St. - George's Mandila
Kastraki has an old and rich history. Still preserved many traditions, among which stands out climbing with rope in the church of St. - George's Mandila, which is (unfortunately accessible only to skilled climbers) in the ruins of the monastery of Ag. Mandila George.
According to an old custom the Kastraki, the day of the feast of the saint, with the end use, the village youths hanging colorful scarves and lit candles at the Monastery.
The scarves are left until the next feast of St and are wishes for good health.
The foundation of the monastery of Ag. Mandila placed George in the 14th century. accordance with the few data available, which belong to the tradition, because the monastery has not yet been studied scientifically.
This custom was instituted by the following incident, which testifies to the faith of our people in the miraculous power of St. George.
At the foot of the rock, where lies the monastery of St. George, during the years of Ottoman rule stretched a dense forest. In this forest was banned cutting of trees, which applied to the conquerors. But a soldier of the Turkish garrison of Kastraki and one day began to cut a tree, fell down unconscious, as if dead.
The Turkish commander of the village, thinking that someone "gkiaouris" killed him, ordered and collected in the village square. And threatened to retaliate hard, unless they delivered the killer soldier.
At that moment we heard from the monastery a loud voice, saying that no one killed the soldier, but was punished St George. It was good but if it offered something the Turks in the saint. And immediately his wife aga gave his handkerchief veil of.
Then someone Kastraki raised the handkerchief to the monastery, the abbot and just hung it in the image of the saint, Turkish rose katageros. And then prevailed every time new kerchief hanging in this monastery.