The Old Town of Rethymno preserves a particularly rich collection of Christian and Muslim monuments reflecting its Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman history.

Historical sources record between 23 and 46 churches and monasteries in Rethymno during Venetian rule, belonging to both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions. Very few survive today in their original form, as several were converted to other uses, destroyed or incorporated into later buildings. Following the Ottoman conquest, some Christian churches were converted into mosques, while new mosques were also established, shaping the city’s multicultural religious landscape.

Among the oldest surviving remains are those of the Church of Agia Paraskevi, which have been restored and incorporated into the premises of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies of the Foundation for Research and Technology–Hellas. Another important monument is Agia Sophia, known during the Ottoman period as the Ahmed Pasha Mosque and now used as a venue for cultural events.