Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

and capital of

Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital city, capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion (regional unit), Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Gree ...

regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

with a population of 211,370 (Urban Area) according to the 2011 census. The population of the municipality was 177,064. The

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

palace of

Knossos Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...

, also known as the Palace of Minos, is located 5.5 km (3.1m) southeast of the city. Heraklion was Europe's fastest growing tourism destination for 2017, according to Euromonitor, with an 11.2% growth in international arrivals. According to the ranking, Heraklion was ranked as the 20th most visited region in Europe, as the 66th area on the planet and as the 2nd in Greece for the year 2017, with 3.2 million visitors and the 19th in Europe for 2018, with 3.4 million visitors.

Etymology

The Arab traders from

al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...

(Iberia) who founded the Emirate of Crete moved the island's capital from Gortyna to a new castle they called ''rabḍ al-ḫandaq'' ( ar, ربض الخندق, "Castle of the Moat") in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (''Chándax'') or Χάνδακας (''Chándakas'') and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

as ''Candia'', in French as ''Candie'', in English as ''Candy'', all of which could refer to the island of Crete as a whole as well as to the city alone; the Ottoman name was ''Kandiye''. After the Byzantine reconquest of Crete, the city was locally known as ''Megalo Kastro'' (, 'Big Castle' in Greek) and its inhabitants were called ''Kastrinoi'' (Καστρινοί, "castle-dwellers"). The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

port of Heracleum ("

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptiv ...

's city"), whose exact location is unknown.

History

Minoan era

Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of

, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on

. Knossos had a port at the site of Heraklion (in the Poros-Katsambas neighborhood) from the beginning of the Early Minoan period (3500 to 2100 BC). Between 1600 and 1525 BC, the port was destroyed by a volcanic tsunami from nearby Santorini, leveling the region and covering it with ash.

Antiquity

After the fall of the Minoans, Heraklion, as well as the rest of Crete in general, fared poorly, with very little development in the area. Only with the arrival of the Romans did some construction in the area begin, yet especially early into Byzantine times the area abounded with pirates and bandits.

Emirate of Crete

The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 by the

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

under Abu Hafs Umar who had been expelled from

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...

by Emir Al-Hakam I and had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a moat around the city for protection, and named the city ''rabḍ al-ḫandaq'' (ربض الخندق, "Castle of the Moat", hellenized as Χάνδαξ, ''Chandax''). It became the capital of the Emirate of Crete (ca. 827–961). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial (Byzantine) shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.

Byzantine era

In 960,

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

forces under the command of

Nikephoros Phokas Nikephoros II Phokas (; – 11 December 969), Latinized Nicephorus II Phocas, was Byzantine emperor from 963 to 969. His career, not uniformly successful in matters of statecraft or of war, nonetheless included brilliant military exploits whi ...

, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege, the city fell in March 961. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town remained under Byzantine control for the next 243 years.

Venetian era

In 1204, the city was bought by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

as part of a complicated political deal which involved, among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade restoring the deposed Eastern Roman Emperor Isaac II Angelus to his throne. The Venetians improved on the ditch of the city by building enormous fortifications, most of which are still in place, including a giant wall, in places up to 40 m thick, with 7 bastions, and a fortress in the harbour. Chandax was renamed ''Candia'' and became the seat of the Duke of Candia, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became known as "Regno di Candia" ( Kingdom of Candia). The city retained the name of Candia for centuries and the same name was often used to refer to the whole

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...

of Crete as well. To secure their rule, the Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

led to a flourishing of letters and the arts in Candia and Crete in general, that is today known as the '' Cretan Renaissance''.

Ottoman era

During the

Cretan War (1645–1669) The Cretan War ( el, Κρητικός Πόλεμος, tr, Girit'in Fethi), also known as the War of Candia ( it, Guerra di Candia) or the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies (chief among ...

, the Ottomans besieged the city for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, the longest siege in history up until that time. In its final phase, which lasted for 22 months, 70,000 Turks, 38,000 Cretans and slaves and 29,088 of the city's Christian defenders perished. The Ottoman army under an Albanian grand vizier, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, ''Kandiye'' ( Ottoman Turkish قنديه) was the capital of Crete (''Girit Eyâleti'') until 1849, when Chania (''Hanya'') became the capital, and Kandiye became a sancak.Tahir Sezen, ''Osmanlı Yer Adları'', Ankara 2017, T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü Yayın No: 2
''s.v.'', p. 410
/ref> In Greek, it was commonly called ''Megalo Castro'' (Μεγάλο Κάστρο 'Big Castle'). During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania in the west of the island. 2016-07-25 Heraklion 063

Modern era

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

located off the northern coast of Crete on October 12, 1856 destroyed most of the over 3,600 homes in the city. Only 18 homes were left intact. The disaster claimed 538 victims in Heraklion. In 1898, the autonomous Cretan State was created, under Ottoman

suzerainty Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is ca ...

