Heraklion
Encyclopedia
Heraklion, or Heraclion ( iˈraklio) is the largest city and the administrative capital
of the island of Crete
, Greece
. It is the 4th largest city in Greece
.
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos
, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans
, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis
.
moved the island's capital from Gortyna to what a new castle they called 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Handax) or Χάνδακας and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian
as Candia (used under the Venetian
rule), in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to all of Crete as well as to the city itself; the Ottoman
name was Kandiye.
After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro or Castro (the Big Castle in Greek
) and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini (Castle-dwellers in Greek
).
The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby Roman
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
' city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.
Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos
, which in Minoan
times was the largest centre of population on Crete
. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.
AD by the Saracen
s who had been expelled from Al-Andalus
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 ربض الخندق, ("Castle of the Moat"). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.
Imperial forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas
, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege
, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.
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 of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice
on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance
led to a flourishing of letters and the arts in Candia and Crete in general, that is today known as the Cretan Renaissance.
. During the Cretan War (1645–1669)
, the Ottomans besieged the city
for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as 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.
In 1898 the autonomous Cretan State
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
zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
' city"), whose exact location is unknown.
In 1913 with the rest of Crete
Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
.
, Ios Island, Paros
, Mykonos
, and Rhodes
. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus
, the port of Athens
on mainland Greece
.
, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, due to Crete being a major holiday destination.
There are regular domestic flights to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes with Aegean Airlines
and Olympic Air
. Athens Airways
also offers flights to and from Athens. Cyprus Airways
and Aegean Airlines fly to and from Larnaca
, in Cyprus
. Furthermore, Sky Express
operates direct flights to Aegean islands such as Rhodes
, Santorini
, Samos
, Kos
, Mytilini, and Ikaria.
Aegean Airlines has an international schedule to and from London and Paris and EasyJet
flys direct from London Gatwick. During the summer, the number of scheduled and chartered flights increase as do the number of airlines that fly direct from all over Europe (mostly Germany, UK, Italy, and Russia).
The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force
.
runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos
, Chania
, and Rethymno
.
has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain in the winter. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens
, it has a milder climate.
, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis
and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco
).
with: Constanţa
, Romania
Pernik
, Bulgaria
Heraklion, or Heraclion ( iˈraklio) is the largest city and the administrative capital
of the island of Crete
, Greece
. It is the 4th largest city in Greece
.
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos
, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans
, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis
.
moved the island's capital from Gortyna to what a new castle they called 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Handax) or Χάνδακας and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian
as Candia (used under the Venetian
rule), in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to all of Crete as well as to the city itself; the Ottoman
name was Kandiye.
After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro or Castro (the Big Castle in Greek
) and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini (Castle-dwellers in Greek
).
The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby Roman
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
' city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.
Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos
, which in Minoan
times was the largest centre of population on Crete
. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.
AD by the Saracen
s who had been expelled from Al-Andalus
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 ربض الخندق, ("Castle of the Moat"). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.
Imperial forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas
, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege
, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.
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 of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice
on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance
led to a flourishing of letters and the arts in Candia and Crete in general, that is today known as the Cretan Renaissance.
. During the Cretan War (1645–1669)
, the Ottomans besieged the city
for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as 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.
In 1898 the autonomous Cretan State
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
zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
' city"), whose exact location is unknown.
In 1913 with the rest of Crete
Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
.
, Ios Island, Paros
, Mykonos
, and Rhodes
. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus
, the port of Athens
on mainland Greece
.
, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, due to Crete being a major holiday destination.
There are regular domestic flights to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes with Aegean Airlines
and Olympic Air
. Athens Airways
also offers flights to and from Athens. Cyprus Airways
and Aegean Airlines fly to and from Larnaca
, in Cyprus
. Furthermore, Sky Express
operates direct flights to Aegean islands such as Rhodes
, Santorini
, Samos
, Kos
, Mytilini, and Ikaria.
Aegean Airlines has an international schedule to and from London and Paris and EasyJet
flys direct from London Gatwick. During the summer, the number of scheduled and chartered flights increase as do the number of airlines that fly direct from all over Europe (mostly Germany, UK, Italy, and Russia).
The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force
.
runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos
, Chania
, and Rethymno
.
has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain in the winter. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens
, it has a milder climate.
, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis
and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco
).
with: Constanţa
, Romania
Pernik
, Bulgaria
Heraklion, or Heraclion ( iˈraklio) is the largest city and the administrative capital
of the island of Crete
, Greece
. It is the 4th largest city in Greece
.
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos
, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans
, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis
.
moved the island's capital from Gortyna to what a new castle they called 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Handax) or Χάνδακας and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian
as Candia (used under the Venetian
rule), in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to all of Crete as well as to the city itself; the Ottoman
name was Kandiye.
After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro or Castro (the Big Castle in Greek
) and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini (Castle-dwellers in Greek
).
The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby Roman
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
' city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.
Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos
, which in Minoan
times was the largest centre of population on Crete
. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.
AD by the Saracen
s who had been expelled from Al-Andalus
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 ربض الخندق, ("Castle of the Moat"). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.
Imperial forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas
, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege
, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.
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 of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice
on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance
led to a flourishing of letters and the arts in Candia and Crete in general, that is today known as the Cretan Renaissance.
. During the Cretan War (1645–1669)
, the Ottomans besieged the city
for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as 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.
In 1898 the autonomous Cretan State
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
zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
' city"), whose exact location is unknown.
In 1913 with the rest of Crete
Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
.
, Ios Island, Paros
, Mykonos
, and Rhodes
. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus
, the port of Athens
on mainland Greece
.
, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, due to Crete being a major holiday destination.
There are regular domestic flights to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes with Aegean Airlines
and Olympic Air
. Athens Airways
also offers flights to and from Athens. Cyprus Airways
and Aegean Airlines fly to and from Larnaca
, in Cyprus
. Furthermore, Sky Express
operates direct flights to Aegean islands such as Rhodes
, Santorini
, Samos
, Kos
, Mytilini, and Ikaria.
Aegean Airlines has an international schedule to and from London and Paris and EasyJet
flys direct from London Gatwick. During the summer, the number of scheduled and chartered flights increase as do the number of airlines that fly direct from all over Europe (mostly Germany, UK, Italy, and Russia).
The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force
.
runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos
, Chania
, and Rethymno
.
has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain in the winter. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens
, it has a milder climate.
, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis
and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco
).
with: Constanţa
, Romania
Pernik
, Bulgaria
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Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the 4th largest city in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans
Arthur Evans
Sir Arthur John Evans FRS was a British archaeologist most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete and for developing the concept of Minoan civilization from the structures and artifacts found there and elsewhere throughout eastern Mediterranean...
, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
.
Name
The Arab raiders from Andalusia who founded the Emirate of CreteEmirate of Crete
The Emirate of Crete was a Muslim state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the Byzantine reconquest of the island in 961....
moved the island's capital from Gortyna to what a new castle they called 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Handax) or Χάνδακας and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
as Candia (used under the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
rule), in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to all of Crete as well as to the city itself; the Ottoman
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
name was Kandiye.
After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro or Castro (the Big Castle in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
) and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini (Castle-dwellers in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
).
The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
' city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.
History
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
, which in Minoan
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
times was the largest centre of population on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.
Founding
The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824824
Year 824 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Third Battle of Roncevaux Pass: The Basques and Banu Qasi defeat counts Eblo and Aznar, Frankish vassals....
AD by the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s who had been expelled from Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
by Emir Al-Hakam I
Al-Hakam I
Al-Hakam Ibn Hisham Ibn Abd-ar-Rahman I was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in the Al-Andalus .Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came to power, he was challenged by his uncles Sulayman and Abdallah, sons of Abd ar-Rahman I...
and had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
around the city for protection, and named the city ربض الخندق, ("Castle of the Moat"). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.
Restored Greek Era
In 961961
Year 961 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Ani becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty....
Imperial forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas
Nikephoros II
Nikephoros II Phokas was a Byzantine Emperor whose brilliant military exploits contributed to the resurgence of Byzantine Empire in the tenth century.-Early exploits:...
, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.
