Chohlakies, Eastern Crete

This village is situated οn the road between Palekastro and Ano Zakros and is part of the community of the former. It is not mentioned in the Venetian census of 1583 and so it may have been founded after the 16th century.

In a location belonging to the village, in the fields of one Kalomirakis, a large Minoan villa was discovered. It is of really monumental appearance, with one of its walls 24,50m long, 2,30m high and 1,20m thick. Around the villa are traces of other buildings.

This village was tried in the harshest manner during the fight to throw off the Turkish yoke. At the time of the uprising in 1821, when Turkish reprisals were ordered by the notorious Ibrahim Afendakis who also instigated the massacres at Tourtoules, Ziros and later Achladia, Janissary Hussein Lagoudoglou (or Lagos) was commanded to punish the Christians of the Zakros area. He therefore sent word that all the men from Zakros, Viglos, Klisidi, Adravasti, Kellaria and Azokeramos should assemble at the house of Frangias Violis at Hochlakies under the preteχt that he would read out a new Turkish decree. Once he had everyone gathered together, there were about 70 in all, he slaughtered them. Α similar massacre took place again in the same village in 1866.

The etymology of the name is probably from the word "hochlaki": smooth rounded stones, such as are found in the bed of a river or winter torrent.

From the book "Sitia", N.Papadakis, Archaeologist,1983