, with Prince George of Greece as its High Commissioner and under international supervision. During the period of direct occupation of the island by the Great Powers (1898–1908), Candia was part of the British zone. At this time, the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the

port of Heracleum ("

' city"), whose exact location is unknown. In 1913, with the rest of

, Heraklion was incorporated into the

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label= Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, wh ...

. Heraklion became again capital of Crete in 1971, replacing Chania.

Architecture, urban sculpture and fortifications

Venetian constructions such as the Koules Fortress (''Castello a Mare''), the ramparts and the arsenal dominate the port area. Several sculptures, statues and busts commemorating significant events and figures of the city's and island's history, like El Greco, Vitsentzos Kornaros,

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis ( el, ; 2 March ( OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greek writer. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in nine different years. Kazantzakis's n ...

and Eleftherios Venizelos can be found around the city. Many fountains of the Venetian era are preserved, such as the ''Bembo'' fountain, the ''Priuli'' fountain, ''Palmeti'' fountain, ''Sagredo'' fountain and ''Morosini'' fountain (in Lions Square). After the St Titus Cathedral, the two largest medieval churches in the city were San Salvatore, belonging to the Augustinian Friars, and San Francesco, belonging to the

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

. San Salvatore stood in Kornaros Square and was demolished in 1970. Around the historic city center of Heraklion there are also a series of defensive walls, bastions and other fortifications which were built earlier in the Middle Ages, but were completely rebuilt by the

. The fortifications managed to withstand the longest siege in history for 21 years, before the city fell to the Ottomans in 1669.

Municipality

The municipality Heraklion was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units: * Gorgolainis * Heraklion *

Nea Alikarnassos Nea Alikarnassos ( el, Νέα Αλικαρνασσός, meaning New Halicarnassus) is a town and a former municipality in the Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, ...

* Paliani * Temenos The municipality has an area of 244.613 km², the municipal unit 109.026 km².

Neighborhoods

Suburbs

Transportation

Port

Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. Travellers can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to destinations including Santorini,

Ios Island iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

, Paros,

Mykonos Mykonos (, ; el, Μύκονος ) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants according ...

, and

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...

. There are direct ferries to Naxos,

Karpathos Karpathos ( el, Κάρπαθος, ), also Carpathos, is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Together with the neighboring smaller Saria Island it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part of ...

, Kasos, Sitia, Anafi, Chalki and Diafani. There are also several daily ferries to

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saro ...

, the port of

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

in mainland Greece. The port of Heraklion was built by

Sir Robert McAlpine Sir Robert McAlpine Limited is a family-owned building and civil engineering company based in Hemel Hempstead, England. It carries out engineering and construction in the infrastructure, heritage, commercial, arena and stadium, healthcare, educa ...

and completed in 1928.

Airport

Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about east of the city. The airport is named after Heraklion native

, a writer and a philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece after

Athens International Airport Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' ( el, Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», ''Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón "Elefthérios Venizélos"''), commonly initialised as ...

, first in charter flights and the 65th busiest in Europe, because of Crete being a major holiday destination with 7,974,887 passengers in 2018 ( List of the busiest airports in Europe). The airfield is shared with the 126th Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force.

Highway network

European route E75 European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe. The E 75 starts at the town of Vardø in Norway by the Barents Sea and it runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, ...

runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos, Chania, and Rethymno.

Public transit

Urban buses serving the city, with 39 different routes. Intercity buses connects Heraklion to many major destinations in Crete.

Railway

From 1922 to 1937, a working industrial railway connected the Koules in Heraklion to Xiropotamos for the construction of the harbor. In the summer of 2007, at the Congress of Cretan emigrants, held in Heraklion, two qualified engineers, George Nathenas (from Gonies, Malevizi Province) and Vassilis Economopoulos, recommended the development of a railway line in Crete, linking Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion, with a total journey time of 50 minutes (30 minutes between Heraklion and Rethymno, 20 minutes from Chania to Rethymno) and with provision for extensions to Kissamos, Kastelli Pediados (for the planned new airport), and Agios Nikolaos. No plans exist for implementing this idea.

