The vilage of Komitades at the Imbros Gorge on Crete

Komitades is a village in southern Crete, a few miles east of Chora Sfakion. Once Komitades was a town of rich merchants ("komites' means nobleman) who built big houses in the village, but Komitades, like all villages in the 9th century AD, was regularly attacked and destroyed by the Arabs. Komitades is the final destination for the people that have made the walk through the 7 kilometer long Imbros Gorge. The village lies between the olive trees at about 200 meter altitude, overlooking the Libyan Sea and in the distance you can see the island of Gavdos. It seems to live mainly from tourism and it gives the impression a big part was build for the hikers that walked the gorge. Here you can get drinks, souvenirs and also accommodation. In Komitades you can rent a room or look for a hotel or apartment. There are people who organise the walk through the Imbros Gorge from Komitades, have themselves dropped of at the village of Imbros and then walk "home".

Yet there are still old houses and there is a 14th century church in the village of Agios Georgios, with frescoes by the painter Ioannis Pagomenos. This Byzantine church from 1314 is accessible via a path down, which starts at the central square of the village. You follow the path behind the wall of the church downwards and after a few minutes you go left when the wall is interrupted. You keep walking along the wall and then you see the church on your left hand side. The Agios Georgios church was built by the inhabitants of the village in honor of Agios Georgios. During one of the attacks by the Arabs, they prayed to this Saint in order to save the village. After they had been spared, the church was built to thank him.

Besides the people who have made the tourism their profession, there are a number of sheep herders and some people that are involved in growing olives. Near Komitades are several caves and churches, and there is an old monastery, the monastery Panagia Thymiani (400 meter south of the junction Hora Sfakion / Komitades). This monastery was built in honor of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The monastery was built and dedicated to her because, the story tells, an icon of the Virgin Mary was found under a bush with thyme. On May 29 in the year 1821 the revolution against the Turks began in this very monastery.