Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital 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 of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Ar ...

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 ...

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 prin ...

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 The Emirate of Crete ( ar, إقريطش, Iqrīṭish or , ''Iqrīṭiya''; gr, Κρήτη, Krētē) was an Islamic state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the reconquest of the island by the Byzantine Empi ...

moved the island's capital from

Gortyna Gortyna ( grc, Γόρτυνα; also known as Gortyn (Γορτύν)) was a town of ancient Crete which appears in the Homeric poems under the form of Γορτύν; but afterwards became usually Gortyna (Γόρτυνα). According to Stephanus o ...

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 Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the 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 the power of the ...

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 siege of Chandax in 960-961 was the centerpiece of the Byzantine Empire's campaign to recover the island of Crete which since the 820s had been ruled by Muslim Arabs. The campaign followed a series of failed attempts to reclaim the island fro ...

, the city was locally known as ''Megalo Kastro'' (, 'Big Castle' in

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

) 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 lette ...

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 The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...

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 The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...

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 Abu al-As al-Hakam ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Rahman () was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in Al-Andalus (Moorish Iberia). Biography Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came ...

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

(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 Realm or Kingdom of Candia ( Venetian: ''Regno de Càndia'') or Duchy of Candia (Venetian: ''Dogado de Càndia'' ) was the official name of Crete during the island's period as an overseas colony of the Republic of Venice, from the initial Ve ...

). 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 island ...

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 region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

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 Cretan School describes an important school of icon painting, under the umbrella of post-Byzantine art, which flourished while Crete was under Venetian rule during the late Middle Ages, reaching its climax after the Fall of Constantinople, becomi ...

''.

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 Köprülü may refer to: People * Köprülü family (Kypriljotet), an Ottoman noble family of Albanian origin ** Köprülü era (1656–1703), the period in which the Ottoman Empire's politics were set by the Grand Viziers, mainly the Köprülü f ...

conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, ''Kandiye'' ( Ottoman Turkish قنديه) was the capital of Crete (''Girit Eyâleti'') until 1849, when

Chania Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion. The muni ...

(''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

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 The Cretan State ( el, Κρητική Πολιτεία, Kritiki Politeia; ota, كريد دولتى, Girid Devleti) was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers (United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany ...

was created, under Ottoman suzerainty, 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 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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 The Koules ( el, Κούλες) or Castello a Mare ("Fort on the Sea" in Italian) is a fortress located at the entrance of the old port of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It was built by the Republic of Venice in the early 16th century, and is still in g ...

(''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 Vitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros ( el, Βιτσέντζος or ) or Vincenzo Cornaro (March 29, 1553 – 1613/1614) was a Cretan poet, who wrote the romantic epic poem '' Erotokritos''. He wrote in vernacular Cretan dialect ( Cretan Greek), and w ...

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis ( el, ; 2 March (Old Style and New Style dates, OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greeks, Greek writer. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in ni ...

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 Eleftheriou Venizelou Square ( el, Πλατεία Ελευθερίου Βενιζέλου) is a square in the city of Heraklion in Crete, named after the Cretan statesman Eleftherios Venizelos Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos ( el, Ελευθέ ...

). After the St Titus Cathedral, the two largest medieval churches in the city were San Salvatore, belonging to the

Augustinian Friars The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...

, 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 Gorgolainis ( el, Γοργολαΐνης) is a former municipality in the Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal uni ...

* 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 Paliani ( el, Παλιανή) is a former municipality in the Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the l ...

Temenos A ''temenos'' ( Greek: ; plural: , ''temenē''). is a piece of land cut off and assigned as an official domain, especially to kings and chiefs, or a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god, such as a sanctuary, holy gr ...

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,

Paros Paros (; el, Πάρος; Venetian: ''Paro'') is a Greek island in the central Aegean Sea. One of the Cyclades island group, it lies to the west of Naxos, from which it is separated by a channel about wide. It lies approximately south-east of ...

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 to th ...

, 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 Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...

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 o ...

, Kasos,

Sitia Sitia ( el, Σητεία) is a port town and a municipality in Lasithi, Crete, Greece. The town has 9,912 inhabitants (2011) and the municipality has 18,318 (2011). It lies east of Agios Nikolaos and northeast of Ierapetra. Sitia port is on the ...

Anafi Anafi or Anaphe ( el, Ανάφη; grc, Ἀνάφη) is a Greek island community in the Cyclades. In 2011, it had a population of 271. Its land area is . It lies east of the island of Thíra (Santorini). Anafi is part of the Thira regional un ...