Venetian control
In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of VeniceRepublic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
as part of a complicated political deal which involved among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
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 of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
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
After the Venetians came the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. During the Cretan War (1645–1669)
Cretan War (1645–1669)
The Cretan War or War of Candia , as the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession...
, the Ottomans besieged the city
Siege of Candia
The Siege of Candia was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city and were ultimately victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it was the longest siege in history.-Background:...
for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
grand vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as Megalo Castro (Μεγάλο Κάστρο; "Big Castle"). During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
in the west of the island.
Modern era
Cretan State
The Cretan State was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers on the island of Crete. In 1897 an insurrection in Crete led the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Greece, which led the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia to intervene on the grounds that the Ottoman...
was created, under Ottoman suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
, 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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
' city"), whose exact location is unknown.
In 1913 with the rest of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
.
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:- GorgolainisGorgolainisGorgolainis is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,171 . The seat of the municipality was in Agios Myronas. Another village within the...
- Heraklion
- Nea AlikarnassosNea AlikarnassosNea Alikarnassos is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 12,542 . It is located on the north coast of the island and is served by the Nikos...
- PalianiPalianiPaliani is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,404 . The seat of the municipality was in Venerato...
- TemenosTemenos, GreeceTemenos is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,218 . The seat of the municipality was in Profitis Ilias....
Port
Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. Travellers can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to a multitude of destinations including SantoriniSantorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
, Ios Island, Paros
Paros
Paros is an island of Greece 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 Piraeus. The Municipality of Paros includes numerous uninhabited offshore islets...
, Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
, and Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, the port of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
on mainland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Airport
Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about 5 km east of the city. The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, due to Crete being a major holiday destination.
There are regular domestic flights to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes with Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines S.A. is the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member since June 2010, it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek destinations as well as to a number of European destinations...
and Olympic Air
Olympic Air
Olympic Air is the largest Greek airline by destinations served, formed from the privatisation of the former national carrier Olympic Airlines. Olympic Air commenced limited operations on 29 September 2009, after Olympic Airlines ceased all operations, with the official full-scale opening of the...
. Athens Airways
Athens Airways
Athens Airways was a Greek regional airline, headquartered in Koropi, Athens. The airline used to connect Alexandroupoli, Athens and Thessaloniki with some Greek islands, as well offering chartered flights...
also offers flights to and from Athens. Cyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, a public limited company with its head offices located in the capital of the island, Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to 41 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf. It flies from both airports of the island, Larnaca and Paphos,...
and Aegean Airlines fly to and from Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
, in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Furthermore, Sky Express
Sky Express (Greece)
Sky Express is a regional airline based in Heraklion, Greece, primarily focused on scheduled flights between Heraklion and several smaller Aegean islands, avoiding transiting through Athens. Its main base is Heraklion International Airport...
operates direct flights to Aegean islands such as Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
, Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
, Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
, Mytilini, and Ikaria.
Aegean Airlines has an international schedule to and from London and Paris and EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
flys direct from London Gatwick. During the summer, the number of scheduled and chartered flights increase as do the number of airlines that fly direct from all over Europe (mostly Germany, UK, Italy, and Russia).
The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force
Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
.
Highway Network
European route E75European 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 from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Agios Nikolaos is a coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia. In the year 2000, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos, which takes in part of the surrounding villages, claimed around 19,000...
, Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
, and Rethymno
Rethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
.
Public transit
There are a number of buses serving the city and connecting it to many major destinations in Crete.Climate
CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain in the winter. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, it has a milder climate.
Colleges, Universities, and Research Centers
- University of CreteUniversity of CreteThe University of Crete ' is the principal higher education institution on the island of Crete, Greece.The University of Crete, is a multi-disciplinary, research- oriented institution, located in the cities of Rethymno and Heraklion...
- TEI of CreteTEI of CreteLocated in Heraklion, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete was founded in 1983 to provide higher technological education to the students of Greece. According to laws Ν.2916/2001, Ν.3549/2007, Ν.3685/2008, Ν.3794/2009, it is a higher educational institute...
- Foundation for Research & Technology - HellasFoundation for Research & Technology - HellasThe Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas is a research center in Greece, supervised by the Ministry for Education through its . It consists of seven research institutes, which are located in various cities of Greece: Heraklion, Rethymno, Patras and Ioannina...
Culture
Museums
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- CretaquariumCretaquariumCretaquarium or Thalassocosmos is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklion....
- Historical Museum of CreteHistorical Museum of CreteThe Historical Museum of Crete is a museum in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. The Museum presents a comprehensive view of Cretan history from early Christian times to the present day. It was founded in 1953 by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies, which had been established two years earlier...
- Natural History MuseumNatural History Museum of CreteThe Natural History Museum of Crete in Heraklion, Crete is a natural history museum that operates under the auspices of the University of Crete. Its aim is the study, protection and promotion of the diverse flora and fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean region...
- The Battle of Crete and National Resistance MuseumMuseum of the Battle of CreteThe Municipal Museum of the Battle of Crete and the National Resistance is a historical museum in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.-External links:**...
- Nikos Kazantzakis Museum
- Lychnostatis Open Air MuseumLychnostatis Open Air MuseumLychnostatis Open Air Museum is a museum in Hersonissos, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It is an autonomous private foundation, established in July 1992, based on private collection owned by ophthalmologist Yiorgos Markakis. The Markakis and local workers were responsible for the building of the museum...
- Collection of Agia Aikaterini of Sinai
- Museum of Visual ArtsMuseum of Visual ArtsMuseum of Visual Arts is a museum located on Nymphon Street in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.The museum was established in order to support cultural and artistic activity and to promote the work of Cretan artists....
Sports
The city hosts three football clubs:- Ergotelis FCErgotelis FCErgotelis FC is a Greek football club based in Heraklion, the largest city of the Greek island of Crete. The name itself, Ergotelis, was that of a famous ancient Cretan expatriate Olympic runner Ergoteles of Himera.-History:...
– in Heraklion, plays in the first division. - OFI CreteOFI CreteOFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
in Heraklion, plays in the first division. - Atsalenios – Football Club of Heraklion which plays in the third division.
Famous natives
Heraklion has been the home town of some of Greece's most significant spirits, including the novelist Nikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
).
Literature
- Elli Alexiou (1894–1988) author
- Aris Diktaios, poet and translator
- Minás DimákisMinás DimákisMinás Dimákis was a Greek poet.-Biography:Minás Dimákis was born 1913 in Heraklion, Crete, to Georgios Dimákis, a tradesman, and Maria Metaxaki. After his father's death in 1917, her mother got married again to Athanasio Spanoudaki with whom she had two more children: Ekaterini and Eleonora. His...
(1913–1980) poet - Odysseas ElytisOdysseas ElytisOdysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
(1911–1996) Nobel awarded poet - Tess FragoulisTess FragoulisTess Fragoulis is a Canadian writer and educator. Born in Heraklion, Crete, she was raised in Montreal, Quebec, where she attended Concordia University. Her first book, Stories to Hide from Your Mother , was nominated for the QSPELL First Book Award. One of the stories was adapted for the...
, Greek-Canadian author - Rea GalanakiRea GalanakiRea Galanaki is an author who was born in Heraklion, Crete in 1947. She studied history and archaeology in the University of Athens. She received the Novel Prize of the Greek state in 1999.-Books:* Πλην εύχαρις * Τα ορυκτά * Το κέικ...
(1947–present) author - Galatea Kazantzaki author
- Nikos KazantzakisNikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
(1883–1957) author - Pedro de CandiaPedro de CandiaPedro de Candia, Grandee of Spain, . Born on the island of Crete, * 1485. He was killed in battle at Chupas , on September 16th + 1542, Spanish Conquistador, Grandee of Spain, "Almirant of the Spanish Armada of the Southern Seas", author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish conquest of the...
, (1485–1542) author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish Conquest of the Americas - Ioannis Kondylakis (1862–1920) author
- Vitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros or Vincenzo Cornaro was a Cretan poet, who wrote the romantic epic poem Erotokritos. He wrote in vernacular Greek, and was a leading figure of the Cretan Renaissance....
(1553–1613) author - Stephanos SahlikisStephanos SahlikisStephanos Sahlikis or Sachlikis , was a Cretan from Handax lawyer and poet who wrote satyrical poems in vernacular Greek....