Climate

Heraklion has a hot-summer-

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(''Csa'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

). Summers are warm to hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. Winters are very mild with moderate rain. Because Heraklion is further south than

, it has a warmer climate during winter but cooler during summer because of the Aegean sea. The maximum temperature during the summer period is usually not more than 28 - 30 °C (Athens normal maximum temperature is about 5 °C higher). The minimum temperature record is -0.8 °C
A new temperature record for February was set at 27.8 °C, reached on 15 February 2016.

Colleges, universities, libraries, and research centers

University of Crete The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion, and one of the country's most aca ...

* Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) (Former TEI) * MBS College *

Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

Nicolas Kitsikis Nicolas Kitsikis ( el, Νίκος Κιτσίκης; Nafplio, August 14, 1887 – July 26, 1978, Athens), was a top civil engineer of 20th century Greece, and father of Beata Maria Kitsikis Panagopoulos, Elsa Schmid-Kitsikis and Dimitri Kitsikis. ...

Library * Vikelaia Library

Culture

Musée histoire naturelle de Crète à Héraklion

Cultural and Conference Center of Crete (Heraklion)

Museums

* Heraklion Archaeological Museum * Cretaquarium *

Historical Museum of Crete The Historical Museum of Crete is a museum in Heraklion, Crete. It was founded by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies in 1953 and was originally housed in the former home of Minos Kalokairinos. The museum has since been expanded with a mo ...

* Natural History Museum * The Battle of Crete and National Resistance Museum * Nikos Kazantzakis Museum * Collection of Agia Aikaterini of Sinai * Museum of Visual Arts

Arts

The Cultural and Conference Center of Heraklion is a centre for the performing arts.

Sports

The city is home to several sports clubs. Most notably, Heraklion hosts OFI and

Ergotelis The Gymnastics Club «Ergotelis» Heraklion Crete ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος «O Εργοτέλης» Ηρακλείου Κρήτης, Γ.Σ. Εργοτέλης), commonly known simply as Ergotelis ( el, Εργοτέλης), ...

, two football clubs with earlier presence in the Greek Superleague, the top tier of the Greek football league system. Furthermore, the city is the headquarters of the

Heraklion Football Clubs Association The Heraklion Football Clubs Association ( el, Ένωση Ποδοσφαιρικών Σωματείων Ηρακλείου or Ε.Π.Σ.Η.) is an association responsible for administering football in the region of Heraklion. It is based in the ci ...

, which administers football in the entire region. Other notable sport clubs include

Iraklio B.C. Iraklio OAA B.C. (Greek: Ηράκλειο OAA KAE), also known simply as Iraklio, or Heraklion, is a Greek professional basketball club that is based in the city of Heraklion, on the island of Crete, in Greece. It is a department of the ''Herakli ...

(

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

Atsalenios P.O. Atsaleniou, short for Panathlitikos Omililos Atsaleniou ( el, Παναθλητικός Όμιλος Ατσαλένιου, translated ''Pan-athletic Club of Atsalenio'') and also known simply as Atsalenios or POA, is a Greek association foo ...

(football) and Irodotos (football) in the suburbs of ''Atsalenio'' and

respectively.

Local TV stations

* Channel 4 * Creta Channel * Kriti TV * MyTV

Notable people

Heraklion has been the home town of some of Greece's most significant people, including the novelist

(best known for ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek int ...

''), the poet and Nobel Prize winner

Odysseas Elytis Odysseas Elytis ( el, Οδυσσέας Ελύτης , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudellis, el, Οδυσσέας Αλεπουδέλλης; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as th ...

and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos ( El Greco).

Literature

* Elli Alexiou (1894–1988) author * Minás Dimákis (1913–1980) poet *

(1911–1996) Nobel awarded poet *

Tess Fragoulis Tess Fragoulis is a Canadian writer and educator. Born in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, she was raised in Montreal, Quebec, where she attended Concordia University. Her first book, ''Stories to Hide from Your Mother'' (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1997), was n ...

, Greek-Canadian author * Rea Galanaki (1947–present) author *

Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi (1749, in Kandiye (Heraklion) – 29 October 1798, in Berlin) was an Ottoman ambassador and an Ottoman author of the late-18th century and he is notable for his novel "Muhayyelât" (''Imaginations''), a unique work of fi ...

