Byzantine Collection of St Catherine
The Museum of Byzantine Icons and Relics of Archdiocese of Crete is located in the Venetian church of St. Catherine of Sinai, in the center of Heraklion and next to the cathedral of Saint Minas.
Religious Monuments of Heraklion
As the capital of Crete for many centuries, Heraklion developed into an important religious centre with numerous churches, monasteries and convents. During the Venetian period in particular, Orthodox and Catholic churches, monasteries belonging to different religious orders and important ecclesiastical schools were founded in Candia.
During the Second Byzantine Period, the Church of Saint Titus served as the seat of the Orthodox Archbishop of Crete. After the arrival of the Venetians, it became the Catholic cathedral and the seat of the Latin Archbishop. The present building was constructed as a mosque during the Ottoman period and returned to Christian worship following the population exchange.
Saint Catherine of Sinai was an important centre of education and ecclesiastical art. During Venetian rule, a renowned school operated here, teaching theology, philosophy, ancient Greek literature and painting. Today the church houses the Byzantine Collection of the Archdiocese of Crete, including important icons, religious treasures and works associated with the Cretan School of icon painting.
Other notable religious monuments include the Basilica of Saint Mark, once the Venetian cathedral, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul of the former Dominican monastery, the small Church of Saint Minas and Pantanassa and the newer Cathedral of Saint Minas, one of the largest churches in Crete.
Following the Ottoman conquest of Candia in 1669, many Christian churches were converted into mosques and monastic buildings were given new uses. Some monuments were returned to Christian worship after the departure of the Muslim population, while others now serve as museums and cultural venues.
Many important religious buildings have not survived. Particularly during the first decades of the 20th century, old churches, minarets and monastic remains were demolished as the city expanded and modernised. The monuments that survive today provide valuable evidence of the Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman history of Heraklion.
Heraklion is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Crete. The Church of Crete has a semi-autonomous status and remains under the canonical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
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Armenian Church of Saint John the Baptist in Heraklion
The Armenian Church of Saint John the Baptist in Heraklion occupies the older Church of Saint George Doryanos. The building passed to the Armenian community immediately after the surrender of Candia to the Ottomans in 1669 and is one of the most important surviving monuments associated with the long Armenian presence in Crete.
Saint Paraskevi church at Heraklion
The Church of Saint Paraskevi on Monis Kardiotissis Street, in the Kamaraki district of Heraklion, was built in the early 20th century and consecrated on 13 June 1910. Its interior preserves important architectural remains of an earlier church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, known as Panagia Kera Manolitissa at Xoporto.
Cathedral of Saint Minas
Saint Minas is the patron saint and protector of the Grand Castle (Heraklion) and its past combines legend with tradition and the town's history. It was built in 1862, next to the smaller temple of Saint Minas.
Saint Titus
During the second Byzantine period, as the largest and prime official church in the city of Chandax, St. Titus became the seat of the new Orthodox Diocese of Crete. The Venetians later installed a Catholic archbishop and converted the church into a Catholic cathedral.
Saint Mark Basilica
The Municipal Gallery of Heraklion is hosted in the Basilica of Saint Mark in the center of Heraklion, just opposite the famous Lions’ fountain. The basilica was built by the Venetians in 1239, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1303 but restored immediately,
Saint Peter of Dominicans
The Church of Sts Peter and Paul was built during the early years of the Venetian domination and served as the main temple of the monastery of Dominican order (Domenicani Predicatori). It is one of the oldest monuments of architecture of the Cistercian monks in the 12th century, both in Europe and in Greece.
Panagia Akrotiriani Monastery and Tobacco Factory
During the Venetian period, the Orthodox nunnery of Panagia Akrotiriani stood in the Agia Triada district of Heraklion, on the site later occupied by the Tobacco Cutting Factory and today used by the archaeological services. Venetian sources refer to the monastery as the Monasterio Greco Madonna Acrotiriani.
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