(1330-after 1391) poet - Lili Zografou (1922–1998) author
Scientists and Scholars
- Nicholas KalliakisNicholas KalliakisNicholas Kalliakis was a Greek scholar and philosopher who flourished in Italy in the 17th century. He was appointed doctor of philosophy and theology in Rome, university professor of Greek and Latin and Aristotelian philosophy at Venice in 1666 and professor of belles-lettres and rhetoric at...
(1645–1707)- Greek Cretan scholar and philosopher - Andreas MusalusAndreas MusalusAndreas Musalus was a Greek professor of mathematics, philosopher and architectural theorist who was largely active in Venice during the 17th-century Italian Renaissance.- Biography :...
(ca. 1665–1721) Greek Cretan professor of Mathematics, Philosopher and Architectural theorist - Francesco BarozziFrancesco BarozziFrancesco Barozzi was an Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist.-Life:...
(1537–1604) mathematician and astronomer - Manolis Hatzidakis, archaeologist
- Fotis KafatosFotis KafatosFotis Constantine Kafatos is a Greek molecular entomologist. Between 2005-2010 he was the founding president of the European Research Council and member of its Scientific Council...
biologist, President of the European Research Council - Maximos MarguniosMaximos MarguniosMaximos Margunios Bishop of Cyrigo , was a Greek Renaissance humanist. He was a teacher at the Greek school in Venice and noted Patriarch Cyril Lucaris was among his students, Margunios was a supporter of ecclesiastical Union with Rome and wrote on the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit...
(1549–1602) scholar, theologian, poet and writer, titular bishopTitular bishopA titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of KythiraKythiraCythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means... - Marcus MusurusMarcus MusurusMarcus Musurus was a Greek scholar and philosopher born in Retimo, Castello, Venetian Crete . The son of a rich merchant, he became at an early age a pupil of John Lascaris in Venice....
(Markos Mousouros) (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher - Nikolaos Panagiotakis (1935–1997) byzantinologist
- Peter of Candia also known as Antipope Alexander VAntipope Alexander VAlexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope....
, philosopher and scholar. - Joseph SifakisJoseph SifakisJoseph Sifakis is a Greek-French computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award, along with Edmund M. Clarke and E. Allen Emerson, for his work on model checking....
(1946–present) computer scientist, co-recipient of the 2007 Turing AwardTuring AwardThe Turing Award, in full The ACM A.M. Turing Award, is an annual award given by the Association for Computing Machinery to "an individual selected for contributions of a technical nature made to the computing community. The contributions should be of lasting and major technical importance to the... - Gerasimos VlachosGerasimos VlachosGerasimos Vlachos was a Greek scholar of the Renaissance.He was born in Heraklion, Crete but migrated to Venice early on and was a student and associate of fellow Greek scholar Theophilos Korydaleus. He specialised in Greek philosophy and among his many writings was The Definitive Harmony of...
(1607–1685), scholar - Simone StratigoSimone StratigoSimone Stratigo ; ca. 1733 – ca. 1824) was a Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert who studied and lived in Padova and Pavia in 18th century Italy.- Biography :...
(ca. 1733–1824), Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert, whose family was from Heraklion (Candia), Crete.
Painting
- TheophanesTheophanes the CretanTheophanis Strelitzas , also known as Theophanes the Cretan or "of Crete" or "Theophanes Bathas", was a leading icon painter of the Cretan school in the first half of the sixteenth century, and in particular the most important figure in Greek wall-painting of the period.He was born in Heraklion...
(ca.1500–1559) painter of icons - Michael DamaskinosMichael DamaskinosMichael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, whilst Crete was under Venetian rule...
(1530/35-1592/93) painter of icons - El GrecoEl GrecoEl Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
(1541–1614) mannerist painter, sculpturer and architect - Georgios Klontzas (1540–1607) painter of icons
- Theodoros Poulakis (1622–1692) painter of icons
- Andreas Ritzos (1422–1492) painter of icons
- Emmanuel TzanesEmmanuel TzanesEmmanuel Tzanes was a Greek Renaissance painter.He was born in Crete and migrated to Venice where he did most of his work. He was one of the most respected Greek painters of his day. Tzanes was a member of the Cretan School and contemporary of another Cretan painter of Venice, Theodore...
(1610–1690) painter of icons - Aristidis Vlassis (*1955) painter
- Konstantinos VolanakisKonstantinos VolanakisKonstantinos Volanakis or Volonakis was a Greek painter, considered one of the best of the 19th century. Born to a wealthy family, he went to Trieste, Italy, in 1856 where he took up painting. He studied in the Munich Academy. He is one of the foremost representatives of the Munich School, a Greek...
(1837–1907) painter
Film industry
- Giorgos Anemogiannis, scenographer
- Rika DiallinaRika DiallinaRika Diallina also spelled Dialina and Dialyna, born in Heraklion, Crete in 1934, won the Miss Star Hellas title, and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe 1954 pageant in Long Beach, California....
(1934), actress and model, Miss Hellas - Ilya LivykouIlya LivykouIlya Livykou or Ilia Livykou was a Greek actress, a partner with Vassilis Logothetidis.Her real name was Amalia Hatzaki or Hadjaki , later Kozyri. She began her education in javelin throwing and studied law in Athens. She brought her tests and marked excellently at the Dramatic School of the...
(1919–2002), actress - Sapfo NotaraSapfo NotaraSapfo Notara, was a Greek actress, known for supporting capabilities in acting. In Greek movies, she acted in comedies as an aunt or a housewife. Notara had a radio programme called I Kiria Kiriaki. One of her last theatre appearances was in the play Pornography .Notara never married...
(1907–1985), actress - Aleka Paizi, actress
- Yannis SmaragdisYannis SmaragdisYannis Smaragdis is a Greek film director.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 received the first prize in the Athens Festival as well as a Special Mention in the Montreal Film Festival...
(1946), film director
Music
- List of radio stations in Greece Greek music from Crete – heraklion live on the net
- Rena KyriakouRena KyriakouRena Kyriakou was a pianist and composer born in Herakleion, Crete, Greece.-Education:Rena Kyriakou revealed an early aptitude for the piano and for composition, and gave her first public performance at the age of six in Athens, performing twelve original piano pieces...
(1918–1994) pianist - Fragiskos Leontaritis (Francesco Londarit) (1518–1572) composer
- Christos Leontis (1940) composer
- Giannis Markopoulos (1939) composer
- Manolis RasoulisManolis RasoulisEmmanouil Rasoulis , best known as the lyricist of famous songs, was a Greek music composer, singer, writer and journalist.Rasoulis was born in 1945 in Heraklion, Crete...
(1945) lyrics writer - Notis SfakianakisNotis SfakianakisPanagiotis Sfakianakis is a Greek singer of laika music, who is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career in 1985, opening at nightclubs for other artists. He was discovered by Sony Greece and released his debut album Proti Fora...
(1959) singer
Business
- Constantine CorniaktosConstantine CorniaktosConstantine Korniakt was a Greek merchant active in Eastern Europe and a leaseholder of royal tolls who collected...
(1517–1603) wine merchant and wealthiest man in the Eastern European city of LvivLvivLviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. - Gianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiGianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiGianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki is a Greek business woman. She is best known for being the president of the bidding and organizing committee for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
(1955) business woman and politician
Politics
- Leonidas KyrkosLeonidas KyrkosLeonidas Kyrkos was a Greek leftist politician and member of the Hellenic Parliament and the European Parliament.-Life:...
, politician - Aristidis StergiadisAristidis StergiadisAristidis Stergiadis was the Hellenic high-commissioner, or governor-general, of Smyrna from 1919 to 1922. He was selected for the post by Prime Minister Venizelos, who was a fellow Cretan. He is considered one of the darkest figures in modern Greek history...
(1861–1950) High Commissioner of Smyrna - Georgios VoulgarakisGeorgios VoulgarakisGeorgios Voulgarakis is a Greek politician and the former Minister for Mercantile Marine, Aegean Sea and Island Policy.Voulgarakis was born in Crete and holds a PhD in economics from the University of Athens. He is a member of the New Democracy party...