Chalki Halki ( el, Χάλκη; alternatively ''Chalce'' or ''Chalki'') is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea, some west of Rhodes. With an area of , it is the smallest inhabited island of the Dodecanese. It ...

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 Saron ...

, 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 ...

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 Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" is the primary airport on the island of Crete, Greece, and the country's second busiest airport after Athens International Airport. It is located about 5 km east of the main city centre ...

, 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 This is a list of the 100 busiest airports in Europe, ranked by total passengers per year, including both terminal and transit passengers. Data is for 2021 and is sourced individually for each airport and from a variety of sources, normally the n ...

). The airfield is shared with the 126th Combat Group of the

Hellenic Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 8 November , equipment = , equipment_label ...

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,

, and

Rethymno Rethymno ( el, Ρέθυμνο, , also ''Rethimno'', ''Rethymnon'', ''Réthymnon'', and ''Rhíthymnos'') is a city in Greece on the island of Crete. It is the capital of Rethymno regional unit, and has a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants ...

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, notabl ...

). 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 *

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. H ...

Library * Vikelaia Library

Culture

Musée histoire naturelle de Crète à Héraklion

Cultural and Conference Center of Crete (Heraklion)

Museums

Heraklion Archaeological Museum The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Heraklion on Crete. It is one of the greatest museums in Greece and the best in the world for Minoan art, as it contains by far the most important and complete collection of artefacts ...

Cretaquarium Cretaquarium ( el, Ενυδρείο Κρήτης, ''Enidrio Kritis'') or Thalassocosmos ( el, Θαλασσόκοσμος, "sea world") is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklio ...

* Historical Museum of Crete *

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

* 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, two football clubs with earlier presence in the

Greek Superleague The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...

, 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. (

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

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

respectively.

Local TV stations

* Channel 4 *

Creta Channel Creta Channel (now as TV Creta) is a television channel broadcast to the majority of Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the wor ...

Kriti TV CreteTV () is a Greek regional television station, based in 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 (region ...

MyTV MyTV (or My TV) may refer to these television brands: Africa * MYtv, a South African TV channel Asia *Television Broadcasts Limited's online service in Hong Kong * My TV (Bangladeshi TV channel) *MYTV Broadcasting, a Malaysian broadcaster *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''), 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 ...

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

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

(1749–1798), author and diplomat *

(1883–1957) author * Menenalos Parlamas (1911–1997) author and scholar *

Pedro de Candia Pedro de Candia (Pietro de Cândia) (; Crete, Kingdom of Candia 1485–1542 Chupas, Viceroyalty of Peru) was a Greek explorer and cartographer at the service of the Kingdom of Spain, an officer of the Royal Spanish Navy that under the Spanish Cro ...

, (1485–1542) author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish Conquest of the Americas *

Stephanos Sahlikis Stephanos Sahlikis or Sachlikis (Στέφανος Σαχλίκης), (1330 - after 1391) was a Cretan from Handax (Heraklion) lawyer and poet who wrote satirical poems in vernacular Greek. His poems are written in political verse, and are the fir ...

(1330-after 1391) poet * Lili Zografou (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)

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 researc ...

and philosopher *

Niccolò Comneno Papadopoli Niccolò Comneno Papadopoli ( el, Νικόλαος Κομνηνός Παπαδόπουλος, ''Nikólaos Komninós Papadópoulos''; 6 January 1655 on Crete – 20 January 1740 in Padua) was an Italian lawyer and historian of Greek origin. Li ...

(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 1 ...

(ca. 1665–1721)

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 ...

(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 of ...

(1591-1655) rabbi, author, physician, mathematician and musical theorist * Fotis Kafatos biologist, President of the European Research Council * Spyros Kokotos (1933–present) architect *

Marcus Musurus Marcus Musurus ( el, Μάρκος Μουσοῦρος ''Markos Mousouros''; it, Marco Musuro; c. 1470 – 1517) was a Greek scholar and philosopher born in Candia, Venetian Crete (modern Heraklion, Crete). Life The son of a rich merchant, Mus ...

