Heraklion, Crete, Greece

History | Antiquity | Emirate of Crete | Byzantine era | Venetian era | Ottoman era | Modern era | Architecture, urban sculpture and fortifications | Municipality | Neighborhoods | Suburbs | Villages | Transport : Sea : Air | Highway network | Public transit | Transport : Rail | Colleges, universities, libraries, and research centers | Museums | Arts | Sport | TV stations | Consulates

🇬🇷 Heraklion or Iraklion (Ηράκλειο, Irákleio) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece.

The Bronze Age palace of Knossos, also known as the Palace of Minos, is located 5.5 km (3.1m) south-east of the city.

Heraklion was Europe's fastest growing tourism destination for 2017, according to Euromonitor, with an 11.2% growth in international arrivals. According to the ranking, Heraklion was ranked as the 20th most visited region in Europe, as the 66th area on the planet and as the 2nd in Greece for the year 2017, with 3.2 million visitors and the 19th in Europe for 2018, with 3.4 million visitors.

History Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. Knossos had a port at the site of Heraklion (in the Poros-Katsambas neighborhood) from the beginning of the Early Minoan period (3500 to 2100 BC). Between 1600 and 1525 BC, the port was destroyed by a volcanic tsunami from nearby Santorini, leveling the region and covering it with ash.

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

Emirate of Crete The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 by the Arabs under Abu Hafs Umar 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 rabḍ al-ḫandaq (ربض الخندق, "Castle of the Moat", hellenized as Χάνδαξ, Chandax). It became the capital of the Emirate of Crete (c. 827–961). The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial (Byzantine) shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.

Byzantine era In 960, Byzantine 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 in March 961. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town remained under Byzantine control for the next 243 years.

Venetian era In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of Venice 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, the Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of the 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.

Ottoman era During the Cretan War (1645–1669), the Ottomans besieged the city for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, the longest siege in history up until that time. In its final phase, which lasted for 22 months, 70,000 Turks, 38,000 Cretans and slaves and 29,088 of the city's Christian defenders perished. The Ottoman army under an Albanian grand vizier, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669.

Under the Ottomans, Kandiye (Ottoman Turkish قنديه) was the capital of Crete (Girit Eyâleti) until 1849, when Chania (Hanya) became the capital, and Kandiye became a sancak. In Greek, it was commonly called Megalo Castro (Μεγάλο Κάστρο 'Big Castle').

During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania in the west of the island.

Modern era An earthquake located off the northern coast of Crete on October 12, 1856, destroyed most of the over 3,600 homes in the city. Only 18 homes were left intact. The disaster claimed 538 victims in Heraklion.

In 1898, the autonomous Cretan State was created, under Ottoman suzerainty, 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. Heraklion became again capital of Crete in 1971, replacing Chania.

Architecture, urban sculpture and fortifications Venetian constructions such as the Koules Fortress (Castello a Mare), the ramparts and the arsenal dominate the port area.

Several sculptures, statues and busts commemorating significant events and figures of the city's and island's history, like El Greco, Vitsentzos Kornaros, Nikos Kazantzakis and Eleftherios Venizelos can be found around the city.

Many fountains of the Venetian era are preserved, such as the Bembo fountain, the Priuli fountain, Palmeti fountain, Sagredo fountain and Morosini fountain (in Lions Square).

After the St Titus Cathedral, the two largest medieval churches in the city were San Salvatore, belonging to the Augustinian Friars, and San Francesco, belonging to the Franciscans. San Salvatore stood in Kornaros Square and was demolished in 1970.

Around the historic city centre of Heraklion there are also a series of defensive walls, bastions and other fortifications which were built earlier in the Middle Ages, but were completely rebuilt by the Republic of Venice. The fortifications managed to withstand the longest siege in history for 21 years, before the city fell to the Ottomans in 1669.

Municipality The municipality Heraklion was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units: • Gorgolainis • Heraklion • Nea Alikarnassos • Paliani • Temenos

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

Neighborhoods • Agia Ekaterini • Dimokratias • Marathitis • Agia Erini Chrisovalantou • Estavromenos • Mastabas • Agia Marina • Filothei • Mesabelies • Agia Triada • Fortetsa • Mpentevi • Agios Dimitrios • Ilioupoli • Nea Alatsata • Agios Ioannis Chostos • Kamaraki • Pananio • Agios Minas • Kaminia • Papatitou Metochi • Agios Titos • Katsampas • Pateles • Akadimia • Kenouria Porta • Poros • Ampelokipoi • Kipoupoli • Therissos • Analipsi • Komeno Mpenteni • Tris Vagies • Atsalenio • Korakovouni • Xiropotamos • Chanioporta • Koroni Magara • Chrisopigi • Knossos • Dilina • Lido

