Heraklion is the main city of the Greek island of Crete. One of the island's two international airports is located here, so most travelers arriving in Crete see Heraklion first. Many immediately go to their holiday destination in the Cretan resorts and get to know Heraklion from the bus window. But there are also some tourists who stay in the capital for at least a few days. It is for them that we will tell you what to see in Heraklion - an amazing place where monuments from the times of the Minoan civilization, Byzantine, Venetian, Turkish rule have been preserved.
TOP 10 attractions of Heraklion
Knossos
Knossos
South of the historic center of Heraklion is the famous Palace of Knossos - a huge archaeological complex built during the existence of the Minoan civilization, that is, around 2000. BC NS. The remains of the Palace of Knossos were accidentally discovered in 1878. Many archaeologists have long and unsuccessfully tried to buy this interesting archaeological zone from the owners of Turkish origin. Finally, the American Arthur Evans succeeded. This happened in 1900.
For three years, Evans freed a significant part of the ancient palace from the land, and at the same time discovered an ancient culture hitherto unknown to scientists. The frescoes that tourists now see in the Palace of Knossos are a remake. Evans partially reconstructed the palace and painted its walls with bright colors.
Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, founded in 1883, is considered one of the most interesting in the country. It is here that the artifacts and original frescoes found in the palaces of Minoan culture in Crete are collected. The main treasure of the museum is the Phaistos disc, which can be seen in the third hall. It is a terracotta plate with unknown symbols. Scientists suggest that this is a sample of Minoan writing, which has not yet been deciphered. The exact date of creation of the disc and its purpose are unknown.
The extensive collection of the museum is displayed in 20 exhibition halls, located on two floors of a building specially built for this purpose. In addition to items related to the Minoan culture, there is a selection of exhibits from the Neolithic era, and the time of the reign of the Greeks, and then the Romans.
Venetian Fort
Venetian Fort
The sea fortress, built by the Venetians on a long promontory, on the outskirts of the port in Heraklion, is officially called the Koules fort. Its purpose was to protect the port and coastal villages from pirate attacks. Initially, the Venetians only erected the tower, which was destroyed in 1523. In its place in 1523-1540 the present fort appeared. In winter, work was interrupted due to unfavorable weather conditions. The fortress had to be restored several times. This happened after a clash with the Turks in 1669. The Ottomans significantly strengthened the fortress, and the old lighthouse was converted into a mosque (part of the minaret can be seen today). For a time, the Venetian fort of Heraklion was used as a prison. Now it has been restored and is open to tourists. Various cultural events are often held here: important meetings, art exhibitions, etc.
Natural History Museum of Crete
Natural History Museum of Crete
An interesting museum on Sophocles Street Venizelou is dedicated to the wildlife of Crete. It was founded by the Faculty of Biology of a local university in 1980. Exactly one year later, a multi-storey building was found for the museum's collections, which was previously occupied by the power plant equipment. The museum consists of five thematic zones: zoological, botanical, paleontological, geological and mineralogical.
What can be seen at the Natural History Museum of Crete:
- the original skeleton of a fossil mammal called dinotherium. It could be found in the Miocene era. This skeleton was found during archaeological excavations in Crete and transferred to the museum;
- large dioramas showing various ecosystems of the Mediterranean: highlands, deciduous forests, etc.;
- a mini-terrarium containing lizards and snakes that live on the shores of the Mediterranean;
- earthquake simulator hall.
Basilica of San Marco
Basilica of San Marco
Once the most important Catholic church in all of Crete, the Basilica of San Marco is now an exhibition center that houses the local Art Museum. The basilica was built in the first half of the 13th century by Venetian architects. It got its name in honor of Saint Mark - the defender of the Most Serene Republic. Immediately after its construction, the temple became very popular among the Venetian nobility who lived on the island. Many wealthy inhabitants of Crete wished to rest after death under the shadow of this basilica. The church, which was able to remain unscathed after many earthquakes, was attracted by the Turks, who turned it into a mosque. In the middle of the last century, it was restored according to old drawings.