(Markos Mousouros) (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher *

Peter of Candia Peter of Candia, also known as Peter Phillarges (c. 1339 – May 3, 1410), named as Alexander V ( la, Alexander PP. V; it, Alessandro V), was an antipope elected by the Council of Pisa during the Western Schism (1378–1417). He reigned briefly ...

also known as

Antipope Alexander V Peter of Candia, also known as Peter Phillarges (c. 1339 – May 3, 1410), named as Alexander V ( la, Alexander PP. V; it, Alessandro V), was an antipope elected by the Council of Pisa during the Western Schism (1378–1417). He reigned briefly ...

: 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 H ...

(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 comput ...

* Michael N. Katehakis (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 (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 1 ...

(1530/35-1592/93) painter of icons *

Georgios Klontzas Georgios Klontzas ( el, Γεώργιος Κλώντζας, 1535-1608) also known as George Klontzas and Zorzi Cloza dito Cristianopullo. He was a scholar, painter, and manuscript illuminator. He is one of the most influential artists of the post-B ...

(1535-1608) painter * El Greco (1541–1614) mannerist painter, sculptor and architect * Yiannis Parmakelis (1932-), sculptor * Andreas Ritzos (1422–1492) painter of icons * Aristidis Vlassis (1947–2015) painter *

Konstantinos Volanakis Konstantinos Volanakis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Βολανάκης; 1837 - 29 June 1907) was a Greek painter who became known as the "father of Greek seascape painting". Biography Volanakis was born at Heraklion on Crete, to parents wh ...

(1837–1907) painter

Film industry

* Rika Diallina (1934-), actress and model, Miss Hellas * Ilya Livykou (1919–2002), actress * Sapfo Notara (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 Rena Kyriakou (25 February 1917August 1994) was a pianist and composer born in Heraklion, Herakleion, Crete, Greece.Dubal, David (2004)''The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings'' p. 208. Amadeus Press. Education Rena Kyr ...

(1918–1994) pianist * Francisco Leontaritis (Francesco Londarit) (1518–1572) composer * Giannis Markopoulos (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 i ...

(1959–) singer * Lena Platonos, pianist Francesco barozzi

Spirituality

* Maria Papapetros -

psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws ...

spiritual healer Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into a patient and effect positive results. Practitioners use a number of names including various synonyms for ...

, spiritual consultant

Sports

* Kyle Hamilton (born 2001), American football player * Nikos Machlas (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 200 ...

(born 1985), footballer * Greg Massialas (born 1956), American fencer *

Michalis Karlis Michalis Karlis ( el, Μιχάλης Καρλής; born January 8, 2003) is a Greek professional basketball player for the Anagennisi Arkalochoriou of the Greek B Basket League . He is a 1.85 m (6'1") tall point guard. Awards and achievements ...

(born 2003), basketball player *

Giorgos Giakoumakis Giorgos Giakoumakis ( gr, Γιώργος Γιακουμάκης; born 9 December 1994) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC and the Greece national team. Club career Early ca ...

(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, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...

Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (born Ioanna Daskalaki, December 12, 1955) is a Greek businesswoman and Ambassador-at-Large for the Hellenic Republic. She is best known for being the leader of the bidding and organizing committees for the 2004 Sum ...

(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 Georgios Voulgarakis () (born 4 June 1959 in Heraklion) is a Greek politician and the former Minister for Mercantile Marine, Aegean Sea and Island Policy. Voulgarakis was born in Crete Romilos Kedikoglou Romylos Kedikoglou is a former president of the Court of Cassation of Greece. He was born in 1940 in Heraklion in Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88 ...

(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 Meletius I Pegas (; 1549 – 12 September 1601) served as Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1590 and 1601. Simultaneously from 1597 to 1598 he served also as locum tenens of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is honoured as a ...

, 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 Peter of Candia, also known as Peter Phillarges (c. 1339 – May 3, 1410), named as Alexander V ( la, Alexander PP. V; it, Alessandro V), was an antipope elected by the Council of Pisa during the Western Schism (1378–1417). He reigned briefly ...

) * Makarios Griniezakis (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 population ...

, 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 Čukarica ( sr-cyr, Чукарица, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. Name Like several other neighborhoods of Belgrade, Čukarica was named after kafana. At the present location of the Sugar Refinery, there was a kafana in the seco ...

, 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

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 The siege of Candia (modern Heraklion, Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, or a total of 21 years, it is the second-longest siege in history after the siege of Ce ...

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 OFI Crete Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Όμιλος Φιλάθλων Ηρακλείου 1925, ''Club of Fans of Heraklion 1925''), is a Greek professional Association football, football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. It is a par ...

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