Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of the island of

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

and capital of

Heraklion Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative capital city, capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion (regional unit), Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in G ...

regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

with a municipal population of 179,302 (2021) and 211,370 in its wider metropolitan area, according to the 2011 census. The greater area of Heraklion has been continuously inhabited since at least 7000 BCE, making it one of the oldest inhabited regions in Europe. It is also home to the ancient

Knossos Knossos (; , ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is a Bronze Age archaeological site in Crete. The site was a major centre of the Minoan civilization and is known for its association with the Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur. It is located on th ...

Palace, a major center of the

Minoan civilization The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. The ruins of the Minoan palaces at K ...

dating back to approximately 2000-1350 BCE, often considered Europe's oldest city. The palace is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece, second only to the

Parthenon The Parthenon (; ; ) is a former Ancient Greek temple, temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the Greek gods, goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of c ...

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

Etymology

The name Herakleion (Ηράκλειον) is derived from an ancient port of Heracleium that served as the harbour for

. The port, bearing the same name, was named in honour of the hero

Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

(Hercules). In antiquity, it was located about 20 stadia (approximately 3.7 kilometers) from Knossos.''

Stadiasmus Maris Magni The ''Stadiasmus Maris Magni'' or ''Stadiasmus sive Periplus Maris Magni'' () is an ancient Roman periplus or guidebook detailing the ports sailors encounter on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The ''stadiasmus'' provides distances, sailing ...

'' §§ 348–349.

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

also confirms the connection between the two. The site of the ancient port falls within the boundaries of the modern city, near today’s port area. Although ecclesiastical records do not list it as a bishopric, a bishop named Theodoros of Heracleopolis is mentioned at the

Second Council of Nicaea The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics and others. ...

. The name was revived in the 19th century and was in use by locals as early as 1867.

Other names

1. ''In antiquity'': The area that would later become the city of Heraklion served as the port for the ancient city of

, one of the centers of the Minoan civilization. This strategic location facilitated trade and communication across the Mediterranean. Over time, as Knossos declined, the port area grew in significance, eventually becoming a prominent urban center. 2. ''Rabḍ al-ḫandaq'' (ربض الخندق): In 824 CE, Arab exiles from

al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

(Iberia) who conquered Crete and founded the

Emirate of Crete The Emirate of Crete ( or , ; ) was an Arab Islamic state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to Siege of Chandax, the reconquest of the island by the Byzantine Empire in 961. Although the emirate recognized the ...

moved the island's capital from

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

to a new castle they called ''rabḍ al-ḫandaq'' ("Castle of the Moat"). 3. ''Chándax'' (Χάνδαξ) / ''Chándakas'' (Χάνδακας): The Arabic name ''rabḍ al-ḫandaq'' was Hellenized to Χάνδαξ (''Chándax'') or Χάνδακας (''Chándakas''). 4. ''Candia'': This name, derived from ''Chándax,'' was Latinized as ''Candia'' and adopted into other European languages: in

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

and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

as ''Candia'', in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

as ''Candía'', in French as ''Candie'', and in English as ''Candy''. These names could refer to the island of Crete as a whole as well as to the city alone; the Ottoman name for the city was ''Kandiye''. 5. ''Megalo Kastro'' (Μεγάλο Κάστρο): After the

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

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

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

) and its inhabitants were called ''Kastrinoi'' (Καστρινοί, "castle-dwellers").

History

Minoan era

Heraklion is home to the ruins of the palace of

, located in the southern periphery of the city and part of the Heraklion municipality. In

Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and Minoan art, energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. The ruins of the Minoan pa ...

times, Knossos was the largest centre of population on

and is considered by many to be the oldest city in Europe. Knossos itself had a port at the site of Heraklion (in the modern area of Poros-Katsambas neighborhood) from the beginning of the

Early Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and Minoan art, energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. The ruins of the Minoan pa ...

period (3500 to 2100 BC).

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 The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

times the area abounded with pirates and bandits.

