountain range.

The majority of the residents are of Asia Minor origin and are engaged in the cultivation of raisins. The area is characterized by vineyards. Agios Syllas has a primary school and a kindergarten.

Name

The village is named after Agios Syllas (Saint Syllas), the patron saint of the village. The name “Syllas” is a misspelling of the correct name “Silas” or “Silouanos,” who was a companion of the Apostle Paul. The name likely became associated with the village due to confusion with the Roman family name “Sulla.”

History

Agios Syllas is first mentioned in Venetian records. The 1583 census of Castrophylacas (K101) lists it as “S. Scilla” with 265 inhabitants. It is also mentioned in the “Catasticum Ecclesiarum et monasterium comynis” (Register of Churches and Monasteries of the Commune) of 1320 as a “village in the area of Chandax (Heraklion), in Paracandia.”

During World War II, the cave of “Chammamoutzi” near Agios Syllas was the site where the oath of the first united National Resistance against the German occupation was taken. This event marked a significant moment in the Cretan resistance movement. The village also saw battles and lost many men in its more recent history.

Village Key Points

• Historical References:
  • 1320 “Catasticum Ecclesiarum et monasterium comynis.”
  • 1583 census of Castrophylacas as “S. Scilla” with 265 inhabitants.
• Location: Municipality of Heraklion, Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. 15 km south of Heraklion city.
• Altitude: 210 meters
• Historical Significance: World War II resistance site (Cave of Chammamoutzi).
• Population:

• Current Status: Active village with a primarily agricultural economy (raisin production).