(1749–1798), author and diplomat *

(1883–1957) author * Menenalos Parlamas (1911–1997) author and scholar * Pedro de Candia, (1485–1542) author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish Conquest of the Americas * Stephanos Sahlikis (1330-after 1391) poet *

Lili Zografou Lili Zografou ( /zɒˈɣrɑːfʊ/; Greek: Λιλή Ζωγράφου; June 17, 1922 – October 2, 1998) was a Greek journalist, novelist, dramatist, essayist, and political activist, best known for ''Nikos Kazantzakis: enas traghikos'', her "destru ...

(1922–1998) author

Scientists and academia

Nicholas Kalliakis Nicholas Kalliakis ( el, Νικόλαος Καλλιάκης, ''Nikolaos Kalliakis''; la, Nicolaus Calliachius; it, Niccolò Calliachi; c. 1645 - 8 May 1707) was a Cretan Greek scholar and philosopher who flourished in Italy in the 17th century ...

(1645–1707) Greek Cretan

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

and

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

* Niccolò Comneno Papadopoli (1655–1740) lawyer, historian and librarian *

Andreas Musalus Andreas Musalus ( la, Andreas Musalus, it, Andrea Musalo, gr, Ανδρέας Μουσάλος; ca. 1665/6 – ca. 1721) was a Greek professor of mathematics, philosopher and architectural theorist who was largely active in Venice during the 17 ...

(ca. 1665–1721) Greek Cretan professor of mathematics, philosopher and architectural theorist *

Francesco Barozzi Francesco Barozzi (in Latin, ''Franciscus Barocius'') (9 August 1537 – 23 November 1604) was an Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist. Life Barozzi was born on the island of Crete, at Candia (now Heraklion), at the time a Venetian p ...

(1537–1604) mathematician and astronomer *

Joseph Solomon Delmedigo Joseph Solomon Delmedigo (or Del Medigo), also known as Yashar Mi-Qandia ( he, יש"ר מקנדיא) (16 June 1591 – 16 October 1655), was a rabbi, author, physician, mathematician, and music theorist. Born in Candia, Crete, a descendant o ...

(1591-1655) rabbi, author, physician, mathematician and musical theorist * Fotis Kafatos biologist, President of the European Research Council *

Spyros Kokotos Spyros Kokotos (Greek: Σπύρος Κοκοτός) is a Greek architect born in the city of Herakleion, Crete on October 30, 1933, to (father) Fotis (Greek: Φώτης) a.k.a. "Takis" (Greek: Τάκης) Kokotos and (mother) Anna Varouha (Greek: ...

(1933–present) architect * Marcus Musurus (Markos Mousouros) (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher * Peter of Candia also known as Antipope Alexander V: philosopher and scholar *

Joseph Sifakis Joseph Sifakis (Greek: Ιωσήφ Σηφάκης) is a Greek- French computer scientist. He received the 2007 Turing Award, along with Edmund M. Clarke and E. Allen Emerson, for his work on model checking. Biography Joseph Sifakis was born in ...

(1946–present) computer scientist, co-recipient of the 2007

Turing Award The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in compu ...

Michael N. Katehakis Michael N. Katehakis ( el, Μιχαήλ Ν. Κατεχάκης; born 1952) is a Professor of Management Science at Rutgers University. He is noted for his work in Markov decision process, Gittins index, the multi-armed bandit, Markov chains and ...

(1952–present) applied mathematician and operations researcher at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

* Gerasimos Vlachos (1607–1685), scholar *

Simone Stratigo Simone Stratigo ( gr, Συμεών Φίλιππος Στρατηγός, ''Symeon Filippos Stratigos''; it, Simone Filippo Stratico; 1733–1824) was an Italian Greek mathematician and a nautical science expert who studied and lived in Padua and ...

(ca. 1733–1824), Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert, whose family was from Heraklion (Candia)

Painting and sculpture

* Theophanes (ca.1500–1559) painter of icons *

Michael Damaskinos Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos ( el, Μιχαήλ Δαμασκηνός, 1530/35–1592/93) was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17 ...

(1530/35-1592/93) painter of icons * Georgios Klontzas (1535-1608) painter * El Greco (1541–1614) mannerist painter, sculptor and architect *

Yiannis Parmakelis Yiannis Parmakelis ( el, Γιάννης Παρμακέλης; born 27 June 1932 Heraklion) is a Greek sculptor best known for his metal statues and medals.Andreas Ritzos (1422–1492) painter of icons *

Aristidis Vlassis Aristidis Vlassis ( el, Αριστείδης Βλάσσης; 1947 – 26 May 2015) was a Greek painter and engraver. Early years Vlassis was born and raised in Heraklion, where he was tutored in painting by Androgeos Alexandridis ( el, Ανδ� ...