Emirate of Crete

Heraklion was chosen as capital in 824, with fortifications starting being built the following year, by the

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

under Abu Hafs Umar who had been expelled from

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

by Emir

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

and had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

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

(–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,

forces under the command of

Nikephoros Phokas Nikephoros II Phokas (; – 11 December 969), Latinized Nicephorus II Phocas, was Byzantine emperor from 963 to 969. His career, not uniformly successful in matters of statecraft or of war, nonetheless greatly contributed to the resurgence of t ...

, 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

control for the next 243 years.

Venetian era

In 1204, the city was bought by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

as part of a complicated political deal which involved, among other things, the Crusaders of the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

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 thick, with seven bastions, and a fortress in the harbour. Chandax was renamed ''Candia'' and became the seat of the

Duke of Candia This is a list of rulers of the island of Crete throughout its history. Antiquity Crete was conquered for the Roman Republic by Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus in 69 BC and united with the Cyrenaica in the province of Creta et Cyrenaica unt ...

, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became known as "Regno di Candia" (

Kingdom of Candia The Realm or Kingdom of Candia (; ; ) or Duchy of Candia (; ; ) was the official name of Crete during the island's period as an Stato da Màr, overseas colony of the Republic of Venice, from the initial Venetian conquest in 1205–1212 to its fal ...

). The city retained the name of Candia for centuries and the same name was often used to refer to the whole

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

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

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

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

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

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

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

''.

Ottoman era

During the

Cretan War (1645–1669) The Cretan War (; ), also known as the War of Candia () or the fifth Ottoman–Venetian war, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies (chief among them the Knights of Malta, the Papal States and France) against the Ottoman ...

, 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 Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

grand vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

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

conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, ''Kandiye'' (

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...

قنديه) was the capital of Crete (''Girit Eyâleti'') until 1849, when

Chania Chania (, , ), also sometimes romanization of Greek, romanized as Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania (regional unit), Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno ...

(''Hanya'') became the capital, and Kandiye became a sancak.Tahir Sezen, ''Osmanlı Yer Adları'', Ankara 2017, T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü Yayın No: 2
''s.v.'', p. 410
In Greek, it was commonly called ''Megalo Castro'' (Μεγάλο Κάστρο 'Big Castle'). During the Ottoman period, the

harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...

silted up, so most shipping shifted to

in the west of the island.

Modern era

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

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

Cretan State The Cretan State (; ) was an autonomous state governing the island of Crete from 1898 to 1913, under ''de jure'' suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire but with ''de facto'' independence secured by European Great Powers. In 1897, the Cretan Revolt (18 ...

was created, under Ottoman

suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...

, with Prince George of Greece as its High Commissioner and under international supervision. During the period of direct occupation of the island by the Great Powers (1898–1908), Candia was part of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

zone. At this time the ancient name of "Heraklion" was revived. In 1913, with the rest of

, Heraklion was incorporated into the

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece (, Romanization, romanized: ''Vasíleion tis Elládos'', pronounced ) was the Greece, Greek Nation state, nation-state established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally ...

. Heraklion was severely damaged in the bombing campaign in May 1941 during the German invasion in the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...

. The city remained under German rule until 1945. Heraklion again became capital of Crete in 1971, replacing Chania. The city, and Crete generally, became a major tourist destination from the 1980s onwards.

Architecture, urban sculpture and fortifications

The oldest monument of architecture is the palace in

on the outskirts of the city. Two largest medieval churches in the city were the Dominican church of St. Peter (built between 1248 and 1253) and the San Salvatore, belonging to the

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

. The latter one stood in Kornaros Square, but was demolished in 1970. Other monuments of architecture from Venetian times include the

Saint Mark's Basilica The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (), commonly known as St Mark's Basilica (; ), is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cathed ...

and the Renaissance loggia next to Lions Square (1626–28). Around the historic city center of Heraklion there are also a series of defensive walls, bastions and other fortifications which were built earlier in the Middle Ages, but were completely rebuilt by the

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

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

in 1669. The

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

(''Castello a Mare''), the ramparts and the arsenal dominate the port area. 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 (1628). Architecture from the 19th century is represented by the St Titus Cathedral, built in 1869 as the Yeni Cami ("New Mosque"), and the

Agios Minas Cathedral The Agios Minas Cathedral () is a Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Heraklion, Greece, serving as the seat of the Archbishop of Crete. Ιt is dedicated to Saint Menas the martyr and wonderworker (285-309 A.D.), who is the patron saint of Heraklion. ...