Nowadays, the former Basilica of San Marco not only hosts permanent and temporary art exhibitions, but also hosts chamber music concerts, lectures and history seminars.
Venetian loggia
Venetian loggia
The elegant Venetian-style palace, called the Venetian Loggia, is now the seat of the Mayor of Heraklion. This building, which is one of the city's most famous landmarks, is located on 25 Augusta Street, just north of Lev Square. During the reign of the Venetians, the loggia was a kind of privileged club, where only noble people who participated in the management of the city and the entire island had access. Here, at the dinner table, all emerging problems were solved. From the windows of this building, the heralds read out the ducal decrees.
The two-storey Venetian loggia was built in the first half of the 17th century and, unlike the other three city loggias, has been well preserved to this day. For this, we must thank the restorers led by the Venetian Maximiliano Ongaro, who saved the palace from destruction in 1915. In 1934, the services of the mayor's office were located here.
Museum of the Battle of Crete
Museum of the Battle of Crete
Tourists who have come to rest in Heraklion and are interested in the history of World War II are pleased to visit the Museum of the Battle of Crete, founded in 1994. Its exposition tells about the battle that took place in May 1941 between British and German troops for the right to rule over the island. This battle went down in history as "Operation Mercury". The defenders of Crete were led by John Pendlebury. Despite the fierce resistance of local residents, the Germans managed to win this battle.
The Museum of the Battle of Crete contains personal belongings of the militia, archival documents, samples of military uniforms, weapons, medals, books, photographs. Here you can also see various eyewitness accounts of those events, for example, sketches, drawings, written memoirs.
Church of St. Catherine
Church of St. Catherine
The Orthodox Church of St. Catherine appeared in Heraklion in 1555. It was founded with funds from the St. Catherine Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula. The temple was built in the Byzantine style and lacks any beautiful, pretentious decor details. In the 15th-17th centuries, a school operated at the temple, where local children studied literature, theology and art. Among the famous students of the school can be called the painter El Greco.
In 1669, after a long siege, Heraklion surrendered to the Turkish invaders. They came here for more than two centuries. The Turks did not destroy the Church of St. Catherine, but turned it into a mosque, which functioned properly until the 20th century. At present, the Museum of Sacred Art is open in the temple. There are icons created by both foreign and local craftsmen. It also contains objects used in worship, books, paintings, priests' vestments and much more.
Agios Minos Cathedral
Agios Minos Cathedral
The Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mina, which can simultaneously accommodate up to 8 thousand people, is considered one of the most spacious in Greece. It is consecrated in honor of the patron saint of Heraklion - Saint Mina. The cathedral with two towers and a large dome was erected next to a miniature church consecrated in honor of St. Mina, which can be seen today. The first foundation stone of the three-nave church was laid in 1862. The construction work was supervised by the architect Afanasy Mousiss. Due to the uprising of the inhabitants of Crete against the Ottomans, as well as its suppression, the construction of the cathedral stopped for several decades and was continued only in 1883. Eventually, the building was completed and commissioned in 1895. The Turkish authorities agreed to hold a three-day holiday on this occasion.
On May 23, 1941, during the bombing of the city of Heraklion, a bomb was dropped on the Cathedral of St. Mina, but it did not explode. Local residents immediately declared it a miracle.
Crete Aquarium
Crete Aquarium
15 km from Heraklion, in the small town of Gourne, there is an aquarium, the name of which is translated from Greek as "Peace of the Sea". Aquariums with a total volume of 1,700,000 liters are installed in buildings that used to be owned by the American military. The area of the aquarium is 1600 sq. M. It contains 2500 marine inhabitants of 250 different species. Most of them live in the Mediterranean.
Crete Aquarium, which aims to promote and disseminate knowledge about the marine environment, received its first visitors in 2005. Three years later, it was expanded with the installation of an additional 25 glass containers for keeping fish and other inhabitants of the deep sea. Adults and children come to this place to see sharks, jellyfish, octopuses, crustaceans with their own eyes. When visiting the aquarium, you can take an audio guide in Russian.