(1959) conservative politician
Clergy
- Maximos MarguniosMaximos MarguniosMaximos Margunios Bishop of Cyrigo , was a Greek Renaissance humanist. He was a teacher at the Greek school in Venice and noted Patriarch Cyril Lucaris was among his students, Margunios was a supporter of ecclesiastical Union with Rome and wrote on the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit...
(1549–1602), bishop of Cyrigo (KythiraKythiraCythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means...
) - Kyrillos LoukarisCyril LucarisCyril Lucaris born Constantine Lukaris or Loucaris was a Greek prelate and theologian, and a native of Candia, Crete . He later became the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I...
(1572–1637) theologian, Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I - Meletius Pegas, Patriarch of Alexandria
- Theodore IIPatriarch Theodore II of AlexandriaTheodore II is the current Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa...
(1954) Patriarch of Alexandria - Peter Phillarges (ca. 1339–1410) (also Pietro Di Candia, later Pope Alexander V)
Twin towns — sister cities
Heraklion is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
Location
{|Heraklion, or Heraclion ( iˈraklio) is the largest city and the administrative capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the 4th largest city in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans
Arthur Evans
Sir Arthur John Evans FRS was a British archaeologist most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete and for developing the concept of Minoan civilization from the structures and artifacts found there and elsewhere throughout eastern Mediterranean...
, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
.
Name
The Arab raiders from Andalusia who founded the Emirate of CreteEmirate of Crete
The Emirate of Crete was a Muslim state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the Byzantine reconquest of the island in 961....
moved the island's capital from Gortyna to what a new castle they called 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Handax) or Χάνδακας and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
as Candia (used under the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
rule), in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to all of Crete as well as to the city itself; the Ottoman
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
name was Kandiye.
After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro or Castro (the Big Castle in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
) and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini (Castle-dwellers in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
).
The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
' city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.
History
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
, which in Minoan
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
times was the largest centre of population on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.
Founding
The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824824
Year 824 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Third Battle of Roncevaux Pass: The Basques and Banu Qasi defeat counts Eblo and Aznar, Frankish vassals....
AD by the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s who had been expelled from Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
by Emir Al-Hakam I
Al-Hakam I
Al-Hakam Ibn Hisham Ibn Abd-ar-Rahman I was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in the Al-Andalus .Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came to power, he was challenged by his uncles Sulayman and Abdallah, sons of Abd ar-Rahman I...
and had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
around the city for protection, and named the city ربض الخندق, ("Castle of the Moat"). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.
Restored Greek Era
In 961961
Year 961 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Ani becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty....
Imperial forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas
Nikephoros II
Nikephoros II Phokas was a Byzantine Emperor whose brilliant military exploits contributed to the resurgence of Byzantine Empire in the tenth century.-Early exploits:...
, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.
Venetian control
In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of VeniceRepublic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
as part of a complicated political deal which involved among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
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 of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
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
After the Venetians came the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. During the Cretan War (1645–1669)
Cretan War (1645–1669)
The Cretan War or War of Candia , as the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession...
, the Ottomans besieged the city
Siege of Candia
The Siege of Candia was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city and were ultimately victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it was the longest siege in history.-Background:...
for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
grand vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as Megalo Castro (Μεγάλο Κάστρο; "Big Castle"). During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
in the west of the island.
Modern era
Cretan State
The Cretan State was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers on the island of Crete. In 1897 an insurrection in Crete led the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Greece, which led the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia to intervene on the grounds that the Ottoman...
was created, under Ottoman suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
, 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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
' city"), whose exact location is unknown.
In 1913 with the rest of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
.
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:- GorgolainisGorgolainisGorgolainis is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,171 . The seat of the municipality was in Agios Myronas. Another village within the...
- Heraklion
- Nea AlikarnassosNea AlikarnassosNea Alikarnassos is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 12,542 . It is located on the north coast of the island and is served by the Nikos...
- PalianiPalianiPaliani is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,404 . The seat of the municipality was in Venerato...
- TemenosTemenos, GreeceTemenos is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,218 . The seat of the municipality was in Profitis Ilias....
Port
Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. Travellers can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to a multitude of destinations including SantoriniSantorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
, Ios Island, Paros
Paros
Paros is an island of Greece 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 Piraeus. The Municipality of Paros includes numerous uninhabited offshore islets...
, Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
, and Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, the port of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
on mainland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Airport
Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about 5 km east of the city. The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, due to Crete being a major holiday destination.
There are regular domestic flights to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes with Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines S.A. is the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member since June 2010, it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek destinations as well as to a number of European destinations...
and Olympic Air
Olympic Air
Olympic Air is the largest Greek airline by destinations served, formed from the privatisation of the former national carrier Olympic Airlines. Olympic Air commenced limited operations on 29 September 2009, after Olympic Airlines ceased all operations, with the official full-scale opening of the...
. Athens Airways
Athens Airways
Athens Airways was a Greek regional airline, headquartered in Koropi, Athens. The airline used to connect Alexandroupoli, Athens and Thessaloniki with some Greek islands, as well offering chartered flights...
also offers flights to and from Athens. Cyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, a public limited company with its head offices located in the capital of the island, Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to 41 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf. It flies from both airports of the island, Larnaca and Paphos,...
and Aegean Airlines fly to and from Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
, in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Furthermore, Sky Express
Sky Express (Greece)
Sky Express is a regional airline based in Heraklion, Greece, primarily focused on scheduled flights between Heraklion and several smaller Aegean islands, avoiding transiting through Athens. Its main base is Heraklion International Airport...
operates direct flights to Aegean islands such as Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
, Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
, Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
, Mytilini, and Ikaria.
Aegean Airlines has an international schedule to and from London and Paris and EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
flys direct from London Gatwick. During the summer, the number of scheduled and chartered flights increase as do the number of airlines that fly direct from all over Europe (mostly Germany, UK, Italy, and Russia).
The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force
Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
.
Highway Network
European route E75European 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 from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Agios Nikolaos is a coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia. In the year 2000, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos, which takes in part of the surrounding villages, claimed around 19,000...
, Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
, and Rethymno
Rethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
.
Public transit
There are a number of buses serving the city and connecting it to many major destinations in Crete.Climate
CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain in the winter. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, it has a milder climate.
Colleges, Universities, and Research Centers
- University of CreteUniversity of CreteThe University of Crete ' is the principal higher education institution on the island of Crete, Greece.The University of Crete, is a multi-disciplinary, research- oriented institution, located in the cities of Rethymno and Heraklion...
- TEI of CreteTEI of CreteLocated in Heraklion, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete was founded in 1983 to provide higher technological education to the students of Greece. According to laws Ν.2916/2001, Ν.3549/2007, Ν.3685/2008, Ν.3794/2009, it is a higher educational institute...
- Foundation for Research & Technology - HellasFoundation for Research & Technology - HellasThe Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas is a research center in Greece, supervised by the Ministry for Education through its . It consists of seven research institutes, which are located in various cities of Greece: Heraklion, Rethymno, Patras and Ioannina...
Culture
Museums
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- CretaquariumCretaquariumCretaquarium or Thalassocosmos is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklion....
- Historical Museum of CreteHistorical Museum of CreteThe Historical Museum of Crete is a museum in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. The Museum presents a comprehensive view of Cretan history from early Christian times to the present day. It was founded in 1953 by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies, which had been established two years earlier...
- Natural History MuseumNatural History Museum of CreteThe Natural History Museum of Crete in Heraklion, Crete is a natural history museum that operates under the auspices of the University of Crete. Its aim is the study, protection and promotion of the diverse flora and fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean region...
- The Battle of Crete and National Resistance MuseumMuseum of the Battle of CreteThe Municipal Museum of the Battle of Crete and the National Resistance is a historical museum in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.-External links:**...
- Nikos Kazantzakis Museum
- Lychnostatis Open Air MuseumLychnostatis Open Air MuseumLychnostatis Open Air Museum is a museum in Hersonissos, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It is an autonomous private foundation, established in July 1992, based on private collection owned by ophthalmologist Yiorgos Markakis. The Markakis and local workers were responsible for the building of the museum...
- Collection of Agia Aikaterini of Sinai
- Museum of Visual ArtsMuseum of Visual ArtsMuseum of Visual Arts is a museum located on Nymphon Street in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.The museum was established in order to support cultural and artistic activity and to promote the work of Cretan artists....
