Ancient Ierapytna (Ierapetra)
The current city of Ierapetra is built on the site of the ancient city of Ierapytna. Its current name Ierapetra was preceded by other names such as Kyrva, Kamiros, Pytna, and Ierapytna.
Ierapetra town
Ierapetra lies 30 km south of Agios Nikolaos, near the narrowest part of Crete, and is the southernmost town in Greece.
Ierapetra is a modern and lively coastal town whose economy is based mainly on agriculture and tourism. The fertile plain surrounding the town produces large quantities of early-season vegetables, much of which are exported to European markets. Ierapetra also offers well-developed tourist facilities, with hotels of all sizes, restaurants, cafés and attractive beaches. Its seafront promenade is the liveliest part of the town, particularly on summer evenings.
The modern town stands on the site of ancient Hierapytna. Throughout its long history, the settlement was associated with names such as Kyrva, Kamiros, Pytna and Hierapytna. Its strategic position near the narrowest part of Crete and opposite the coast of North Africa encouraged the development of trade and navigation.
One of Hierapytna’s principal rivals in eastern Crete was Praisos, which it destroyed in 155 BC. The city gradually acquired one of the largest territories of any Cretan city-state, extending from the area of Tsoutsouras to Xerokambos. It later competed with the powerful city of Itanos, near present-day Vai.
During the Roman period, Hierapytna flourished and became one of the most important cities in Crete. Its harbour was particularly significant because of its position on the maritime routes towards Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. The town retained its importance during the First Byzantine period but later suffered destruction during the Arab raids. Under Venetian rule, its defences were strengthened and the fortress of Ierapetra was constructed.
The best-known landmark of the town is the seaside Kales Fortress, situated at the entrance to the old harbour. Its origins date to the Venetian period, although the building underwent later alterations and additions. Today it is an important archaeological site and occasionally hosts cultural events.
Visitors should also explore the small and picturesque Old Town in the district of Kato Mera. One of its most unusual landmarks is the so-called House of Napoleon. According to local tradition, Napoleon Bonaparte stayed there anonymously for one night in July 1798 while travelling to Egypt. The story claims that he left a note the following morning revealing his identity.
Kato Mera is also home to an Ottoman mosque and its accompanying fountain. Near the Town Hall stands the former Ottoman School, built in 1899, which now houses the Archaeological Collection of Ierapetra. Its exhibits originate from ancient Hierapytna and the surrounding region and date from the Bronze Age to the 4th century AD.
The Castle of Ierapetra
Ierapetra already possessed the seaside Kales Fortress during the Venetian period, but the town was not surrounded by a continuous defensive enclosure. The low landward wall around Ierapetra was constructed later by the Ottomans, who felt threatened by pressure from the local population. The wall protected the town only from the land, and its layout is known mainly from a plan recorded by the British traveller Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt. The wall began at the waterfront, east of the present Archaeological Collection of Ierapetra, and continued past Kothri Square and Mosque Square before reaching the area of Sarakina. It had two principal gates: one on its northern side, near the present Town Hall Square, and another on the western side, close to Mosque Square. Outside the wall was a water-filled moat, approximately 2.5 m wide and 1.5 m deep, which the inhabitants called the hendeki. The fortifications were repaired in 1823 and again in 1829. Following the Ottoman withdrawal from Crete in 1898, the wall was demolished for aesthetic, urban-planning and political reasons. The demolition took place in the presence of the French admiral Édouard Pottier, who symbolically gave the signal to the inhabitants. According to the local historical account, approximately 1,500 residents participated in demolishing the fortifications, which had become closely associated with Ottoman rule. Most of the wall has now disappeared. Small remains and traces have been identified near Town Hall Square, recalling the extent of the former fortified town.
Peristeras beach
The beaches formed here are surrounded by high cliffs with caves and soft rocks, which protect bathers from prying eyes. The seabed in some places is quite rocky, while the sea is rarely rough.