(1947–2015) painter * Konstantinos Volanakis (1837–1907) painter

Film industry

* Rika Diallina (1934-), actress and model, Miss Hellas *

Ilya Livykou Ilya Livykou or Ilia Livykou ( el, Ίλυα Λιβυκού; 1919 in Heraklio – 6 September 2002 in Athens, Greece) was a Greek actress, a partner with Vassilis Logothetidis. Her real name was Amalia Hatzaki or Hadjaki (Αμαλία Χατζ� ...

(1919–2002), actress *

Sapfo Notara Sapfo Notara ( el, Σαπφώ Νοταρά; born Sapfo Chandanou (Σαπφώ Χανδάνου), c. 1907 – June 11, 1985) was a Greek actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs " ...

(1907–1985), actress *

Yannis Smaragdis Yannis Smaragdis ( el, Γιάννης Σμαραγδής) is a Greek film director. Biography He was born in Crete in 1946 and studied film in Greece and Paris, France. He appeared in 1972 with his short film ''Two Three Things...'' which receive ...

(1946-), film director

Music

* Rena Kyriakou (1918–1994) pianist * Francisco Leontaritis (Francesco Londarit) (1518–1572) composer *

Giannis Markopoulos Yannis Markopoulos ( el, Γιάννης Μαρκόπουλος; born 18 March 1939) is a Greek composer. Biography Early life and education Yannis Markopoulos was born in 1939 in Heraklion, Crete. From one of the old families of the island— ...

(1939–) composer *

Myron Michailidis Myron Michailidis ( el, Μύρων Μιχαηλίδης) is a Greek conductor, since 2018 Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of both the Erfurt Opera & the Philharmonic Orchestra of Erfurt in Germany.''The Greek conductor Myron Michailidis will be the ...

(1968–) conductor *

Manolis Rasoulis Emmanouil (Manolis) Rasoulis ( el, Μανώλης Ρασούλης, 28 September 19455 March 2011), best known as the lyricist of famous songs, was a Greek music composer, singer, writer, and journalist. Rasoulis was born in 1945 in Heraklion, ...

(1945–2011) lyrics writer *

Notis Sfakianakis Panagiotis "Notis" Sfakianakis ( el, Νότης Σφακιανάκης; born 2 November 1959) is a Greek singer of folk music, and is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career ...

(1959–) singer *

Lena Platonos Lena Platonos (born 21 October 1951) is a Greek pianist and composer of electronic and art music. She took a leading role in the electronic music scene in the 1980s, while her work constituted an inspiration for Greek electronic musicians in the s ...

, pianist

Spirituality

* Maria Papapetros - psychic, spiritual healer, spiritual consultant

Sports

* Kyle Hamilton (born 2001), American football player *

Nikos Machlas Nikos Machlas ( el, Νίκος Μαχλάς, born 16 June 1973) is a retired Greek former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career OFI Crete Machlas began his career with OFI Crete, where he made his debut in February 1991 a ...

(born 1973), footballer *

Georgios Samaras Georgios Samaras ( el, Γεώργιος Σαμαράς, ; born 21 February 1985) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a striker. Samaras started his career at OFI Crete, before moving on to Eredivisie side Heerenveen in 2001. ...

(born 1985), footballer * Greg Massialas (born 1956), American fencer * Michalis Karlis (born 2003), basketball player * Giorgos Giakoumakis (Born 1994), footballer

Business

* Constantine Corniaktos (1517–1603) wine merchant and wealthiest man in the Eastern European city of

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

* Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (1955-) business woman, lawyer and politician

Politics and law

Leonidas Kyrkos Leonidas Kyrkos (; 12 October 1924 – 28 August 2011) was a Greek leftist politician and member of the Hellenic Parliament and the European Parliament. Life Leonidas Kyrkos was born in Heraklion, Crete, to Greek politician Michail Kyrkos, who ...

(1924–2011), politician * Aristidis Stergiadis (1861–1950) High Commissioner of Smyrna * Georgios Voulgarakis (1959-) conservative politician *

Romilos Kedikoglou Romylos Kedikoglou is a former president of the Court of Cassation of Greece. He was born in 1940 in Heraklion in Crete. He is married and father of one child. He graduated from the Law Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athe ...

