The Monastery of Artamitis is the most important place of worship for the villagers and it is about 7.5km north of Agios Isidoros. The monastery took its name from an ancient temple dedicated to Artemis, goddess of hunting, wild nature and fertility, which once stood in the area. The monastery was built in the 9th century by an Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, and in more modern times, it served as a centre for scholars and writers, a permanent gathering place for the intelligentsia.
The monastery played an important role during the Turkish occupation as these thinkers inspired the morally-wounded inhabitants by keeping the flame of the Greek spirit alive during the dark years of the enslavement. Sadly, the monastery suffered a marked decline from the 18th century onwards, as it drew fewer and fewer scholars. Then, as a result of raids and earthquakes, the original building was damaged and had to be completely rebuilt in 1859.
References:The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.
Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.