Suburbs • Agia Erini • Finikia • Ksirokabos • Agia Marina • Gazi urban area • Malades • Agioi Theodoroi • Giofyrakia • Nea Alikarnassos urban area • Agios Syllas • Gournes Temenous • Sillamos • Ammoudara • Kallithea • Skafidaras • Amnisos • Karteros • Skalani • Ano Kalesia • Kato Kalesia • Vasilies • Athanati • Kavrochori • Voutes • Dafnes • Kollyvas

Villages • Psari Forada

Transport: Sea Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. Travellers can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to destinations including Santorini, Ios Island, Paros, Mykonos, and Rhodes. There are direct ferries to Naxos, Karpathos, Kasos, Sitia, Anafi, Chalki and Diafani. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus, the port of Athens in mainland Greece. The port of Heraklion was built by Sir Robert McAlpine and completed in 1928.

Transport: Air Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about 5 km (3 miles) east of the city. The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos Kazantzakis, a writer and a philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece after Athens International Airport, first in charter flights and the 59th busiest in Europe, because of Crete being a major holiday destination with 8,066,000 passengers in 2022 (List of the busiest airports in Europe).

The airfield is shared with the 126th Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force.

Highway network European route E75 runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos, Chania, and Rethymno.

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

Transport: Rail From 1922 to 1937, a working industrial railway connected the Koules in Heraklion to Xiropotamos for the construction of the harbor.

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

Colleges, universities, libraries, and research centers • University of Crete • Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) (Former TEI) • MBS College • Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas • Nicolas Kitsikis Library • Vikelaia Library

Museums • Heraklion Archaeological Museum • Cretaquarium • Historical Museum of Crete • Natural History Museum • The Battle of Crete and National Resistance Museum • Nikos Kazantzakis Museum • Collection of Agia Aikaterini of Sinai • Museum of Visual Arts

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

Sport The city is home to several sports clubs. Most notably, Heraklion hosts OFI and Ergotelis, two football clubs with earlier presence in the Greek Superleague, the top tier of the Greek football league system. Furthermore, the city is the headquarters of the Heraklion Football Clubs Association, which administers football in the entire region. Other notable sport clubs include Iraklio B.C. (basketball), Atsalenios (football) and Irodotos (football) in the suburbs of Atsalenio and Nea Alikarnassos respectively.

Notable Sport clubs based in Heraklion OFI; Ergotelis; Iraklio; Irodotos; Atsalenios.

TV stations • Channel 4 • Creta Channel • Kriti TV • MyTV.

Consulates • Austria • Belgium • Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Hungary • Republic of Ireland • Italy • Netherlands • Norway • Philippines • Poland • South Korea • United Kingdom.

Heraklion, Crete, Greece 

Heraklion has a population of over 140,730 people. Heraklion also forms the centre of the wider Heraklion District which has a population of over 211,370 people.

To set up a UBI Lab for Heraklion see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Heraklion is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Gastronomy see: https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities

Twin Towns, Sister Cities Heraklion has links with:

🇷🇴 Constanța, Romania 🇷🇸 Čukarica, Serbia 🇨🇾 Limassol, Cyprus 🇨🇳 Ningbo, China 🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia 🇺🇦 Odesa, Ukraine 🇺🇸 Tampa, USA 🇪🇸 Toledo, Spain 🇨🇳 Wuhan, China
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license

Antipodal to Heraklion is: -154.861,-35.329

Locations Near: Heraklion 25.1387,35.3292

🇬🇷 Herakleion 25.133,35.333 d: 0.7  

🇬🇷 Chania 24.013,35.519 d: 104.1  

🇬🇷 Saronikos 23.917,37.833 d: 299.1  

🇹🇷 Bodrum 27.43,37.035 d: 279.8  

🇬🇷 Glyfada 23.75,37.867 d: 308.2  

🇬🇷 Moschato-Tavros 23.75,37.9 d: 311.6  

🇬🇷 Elliniko-Argyroupoli 23.75,37.9 d: 311.6  

🇬🇷 Ilioupoli 23.75,37.933 d: 315  

🇬🇷 Alimos 23.717,37.917 d: 314.4  

🇬🇷 Agios Dimitrios 23.733,37.933 d: 315.5  

Antipodal to: Heraklion -154.861,-35.329

🇵🇫 Papeete -149.566,-17.537 d: 17968.6  

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa -175.216,-21.136 d: 17481.4  

🇦🇸 Pago Pago -170.701,-14.279 d: 17189.4  

🇼🇸 Apia -171.76,-13.833 d: 17087  

🇺🇸 Hilo -155.089,19.725 d: 13893.3  

🇺🇸 Maui -156.446,20.72 d: 13780.4  

🇺🇸 Maui County -156.617,20.868 d: 13763.5  

🇺🇸 Kahului -156.466,20.891 d: 13761.4  

🇺🇸 Wailuku -156.505,20.894 d: 13761  

🇺🇸 Honolulu -157.85,21.3 d: 13710.3  

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