(1862–95). An example of modern architecture in Heraklion is the

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

built between 1937 and 1940 by architect Patroklos Karantinos. Several sculptures, statues and busts commemorating significant events and figures of the city's and island's history, like

El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...

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

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis (; ; 2 March (Old Style and New Style dates, OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greeks, Greek writer, journalist, politician, poet and philosopher. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominate ...

and

Eleftherios Venizelos Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos (, ; – 18 March 1936) was a Cretan State, Cretan Greeks, Greek statesman and prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movement. As the leader of the Liberal Party (Greece), Liberal Party, Venizelos ser ...

can be found around the city. File:Knossos - North Portico 02.jpg,

Palace File:Άγιος Πέτρος των Δομηνικανών 8470.jpg, Dominican church of St. Peter File:Βασιλική του Αγίου Μάρκου 9276.jpg,

Saint Mark's basilica The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (), commonly known as St Mark's Basilica (; ), is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cathed ...

File:Kreta - Iraklion - Venezianische Loggia.jpg, Venetian Loggia File:2016-07-25 Heraklion 063.jpg, Morosini fountain in Lions Square File:Πύλη Παντοκράτορα Ηράκλειο 3583.jpg, Venetian walls, Pantokratoras Gate File:Sea Fortress (51759512842).jpg,

File:Iraklion Agios Titos R01.jpg, Saint Titus Cathedral File:Agios Minas Cathedral 01.jpg,

Municipality

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

Gorgolainis Gorgolainis () is a former municipality in the Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Heraklion Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city ...

* Heraklion *

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

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

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

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

Neighborhoods

Suburbs

Transportation

Port

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

Santorini Santorini (, ), officially Thira (, ) or Thera, is a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from the mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago formed by the Santorini caldera. It is the southern ...

Ios Island Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long and ...

Paros Paros (; ; ) is a Greek island in the central Aegean Sea. Part of the Cyclades island group, it lies to the west of Naxos (island), Naxos, from which it is separated by a channel about wide. It lies approximately south-east of Piraeus. The Co ...

Mykonos Mykonos (, ; ) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. At the 2021 census, there were 10,704 inhabitants, most of ...

, and

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

. There are direct ferries to

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

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

Kasos Kasos (; , ), also Casos, is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the regional unit Karpathos-Kasos. The capital of the island is Fri. , its population was 1,223. ...

Sitia Sitia (Latin language, Latin and Italian language, Italian) or Siteia (, ) is a port town and a municipality in Lasithi, Crete, Greece. The town has 11,166 inhabitants and the municipality has 20,438 (2021). It lies east of Agios Nikolaos, Cre ...

Anafi Anafi or Anaphe (; ) is a Greek island community in the Cyclades. In 2021, it had a population of 293. Its land area is . It lies east of the island of Thíra (Santorini). Anafi is part of the Thira regional unit. History According to mytholo ...

Chalki Halki ( ; alternatively ''Chalce'' or ''Chalki'') is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea, some west of Rhodes. It has an area of . It is part of the Rhodes regional unit. It has a permanent population ...

and Diafani. There are also several daily ferries to

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...

, the port of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in mainland Greece. The port of Heraklion was built by

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

and completed in 1928.

Airport

Heraklion International Airport Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a municipal population of 179 ...

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

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

Athens International Airport Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' , commonly initialised as AIA, is the largest international airport in Greece, serving the city of Athens and region of Attica. It began operation on 28 March 2001 (in time for the 2004 Su ...