Sports
The city hosts three football clubs:- Ergotelis FCErgotelis FCErgotelis FC is a Greek football club based in Heraklion, the largest city of the Greek island of Crete. The name itself, Ergotelis, was that of a famous ancient Cretan expatriate Olympic runner Ergoteles of Himera.-History:...
– in Heraklion, plays in the first division. - OFI CreteOFI CreteOFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
in Heraklion, plays in the first division. - Atsalenios – Football Club of Heraklion which plays in the third division.
Famous natives
Heraklion has been the home town of some of Greece's most significant spirits, including the novelist Nikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
).
Literature
- Elli Alexiou (1894–1988) author
- Aris Diktaios, poet and translator
- Minás DimákisMinás DimákisMinás Dimákis was a Greek poet.-Biography:Minás Dimákis was born 1913 in Heraklion, Crete, to Georgios Dimákis, a tradesman, and Maria Metaxaki. After his father's death in 1917, her mother got married again to Athanasio Spanoudaki with whom she had two more children: Ekaterini and Eleonora. His...
(1913–1980) poet - Odysseas ElytisOdysseas ElytisOdysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
(1911–1996) Nobel awarded poet - Tess FragoulisTess FragoulisTess Fragoulis is a Canadian writer and educator. Born in Heraklion, Crete, she was raised in Montreal, Quebec, where she attended Concordia University. Her first book, Stories to Hide from Your Mother , was nominated for the QSPELL First Book Award. One of the stories was adapted for the...
, Greek-Canadian author - Rea GalanakiRea GalanakiRea Galanaki is an author who was born in Heraklion, Crete in 1947. She studied history and archaeology in the University of Athens. She received the Novel Prize of the Greek state in 1999.-Books:* Πλην εύχαρις * Τα ορυκτά * Το κέικ...
(1947–present) author - Galatea Kazantzaki author
- Nikos KazantzakisNikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
(1883–1957) author - Pedro de CandiaPedro de CandiaPedro de Candia, Grandee of Spain, . Born on the island of Crete, * 1485. He was killed in battle at Chupas , on September 16th + 1542, Spanish Conquistador, Grandee of Spain, "Almirant of the Spanish Armada of the Southern Seas", author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish conquest of the...
, (1485–1542) author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish Conquest of the Americas - Ioannis Kondylakis (1862–1920) author
- Vitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros or Vincenzo Cornaro was a Cretan poet, who wrote the romantic epic poem Erotokritos. He wrote in vernacular Greek, and was a leading figure of the Cretan Renaissance....
(1553–1613) author - Stephanos SahlikisStephanos SahlikisStephanos Sahlikis or Sachlikis , was a Cretan from Handax lawyer and poet who wrote satyrical poems in vernacular Greek....
(1330-after 1391) poet - Lili Zografou (1922–1998) author
Scientists and Scholars
- Nicholas KalliakisNicholas KalliakisNicholas Kalliakis was a Greek scholar and philosopher who flourished in Italy in the 17th century. He was appointed doctor of philosophy and theology in Rome, university professor of Greek and Latin and Aristotelian philosophy at Venice in 1666 and professor of belles-lettres and rhetoric at...
(1645–1707)- Greek Cretan scholar and philosopher - Andreas MusalusAndreas MusalusAndreas Musalus was a Greek professor of mathematics, philosopher and architectural theorist who was largely active in Venice during the 17th-century Italian Renaissance.- Biography :...
(ca. 1665–1721) Greek Cretan professor of Mathematics, Philosopher and Architectural theorist - Francesco BarozziFrancesco BarozziFrancesco Barozzi was an Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist.-Life:...
(1537–1604) mathematician and astronomer - Manolis Hatzidakis, archaeologist
- Fotis KafatosFotis KafatosFotis Constantine Kafatos is a Greek molecular entomologist. Between 2005-2010 he was the founding president of the European Research Council and member of its Scientific Council...
biologist, President of the European Research Council - Maximos MarguniosMaximos MarguniosMaximos Margunios Bishop of Cyrigo , was a Greek Renaissance humanist. He was a teacher at the Greek school in Venice and noted Patriarch Cyril Lucaris was among his students, Margunios was a supporter of ecclesiastical Union with Rome and wrote on the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit...
(1549–1602) scholar, theologian, poet and writer, titular bishopTitular bishopA titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of KythiraKythiraCythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means... - Marcus MusurusMarcus MusurusMarcus Musurus was a Greek scholar and philosopher born in Retimo, Castello, Venetian Crete . The son of a rich merchant, he became at an early age a pupil of John Lascaris in Venice....
(Markos Mousouros) (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher - Nikolaos Panagiotakis (1935–1997) byzantinologist
- Peter of Candia also known as Antipope Alexander VAntipope Alexander VAlexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope....
, philosopher and scholar. - Joseph SifakisJoseph SifakisJoseph Sifakis is a Greek-French computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award, along with Edmund M. Clarke and E. Allen Emerson, for his work on model checking....
(1946–present) computer scientist, co-recipient of the 2007 Turing AwardTuring AwardThe Turing Award, in full The ACM A.M. Turing Award, is an annual award given by the Association for Computing Machinery to "an individual selected for contributions of a technical nature made to the computing community. The contributions should be of lasting and major technical importance to the... - Gerasimos VlachosGerasimos VlachosGerasimos Vlachos was a Greek scholar of the Renaissance.He was born in Heraklion, Crete but migrated to Venice early on and was a student and associate of fellow Greek scholar Theophilos Korydaleus. He specialised in Greek philosophy and among his many writings was The Definitive Harmony of...
(1607–1685), scholar - Simone StratigoSimone StratigoSimone Stratigo ; ca. 1733 – ca. 1824) was a Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert who studied and lived in Padova and Pavia in 18th century Italy.- Biography :...
(ca. 1733–1824), Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert, whose family was from Heraklion (Candia), Crete.
Painting
- TheophanesTheophanes the CretanTheophanis Strelitzas , also known as Theophanes the Cretan or "of Crete" or "Theophanes Bathas", was a leading icon painter of the Cretan school in the first half of the sixteenth century, and in particular the most important figure in Greek wall-painting of the period.He was born in Heraklion...
(ca.1500–1559) painter of icons - Michael DamaskinosMichael DamaskinosMichael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, whilst Crete was under Venetian rule...
(1530/35-1592/93) painter of icons - El GrecoEl GrecoEl Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
(1541–1614) mannerist painter, sculpturer and architect - Georgios Klontzas (1540–1607) painter of icons
- Theodoros Poulakis (1622–1692) painter of icons
- Andreas Ritzos (1422–1492) painter of icons
- Emmanuel TzanesEmmanuel TzanesEmmanuel Tzanes was a Greek Renaissance painter.He was born in Crete and migrated to Venice where he did most of his work. He was one of the most respected Greek painters of his day. Tzanes was a member of the Cretan School and contemporary of another Cretan painter of Venice, Theodore...
(1610–1690) painter of icons - Aristidis Vlassis (*1955) painter
- Konstantinos VolanakisKonstantinos VolanakisKonstantinos Volanakis or Volonakis was a Greek painter, considered one of the best of the 19th century. Born to a wealthy family, he went to Trieste, Italy, in 1856 where he took up painting. He studied in the Munich Academy. He is one of the foremost representatives of the Munich School, a Greek...
(1837–1907) painter
Film industry
- Giorgos Anemogiannis, scenographer
- Rika DiallinaRika DiallinaRika Diallina also spelled Dialina and Dialyna, born in Heraklion, Crete in 1934, won the Miss Star Hellas title, and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe 1954 pageant in Long Beach, California....
(1934), actress and model, Miss Hellas - Ilya LivykouIlya LivykouIlya Livykou or Ilia Livykou was a Greek actress, a partner with Vassilis Logothetidis.Her real name was Amalia Hatzaki or Hadjaki , later Kozyri. She began her education in javelin throwing and studied law in Athens. She brought her tests and marked excellently at the Dramatic School of the...
(1919–2002), actress - Sapfo NotaraSapfo NotaraSapfo Notara, was a Greek actress, known for supporting capabilities in acting. In Greek movies, she acted in comedies as an aunt or a housewife. Notara had a radio programme called I Kiria Kiriaki. One of her last theatre appearances was in the play Pornography .Notara never married...
