The monastery was founded in the 14th century. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times by pirates and in 1612 by a severe earthquake. Like other Cretan abbeys, Toplou was a refuge for partisans during Ottoman rule. In 1821, Turks massacred 13 monks and 13 lay people.
During the German occupation, Cretan resistance fighters operated a radio station here. The Nazis executed the abbot and two monks in 1944

The monastery`s graveyard