, 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 This is a list of the 100 busiest airports in Europe, ranked by total passengers per year, including both terminal and transit passengers. Figures are usually updated in January or February as statistics for the previous year are released. This ...

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

Hellenic Air Force The Hellenic Air Force (HAF; , sometimes abbreviated as ΠΑ) is the air force of Greece (''Hellenic'' being the endonym for ''Greek'' in the Greek language). It is considered to be one of the largest air forces in NATO, and is globally placed 1 ...

Highway network

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

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

, and

Rethymno Rethymno (also Rethymnon; ) is a city in Greece on the island of Crete. It is the capital of Rethymno regional unit, and has a population of more than 35,000 inhabitants (nearly 40,000 for the municipal unit). It is believed to have been built ...

Public transit

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

Railway

From 1922 to 1937, a working industrial railway connected the Koules in Heraklion to Xiropotamos for the construction of the harbor. In the summer of 2007, at the Congress of Cretan emigrants held in Heraklion, two engineers, George Nathenas and Vassilis Economopoulos, recommended the development of a railway line in Crete, linking Chania, Rethymno, and Heraklion. No official plans exist for implementing this idea.

Climate

Heraklion has a hot-summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(''Csa'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

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

, it has a warmer climate during winter but cooler during summer because of the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some . In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea, which in turn con ...

. The maximum temperature during the summer period is usually not more than 28 - 30 °C (Athens normal maximum temperature is about 5 °C higher). The minimum temperature record is -0.8 °C in the airport while in the port it has never dropped below 0 °C. Snowfalls are rare with the last significant snowfall with a measurable amount on the ground occurring in February 2004. Heraklion falls in 11a

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

Educational and Research Institutions

University of Crete The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion. There are 16 main undergraduate ...

* Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) (Former TEI) * MBS College * Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas *

Nicolas Kitsikis Nicolas Kitsikis (; August 14, 1887 – July 26, 1978) was a Greek civil engineer and politician. He was a top civil engineer of 20th century Greece, and father of Beata Maria Kitsikis Panagopoulos, and Dimitri Kitsikis. He served as professor an ...

Library * Vikelaia Library *

3rd High School of Heraklion Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...

5th High School of Heraklion Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...

Culture

Museums

Cretaquarium Cretaquarium (, ''Enidrio Kritis''), also known as Thalassocosmos (, "sea world"), is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklion. History The Cretaquarium project was conceived by ...

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

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

* The Battle of Crete and National Resistance Museum *

Nikos Kazantzakis Museum The Nikos Kazantzakis Museum is a museum in Myrtia, Heraklion, Myrtia village in the Heraklion (regional unit), Heraklion regional unit of Crete, in Greece. It is 20 km south of the town of Heraklion and it is dedicated to the life and work o ...

* Collection of Agia Aikaterini of Sinai * Museum of Visual Arts

Arts

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

Sports

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

Ergotelis Ergotelis Football Club () is a Greek professional Association football, football club based in Heraklion, Crete, which competes in the Heraklion Football Clubs Association, FCA Heraklion A1, the fourth tier of the Greek football league system, ...

, two

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

clubs with earlier presence in the

Greek Superleague The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...

, the top tier of the

Greek football league system The Greek football league system consists of two professional leagues, one nationwide non-professional league and several regional non-professional leagues. Cup eligibility Greek Football Professional Cup: Levels 1 to 2 Greek Football Ama ...

. Furthermore, the city is the headquarters of the

Heraklion Football Clubs Association The Heraklion Football Clubs Association ( or Ε.Π.Σ.Η.) is an association responsible for administering football in the region of Heraklion. It is based in the city of Heraklion and is a member of the Hellenic Football Federation. The associ ...

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

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

(

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

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

respectively.

Local TV stations

* Channel 4 * Creta Channel *

Kriti TV CreteTV () is a Greek regional television station, based in Heraklion Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative capital city, capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion (reg ...