(1907–1985), actress - Aleka Paizi, actress
- Yannis SmaragdisYannis SmaragdisYannis Smaragdis is a Greek film director.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 received the first prize in the Athens Festival as well as a Special Mention in the Montreal Film Festival...
(1946), film director
Music
- List of radio stations in Greece Greek music from Crete – heraklion live on the net
- Rena KyriakouRena KyriakouRena Kyriakou was a pianist and composer born in Herakleion, Crete, Greece.-Education:Rena Kyriakou revealed an early aptitude for the piano and for composition, and gave her first public performance at the age of six in Athens, performing twelve original piano pieces...
(1918–1994) pianist - Fragiskos Leontaritis (Francesco Londarit) (1518–1572) composer
- Christos Leontis (1940) composer
- Giannis Markopoulos (1939) composer
- Manolis RasoulisManolis RasoulisEmmanouil Rasoulis , best known as the lyricist of famous songs, was a Greek music composer, singer, writer and journalist.Rasoulis was born in 1945 in Heraklion, Crete...
(1945) lyrics writer - Notis SfakianakisNotis SfakianakisPanagiotis Sfakianakis is a Greek singer of laika music, who is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career in 1985, opening at nightclubs for other artists. He was discovered by Sony Greece and released his debut album Proti Fora...
(1959) singer
Business
- Constantine CorniaktosConstantine CorniaktosConstantine Korniakt was a Greek merchant active in Eastern Europe and a leaseholder of royal tolls who collected...
(1517–1603) wine merchant and wealthiest man in the Eastern European city of LvivLvivLviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. - Gianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiGianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiGianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki is a Greek business woman. She is best known for being the president of the bidding and organizing committee for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
(1955) business woman and politician
Politics
- Leonidas KyrkosLeonidas KyrkosLeonidas Kyrkos was a Greek leftist politician and member of the Hellenic Parliament and the European Parliament.-Life:...
, politician - Aristidis StergiadisAristidis StergiadisAristidis Stergiadis was the Hellenic high-commissioner, or governor-general, of Smyrna from 1919 to 1922. He was selected for the post by Prime Minister Venizelos, who was a fellow Cretan. He is considered one of the darkest figures in modern Greek history...
(1861–1950) High Commissioner of Smyrna - Georgios VoulgarakisGeorgios VoulgarakisGeorgios Voulgarakis is a Greek politician and the former Minister for Mercantile Marine, Aegean Sea and Island Policy.Voulgarakis was born in Crete and holds a PhD in economics from the University of Athens. He is a member of the New Democracy party...
(1959) conservative politician
Clergy
- Maximos MarguniosMaximos MarguniosMaximos Margunios Bishop of Cyrigo , was a Greek Renaissance humanist. He was a teacher at the Greek school in Venice and noted Patriarch Cyril Lucaris was among his students, Margunios was a supporter of ecclesiastical Union with Rome and wrote on the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit...
(1549–1602), bishop of Cyrigo (KythiraKythiraCythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means...
) - Kyrillos LoukarisCyril LucarisCyril Lucaris born Constantine Lukaris or Loucaris was a Greek prelate and theologian, and a native of Candia, Crete . He later became the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I...
(1572–1637) theologian, Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I - Meletius Pegas, Patriarch of Alexandria
- Theodore IIPatriarch Theodore II of AlexandriaTheodore II is the current Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa...
(1954) Patriarch of Alexandria - Peter Phillarges (ca. 1339–1410) (also Pietro Di Candia, later Pope Alexander V)
Twin towns — sister cities
Heraklion is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
Location
{|Heraklion, or Heraclion ( iˈraklio) is the largest city and the administrative capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the 4th largest city in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit. The ruins of Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans
Arthur Evans
Sir Arthur John Evans FRS was a British archaeologist most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete and for developing the concept of Minoan civilization from the structures and artifacts found there and elsewhere throughout eastern Mediterranean...
, are nearby. The Heraklion International Airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
.
Name
The Arab raiders from Andalusia who founded the Emirate of CreteEmirate of Crete
The Emirate of Crete was a Muslim state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the Byzantine reconquest of the island in 961....
moved the island's capital from Gortyna to what a new castle they called 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s. This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Handax) or Χάνδακας and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
as Candia (used under the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
rule), in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to all of Crete as well as to the city itself; the Ottoman
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
name was Kandiye.
After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro or Castro (the Big Castle in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
) and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini (Castle-dwellers in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
).
The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century and comes from the nearby Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
' city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.
History
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
, which in Minoan
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
times was the largest centre of population on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.
Founding
The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824824
Year 824 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Third Battle of Roncevaux Pass: The Basques and Banu Qasi defeat counts Eblo and Aznar, Frankish vassals....
AD by the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s who had been expelled from Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
by Emir Al-Hakam I
Al-Hakam I
Al-Hakam Ibn Hisham Ibn Abd-ar-Rahman I was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in the Al-Andalus .Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came to power, he was challenged by his uncles Sulayman and Abdallah, sons of Abd ar-Rahman I...
and had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
around the city for protection, and named the city ربض الخندق, ("Castle of the Moat"). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.
Restored Greek Era
In 961961
Year 961 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Ani becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty....
Imperial forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas
Nikephoros II
Nikephoros II Phokas was a Byzantine Emperor whose brilliant military exploits contributed to the resurgence of Byzantine Empire in the tenth century.-Early exploits:...
, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.
Venetian control
In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of VeniceRepublic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
as part of a complicated political deal which involved among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
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 of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
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
After the Venetians came the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. During the Cretan War (1645–1669)
Cretan War (1645–1669)
The Cretan War or War of Candia , as the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession...
, the Ottomans besieged the city
Siege of Candia
The Siege of Candia was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city and were ultimately victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it was the longest siege in history.-Background:...
for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
grand vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as Megalo Castro (Μεγάλο Κάστρο; "Big Castle"). During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
in the west of the island.
Modern era
Cretan State
The Cretan State was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers on the island of Crete. In 1897 an insurrection in Crete led the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Greece, which led the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia to intervene on the grounds that the Ottoman...
was created, under Ottoman suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
, 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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port of Heracleum ("Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
' city"), whose exact location is unknown.
In 1913 with the rest of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
.
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:- GorgolainisGorgolainisGorgolainis is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,171 . The seat of the municipality was in Agios Myronas. Another village within the...
- Heraklion
- Nea AlikarnassosNea AlikarnassosNea Alikarnassos is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 12,542 . It is located on the north coast of the island and is served by the Nikos...
- PalianiPalianiPaliani is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,404 . The seat of the municipality was in Venerato...
- TemenosTemenos, GreeceTemenos is a former municipality in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,218 . The seat of the municipality was in Profitis Ilias....
Port
Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. Travellers can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to a multitude of destinations including SantoriniSantorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
, Ios Island, Paros
Paros
Paros is an island of Greece 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 Piraeus. The Municipality of Paros includes numerous uninhabited offshore islets...
, Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
, and Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, the port of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
on mainland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Airport
Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about 5 km east of the city. The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, due to Crete being a major holiday destination.
There are regular domestic flights to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes with Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines S.A. is the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member since June 2010, it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek destinations as well as to a number of European destinations...
and Olympic Air
Olympic Air
Olympic Air is the largest Greek airline by destinations served, formed from the privatisation of the former national carrier Olympic Airlines. Olympic Air commenced limited operations on 29 September 2009, after Olympic Airlines ceased all operations, with the official full-scale opening of the...
. Athens Airways
Athens Airways
Athens Airways was a Greek regional airline, headquartered in Koropi, Athens. The airline used to connect Alexandroupoli, Athens and Thessaloniki with some Greek islands, as well offering chartered flights...
also offers flights to and from Athens. Cyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, a public limited company with its head offices located in the capital of the island, Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to 41 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf. It flies from both airports of the island, Larnaca and Paphos,...
and Aegean Airlines fly to and from Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
, in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Furthermore, Sky Express
Sky Express (Greece)
Sky Express is a regional airline based in Heraklion, Greece, primarily focused on scheduled flights between Heraklion and several smaller Aegean islands, avoiding transiting through Athens. Its main base is Heraklion International Airport...
operates direct flights to Aegean islands such as Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
, Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
, Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
, Mytilini, and Ikaria.