(1940-) President of the Court of Cassation of Greece

Clergy

* Maximos Margunios (1549–1602), bishop of Cyrigo (

Kythira Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands ...

) * Kyrillos Loukaris (1572–1637) theologian, Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I * Meletius Pegas, Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria * Theodore II (1954-) Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa * Peter Phillarges (ca. 1339–1410) (also Pietro Di Candia, later Pope Alexander V) *

Makarios Griniezakis Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis ( Greek: Μακάριος Γρινιεζάκης; born 15 March 1973) is the current archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia and the primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, succeeding Ar ...

(1973-) Greek Orthodox Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia Marcus Musurus 02

Fashion

* Maria Spiridaki (1984) fashion model and television presenter

International relations

Consulates

Twin towns and sister cities

Heraklion is twinned with: *

Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban populatio ...

, Cyprus * Constanța, Romania (1992) * Odessa, Ukraine (1992) * Toledo, Spain (2017) *

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

, Russia (2018) * Tampa, United States (2019) * Čukarica, Serbia (2019) *

Ningbo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...

, China (2019)

Location

Gallery

File:Herklionview.jpg, View of the port from the fortress File:Boats in the harbour - Heraklion, Crete.jpg, View of the port File:Venetian Arsenals in Heraklion Crete.jpg, The harbour File:Gran muralla a Herakleion2.jpg, Α part of the Venetian harbour (used as shipyards) File:Δίσκος της Φαιστού πλευρά Α 6380.JPG, The Phaistos Disk (2nd millennium BC) in Heraklion Archaeological Museum File:Konrad von Grünenberg - Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem - Blatt 19v-20r.jpg, Depiction of Candia, 1487 File:Idomeneas fountain 4050559.JPG, Idomeneas fountain File:Jesus Gate, Heraklio 7153543.JPG, Jesus Gate, part of the

Fortifications of Heraklion The fortifications of Heraklion are a series of defensive walls and other fortifications which surround the city of Heraklion (formerly Candia) in Crete, Greece. The first city walls were built in the Middle Ages, but they were completely rebuilt ...

File:Chanioporta and Pantokratoras Gate.JPG, Chanioporta and Pantokratoras Gate File:Bebo fountain 5142853.JPG, Bembo fountain File:Αγία Αικατερίνη των Σιναϊτών 7392.jpg, Saint Catherine Church File:Vue du siege de Candie en 1669.jpg, Depiction of the Siege of Candia File:St Matthew of the Sinaites 5313056.JPG, ''St. Matthew of the Sinaites'' Byzantine church File:Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium 2019.jpg,

Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium ( el, Γήπεδο Θεόδωρος Βαρδινογιάννης) is a stadium in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It was built in 1951 (not at its present state) as the home stadium of OFI Crete. The stadium is commonly ...

, home ground of OFI FC File:Κούλες 15.jpg, Interior of the Fortress File:A monk shows the Cretan Saracens where to build Chandax.jpg, A monk shows the Saracens where to build Chandax File:Candia III.jpg, Map of Heraklion and its fortifications in 1651 File:Minoan fresco depicting a bull leaping scene, found in Knossos, 1600-1400 BC, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete (30547636456).jpg, Minoan fresco depicting a bull leaping scene, found in Knossos, 1600-1400 BC, Heraklion Archaeological Museum

References

National Library of Israel The National Library of Israel (NLI; he, הספרייה הלאומית, translit=HaSifria HaLeumit; ar, المكتبة الوطنية في إسرائيل), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; he, בית הספרים הלא� ...

, i
Historic Cities
{{Authority control 824 establishments Greek prefectural capitals Greek regional capitals Municipalities of Crete Populated places in Heraklion (regional unit) Populated places established in the 9th century Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Port cities of the Aegean Sea Fortified settlements 9th-century establishments in Greece

Etymology

History

Minoan era

Antiquity

Emirate of Crete

Byzantine era

Venetian era

Ottoman era

Modern era

Architecture, urban sculpture and fortifications

Municipality

Neighborhoods

Suburbs

Transportation

Port

Airport

Highway network

Public transit

Railway

Climate

Colleges, universities, libraries, and research centers

Culture

Museums

Arts

Sports

Local TV stations

Notable people

Literature

Scientists and academia

Painting and sculpture

Film industry

Music

Spirituality

Sports

Business

Politics and law

Clergy

Fashion

International relations

Consulates

Twin towns and sister cities

Location

Gallery

See also

References

External links