Aegean Airlines has an international schedule to and from London and Paris and EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
flys direct from London Gatwick. During the summer, the number of scheduled and chartered flights increase as do the number of airlines that fly direct from all over Europe (mostly Germany, UK, Italy, and Russia).
The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force
Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
.
Highway Network
European route E75European 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 from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Agios Nikolaos is a coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia. In the year 2000, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos, which takes in part of the surrounding villages, claimed around 19,000...
, Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
, and Rethymno
Rethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
.
Public transit
There are a number of buses serving the city and connecting it to many major destinations in Crete.Climate
CreteCrete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain in the winter. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, it has a milder climate.
Colleges, Universities, and Research Centers
- University of CreteUniversity of CreteThe University of Crete ' is the principal higher education institution on the island of Crete, Greece.The University of Crete, is a multi-disciplinary, research- oriented institution, located in the cities of Rethymno and Heraklion...
- TEI of CreteTEI of CreteLocated in Heraklion, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete was founded in 1983 to provide higher technological education to the students of Greece. According to laws Ν.2916/2001, Ν.3549/2007, Ν.3685/2008, Ν.3794/2009, it is a higher educational institute...
- Foundation for Research & Technology - HellasFoundation for Research & Technology - HellasThe Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas is a research center in Greece, supervised by the Ministry for Education through its . It consists of seven research institutes, which are located in various cities of Greece: Heraklion, Rethymno, Patras and Ioannina...
Culture
Museums
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- CretaquariumCretaquariumCretaquarium or Thalassocosmos is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklion....
- Historical Museum of CreteHistorical Museum of CreteThe Historical Museum of Crete is a museum in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. The Museum presents a comprehensive view of Cretan history from early Christian times to the present day. It was founded in 1953 by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies, which had been established two years earlier...
- Natural History MuseumNatural History Museum of CreteThe Natural History Museum of Crete in Heraklion, Crete is a natural history museum that operates under the auspices of the University of Crete. Its aim is the study, protection and promotion of the diverse flora and fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean region...
- The Battle of Crete and National Resistance MuseumMuseum of the Battle of CreteThe Municipal Museum of the Battle of Crete and the National Resistance is a historical museum in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.-External links:**...
- Nikos Kazantzakis Museum
- Lychnostatis Open Air MuseumLychnostatis Open Air MuseumLychnostatis Open Air Museum is a museum in Hersonissos, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It is an autonomous private foundation, established in July 1992, based on private collection owned by ophthalmologist Yiorgos Markakis. The Markakis and local workers were responsible for the building of the museum...
- Collection of Agia Aikaterini of Sinai
- Museum of Visual ArtsMuseum of Visual ArtsMuseum of Visual Arts is a museum located on Nymphon Street in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.The museum was established in order to support cultural and artistic activity and to promote the work of Cretan artists....
Sports
The city hosts three football clubs:- Ergotelis FCErgotelis FCErgotelis FC is a Greek football club based in Heraklion, the largest city of the Greek island of Crete. The name itself, Ergotelis, was that of a famous ancient Cretan expatriate Olympic runner Ergoteles of Himera.-History:...
– in Heraklion, plays in the first division. - OFI CreteOFI CreteOFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
in Heraklion, plays in the first division. - Atsalenios – Football Club of Heraklion which plays in the third division.
Famous natives
Heraklion has been the home town of some of Greece's most significant spirits, including the novelist Nikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
).
Literature
- Elli Alexiou (1894–1988) author
- Aris Diktaios, poet and translator
- Minás DimákisMinás DimákisMinás Dimákis was a Greek poet.-Biography:Minás Dimákis was born 1913 in Heraklion, Crete, to Georgios Dimákis, a tradesman, and Maria Metaxaki. After his father's death in 1917, her mother got married again to Athanasio Spanoudaki with whom she had two more children: Ekaterini and Eleonora. His...
(1913–1980) poet - Odysseas ElytisOdysseas ElytisOdysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
(1911–1996) Nobel awarded poet - Tess FragoulisTess FragoulisTess Fragoulis is a Canadian writer and educator. Born in Heraklion, Crete, she was raised in Montreal, Quebec, where she attended Concordia University. Her first book, Stories to Hide from Your Mother , was nominated for the QSPELL First Book Award. One of the stories was adapted for the...
, Greek-Canadian author - Rea GalanakiRea GalanakiRea Galanaki is an author who was born in Heraklion, Crete in 1947. She studied history and archaeology in the University of Athens. She received the Novel Prize of the Greek state in 1999.-Books:* Πλην εύχαρις * Τα ορυκτά * Το κέικ...
(1947–present) author - Galatea Kazantzaki author
- Nikos KazantzakisNikos KazantzakisNikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
(1883–1957) author - Pedro de CandiaPedro de CandiaPedro de Candia, Grandee of Spain, . Born on the island of Crete, * 1485. He was killed in battle at Chupas , on September 16th + 1542, Spanish Conquistador, Grandee of Spain, "Almirant of the Spanish Armada of the Southern Seas", author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish conquest of the...
, (1485–1542) author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish Conquest of the Americas - Ioannis Kondylakis (1862–1920) author
- Vitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros or Vincenzo Cornaro was a Cretan poet, who wrote the romantic epic poem Erotokritos. He wrote in vernacular Greek, and was a leading figure of the Cretan Renaissance....
(1553–1613) author - Stephanos SahlikisStephanos SahlikisStephanos Sahlikis or Sachlikis , was a Cretan from Handax lawyer and poet who wrote satyrical poems in vernacular Greek....
(1330-after 1391) poet - Lili Zografou (1922–1998) author
Scientists and Scholars
- Nicholas KalliakisNicholas KalliakisNicholas Kalliakis was a Greek scholar and philosopher who flourished in Italy in the 17th century. He was appointed doctor of philosophy and theology in Rome, university professor of Greek and Latin and Aristotelian philosophy at Venice in 1666 and professor of belles-lettres and rhetoric at...
(1645–1707)- Greek Cretan scholar and philosopher - Andreas MusalusAndreas MusalusAndreas Musalus was a Greek professor of mathematics, philosopher and architectural theorist who was largely active in Venice during the 17th-century Italian Renaissance.- Biography :...
(ca. 1665–1721) Greek Cretan professor of Mathematics, Philosopher and Architectural theorist - Francesco BarozziFrancesco BarozziFrancesco Barozzi was an Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist.-Life:...
(1537–1604) mathematician and astronomer - Manolis Hatzidakis, archaeologist
- Fotis KafatosFotis KafatosFotis Constantine Kafatos is a Greek molecular entomologist. Between 2005-2010 he was the founding president of the European Research Council and member of its Scientific Council...
biologist, President of the European Research Council - Maximos MarguniosMaximos MarguniosMaximos Margunios Bishop of Cyrigo , was a Greek Renaissance humanist. He was a teacher at the Greek school in Venice and noted Patriarch Cyril Lucaris was among his students, Margunios was a supporter of ecclesiastical Union with Rome and wrote on the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit...
(1549–1602) scholar, theologian, poet and writer, titular bishopTitular bishopA titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of KythiraKythiraCythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means... - Marcus MusurusMarcus MusurusMarcus Musurus was a Greek scholar and philosopher born in Retimo, Castello, Venetian Crete . The son of a rich merchant, he became at an early age a pupil of John Lascaris in Venice....
(Markos Mousouros) (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher - Nikolaos Panagiotakis (1935–1997) byzantinologist
- Peter of Candia also known as Antipope Alexander VAntipope Alexander VAlexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope....
, philosopher and scholar. - Joseph SifakisJoseph SifakisJoseph Sifakis is a Greek-French computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award, along with Edmund M. Clarke and E. Allen Emerson, for his work on model checking....
(1946–present) computer scientist, co-recipient of the 2007 Turing AwardTuring AwardThe Turing Award, in full The ACM A.M. Turing Award, is an annual award given by the Association for Computing Machinery to "an individual selected for contributions of a technical nature made to the computing community. The contributions should be of lasting and major technical importance to the... - Gerasimos VlachosGerasimos VlachosGerasimos Vlachos was a Greek scholar of the Renaissance.He was born in Heraklion, Crete but migrated to Venice early on and was a student and associate of fellow Greek scholar Theophilos Korydaleus. He specialised in Greek philosophy and among his many writings was The Definitive Harmony of...
(1607–1685), scholar - Simone StratigoSimone StratigoSimone Stratigo ; ca. 1733 – ca. 1824) was a Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert who studied and lived in Padova and Pavia in 18th century Italy.- Biography :...
(ca. 1733–1824), Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert, whose family was from Heraklion (Candia), Crete.
Painting
- TheophanesTheophanes the CretanTheophanis Strelitzas , also known as Theophanes the Cretan or "of Crete" or "Theophanes Bathas", was a leading icon painter of the Cretan school in the first half of the sixteenth century, and in particular the most important figure in Greek wall-painting of the period.He was born in Heraklion...
(ca.1500–1559) painter of icons - Michael DamaskinosMichael DamaskinosMichael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, whilst Crete was under Venetian rule...
(1530/35-1592/93) painter of icons - El GrecoEl GrecoEl Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
(1541–1614) mannerist painter, sculpturer and architect - Georgios Klontzas (1540–1607) painter of icons
- Theodoros Poulakis (1622–1692) painter of icons
- Andreas Ritzos (1422–1492) painter of icons
- Emmanuel TzanesEmmanuel TzanesEmmanuel Tzanes was a Greek Renaissance painter.He was born in Crete and migrated to Venice where he did most of his work. He was one of the most respected Greek painters of his day. Tzanes was a member of the Cretan School and contemporary of another Cretan painter of Venice, Theodore...
(1610–1690) painter of icons - Aristidis Vlassis (*1955) painter
- Konstantinos VolanakisKonstantinos VolanakisKonstantinos Volanakis or Volonakis was a Greek painter, considered one of the best of the 19th century. Born to a wealthy family, he went to Trieste, Italy, in 1856 where he took up painting. He studied in the Munich Academy. He is one of the foremost representatives of the Munich School, a Greek...
(1837–1907) painter
Film industry
- Giorgos Anemogiannis, scenographer
- Rika DiallinaRika DiallinaRika Diallina also spelled Dialina and Dialyna, born in Heraklion, Crete in 1934, won the Miss Star Hellas title, and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe 1954 pageant in Long Beach, California....
(1934), actress and model, Miss Hellas - Ilya LivykouIlya LivykouIlya Livykou or Ilia Livykou was a Greek actress, a partner with Vassilis Logothetidis.Her real name was Amalia Hatzaki or Hadjaki , later Kozyri. She began her education in javelin throwing and studied law in Athens. She brought her tests and marked excellently at the Dramatic School of the...
(1919–2002), actress - Sapfo NotaraSapfo NotaraSapfo Notara, was a Greek actress, known for supporting capabilities in acting. In Greek movies, she acted in comedies as an aunt or a housewife. Notara had a radio programme called I Kiria Kiriaki. One of her last theatre appearances was in the play Pornography .Notara never married...
(1907–1985), actress - Aleka Paizi, actress
- Yannis SmaragdisYannis SmaragdisYannis Smaragdis is a Greek film director.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 received the first prize in the Athens Festival as well as a Special Mention in the Montreal Film Festival...
(1946), film director
Music
- List of radio stations in Greece Greek music from Crete – heraklion live on the net
- Rena KyriakouRena KyriakouRena Kyriakou was a pianist and composer born in Herakleion, Crete, Greece.-Education:Rena Kyriakou revealed an early aptitude for the piano and for composition, and gave her first public performance at the age of six in Athens, performing twelve original piano pieces...
(1918–1994) pianist - Fragiskos Leontaritis (Francesco Londarit) (1518–1572) composer
- Christos Leontis (1940) composer
- Giannis Markopoulos (1939) composer
- Manolis RasoulisManolis RasoulisEmmanouil Rasoulis , best known as the lyricist of famous songs, was a Greek music composer, singer, writer and journalist.Rasoulis was born in 1945 in Heraklion, Crete...
(1945) lyrics writer - Notis SfakianakisNotis SfakianakisPanagiotis Sfakianakis is a Greek singer of laika music, who is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career in 1985, opening at nightclubs for other artists. He was discovered by Sony Greece and released his debut album Proti Fora...
(1959) singer
Business
- Constantine CorniaktosConstantine CorniaktosConstantine Korniakt was a Greek merchant active in Eastern Europe and a leaseholder of royal tolls who collected...
(1517–1603) wine merchant and wealthiest man in the Eastern European city of LvivLvivLviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. - Gianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiGianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiGianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki is a Greek business woman. She is best known for being the president of the bidding and organizing committee for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
(1955) business woman and politician
Politics
- Leonidas KyrkosLeonidas KyrkosLeonidas Kyrkos was a Greek leftist politician and member of the Hellenic Parliament and the European Parliament.-Life:...
, politician - Aristidis StergiadisAristidis StergiadisAristidis Stergiadis was the Hellenic high-commissioner, or governor-general, of Smyrna from 1919 to 1922. He was selected for the post by Prime Minister Venizelos, who was a fellow Cretan. He is considered one of the darkest figures in modern Greek history...
(1861–1950) High Commissioner of Smyrna - Georgios VoulgarakisGeorgios VoulgarakisGeorgios Voulgarakis is a Greek politician and the former Minister for Mercantile Marine, Aegean Sea and Island Policy.Voulgarakis was born in Crete and holds a PhD in economics from the University of Athens. He is a member of the New Democracy party...
(1959) conservative politician
Clergy
- Maximos MarguniosMaximos MarguniosMaximos Margunios Bishop of Cyrigo , was a Greek Renaissance humanist. He was a teacher at the Greek school in Venice and noted Patriarch Cyril Lucaris was among his students, Margunios was a supporter of ecclesiastical Union with Rome and wrote on the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit...
(1549–1602), bishop of Cyrigo (KythiraKythiraCythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means...
) - Kyrillos LoukarisCyril LucarisCyril Lucaris born Constantine Lukaris or Loucaris was a Greek prelate and theologian, and a native of Candia, Crete . He later became the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I...
(1572–1637) theologian, Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I - Meletius Pegas, Patriarch of Alexandria
- Theodore IIPatriarch Theodore II of AlexandriaTheodore II is the current Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa...
(1954) Patriarch of Alexandria - Peter Phillarges (ca. 1339–1410) (also Pietro Di Candia, later Pope Alexander V)
Twin towns — sister cities
Heraklion is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
Location
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See also
- Centre for Technological Research of Crete
- European Network and Information Security Agency
- Foundation for Research & Technology - HellasFoundation for Research & Technology - HellasThe Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas is a research center in Greece, supervised by the Ministry for Education through its . It consists of seven research institutes, which are located in various cities of Greece: Heraklion, Rethymno, Patras and Ioannina...
- Handakos StreetHandakos StreetHandakos Street is a pedestrianised street in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It has been a busy thoroughfare since antiquity. The street, which goes down to the sea, specialises in niche shops and cafés....
- Lions Square
- Minoan civilizationMinoan civilizationThe Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
- Siege of CandiaSiege of CandiaThe Siege of Candia was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city and were ultimately victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it was the longest siege in history.-Background:...
(1648–1669) - TEI of CreteTEI of CreteLocated in Heraklion, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete was founded in 1983 to provide higher technological education to the students of Greece. According to laws Ν.2916/2001, Ν.3549/2007, Ν.3685/2008, Ν.3794/2009, it is a higher educational institute...
- University of CreteUniversity of CreteThe University of Crete ' is the principal higher education institution on the island of Crete, Greece.The University of Crete, is a multi-disciplinary, research- oriented institution, located in the cities of Rethymno and Heraklion...
External links
- Municipality of Heraklion
- Heraklion: a city through the ages
- Heraklion Information about the city of Heraklion by the TEI of CreteTEI of CreteLocated in Heraklion, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete was founded in 1983 to provide higher technological education to the students of Greece. According to laws Ν.2916/2001, Ν.3549/2007, Ν.3685/2008, Ν.3794/2009, it is a higher educational institute...
- Heraklion The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation