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

Notable people

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

(best known for ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' (, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek intellectual who ventures to escape his bookish life with the aid of the boisterous and m ...

''), the poet and Nobel Prize winner

Odysseas Elytis Odysseas Elytis (; , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudelis, ; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as the definitive exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. He is one ...

and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (

Literature

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

(1911–1996) Nobel awarded poet * Tess Fragoulis, Greek-Canadian author * Rea Galanaki (born 1947) author *

Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi (1749, in Kandiye (Heraklion) – 29 October 1798, in Berlin) was a late-18th century Ottoman ambassador and author. He is best known for his novel "Muhayyelât" (''Imaginations''), a unique work of fiction blending pers ...

(1749–1798), author and diplomat *

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

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

, (1485–1542) author and travel writer, recorded the Spanish Conquest of the Americas * Stephanos Sahlikis (1330 – after 1391) poet * Lili Zografou (1922–1998) author

Scientists and academia

Nicholas Kalliakis Nicholas Kalliakis (, ''Nikolaos Kalliakis''; ; ; c. 1645 - 8 May 1707) was a Cretan 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 Gre ...

(1645–1707)

Cretan

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

and

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Niccolò Comneno Papadopoli Niccolò Comneno Papadopoli (, ''Nikólaos Komninós Papadópoulos''; 6 January 1655 on Crete – 20 January 1740 in Padua) was an Italian lawyer and historian of Greek origin. Life He was born to Zuanne (Giovanni) Papadopoli, a Greco-Republ ...

(1655–1740) lawyer, historian and librarian * Andreas Musalus ()

Cretan professor of mathematics, philosopher and architectural theorist *

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

(1537–1604) mathematician and astronomer * Joseph Solomon Delmedigo (1591–1655) rabbi, author, physician, mathematician and musical theorist * Fotis Kafatos biologist, President of the European Research Council * Spyros Kokotos (1933–present) architect * Marcus Musurus (Markos Mousouros) (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher * Peter of Candia also known as Antipope Alexander V: philosopher and scholar * Joseph Sifakis (1946–present) computer scientist, co-recipient of the 2007 Turing Award * Michael N. Katehakis (1952–present) applied mathematician and operations researcher at Rutgers University * Gerasimos Vlachos (1607–1685), scholar * Simone Stratigo ( 1733–1824), Greek mathematician and an Nautical science expert, whose family was from Heraklion (Candia)

Painting and sculpture

* Theophanes the Cretan, Theophanes ( 1500–1559) painter of icons * Michael Damaskinos (1530/35–1592/93) painter of icons * Georgios Klontzas (1535–1608) painter *

(1541–1614) mannerist painter, sculptor and architect * Yiannis Parmakelis (born 1932), sculptor * Andreas Ritzos (1422–1492) painter of icons * Aristidis Vlassis (1947–2015) painter * Konstantinos Volanakis (1837–1907) painter

Film industry

* Rika Diallina (born 1934), actress and model, Miss Hellas * Ilya Livykou (1919–2002), actress * Sapfo Notara (1907–1985), actress * Yannis Smaragdis (born 1946), film director

Music

* Rena Kyriakou (1918–1994) pianist * Francisco Leontaritis (Francesco Londarit) (1518–1572) composer * Giannis Markopoulos (born 1939) composer *Myron Michailidis (born 1968) conductor * Manolis Rasoulis (1945–2011) lyrics writer * Notis Sfakianakis (born 1959) singer * Lena Platonos, pianist Francesco barozzi

Spirituality

* Maria Papapetros - psychic, spiritual healer, spiritual consultant

Sports

* Kyle Hamilton (born 2001), American football player * Nikos Machlas (born 1973), footballer * Georgios Samaras (born 1985), footballer * Greg Massialas (born 1956), American fencer * Michalis Karlis (born 2003), basketball player * Giorgos Giakoumakis (born 1994), footballer

Business

* Constantine Corniaktos (1517–1603) wine merchant and wealthiest man in the Eastern European city of Lviv * Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (born 1955) business woman, lawyer and politician

Politics and law

* Emin Ali Bedir Khan (1851–1926), Kurdish diplomat * Leonidas Kyrkos (1924–2011), politician * Aristidis Stergiadis (1861–1950) High Commissioner of Smyrna * Georgios Voulgarakis (born 1959) conservative politician * Romilos Kedikoglou (born 1940) President of the Court of Cassation of Greece

Clergy

* Maximos Margunios (1549–1602), bishop of Cyrigo (Kythira) * Cyril Lucaris, Kyrillos Loukaris (1572–1637) theologian, Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I * Meletius Pegas, List of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria, Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria * Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria, Theodore II (born 1954) Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa * Peter Phillarges ( 1339–1410) (also Pietro Di Candia, later Pope Alexander V) * Makarios Griniezakis (born 1973) Greek Orthodox Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia * Arsenios Kardamakis (born 1973) Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary Marcus Musurus 02

Fashion

* Maria Spiridaki (1984) fashion model and television presenter

International relations

Consulates

Twin towns and sister cities

Heraklion is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Limassol, Cyprus * Constanța, Romania (1992) * Odesa, Ukraine (1992) * Toledo, Spain, Toledo, Spain (2017) * Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (2018) * Tampa, United States (2019) * Čukarica, Serbia (2019) * Ningbo, China (2019)

Location

Gallery

File:Herklionview.jpg, View of the port from the fortress File:Boats in the harbour - Heraklion, Crete.jpg, View of the port File:Venetian Arsenals in Heraklion Crete.jpg, The harbour File:Gran muralla a Herakleion2.jpg, Α part of the Venetian harbour (used as shipyards) File:Δίσκος της Φαιστού πλευρά Α 6380.JPG, The Phaistos Disk (2nd millennium BC) in

File:Konrad von Grünenberg - Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem - Blatt 19v-20r.jpg, Depiction of Candia, 1487 File:Idomeneas fountain 4050559.JPG, Idomeneas fountain File:Jesus Gate, Heraklio 7153543.JPG, Jesus Gate, part of the Fortifications of Heraklion File:Chanioporta and Pantokratoras Gate.JPG, Chanioporta and Pantokratoras Gate File:Bebo fountain 5142853.JPG, Bembo fountain File:Αγία Αικατερίνη των Σιναϊτών 7392.jpg, Saint Catherine Church File:Vue du siege de Candie en 1669.jpg, Depiction of the Siege of Candia File:St Matthew of the Sinaites 5313056.JPG, ''St. Matthew of the Sinaites'' Byzantine church File:Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium 2019.jpg, Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, home ground of OFI FC File:Κούλες 15.jpg, Interior of the Fortress File:A monk shows the Cretan Saracens where to build Chandax.jpg, A monk shows the Saracens where to build Chandax File:Candia III.jpg, Map of Heraklion and its fortifications in 1651 File:Minoan fresco depicting a bull leaping scene, found in Knossos, 1600-1400 BC, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete (30547636456).jpg, Minoan fresco depicting a bull leaping scene, found in Knossos, 1600-1400 BC, Heraklion Archaeological Museum

References

External links

*
Municipality of Heraklion

Heraklion information

Heraklion
- The Greek National Tourism Organization
Vikelaia Library
- Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, The National Library of Israel, i
Historic Cities
{{Authority control Heraklion, 824 establishments Greek prefectural capitals Greek regional capitals Municipalities of Crete Populated places in Heraklion (regional unit) Populated places established in the 9th century Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Port cities of the Aegean Sea Fortified settlements 9th-century establishments in Greece

Etymology

Other names

History

Minoan era

Antiquity

Emirate of Crete

Byzantine era

Venetian era

Ottoman era

Modern era

Architecture, urban sculpture and fortifications

Municipality

Neighborhoods

Suburbs

Transportation

Port

Airport

Highway network

Public transit

Railway

Climate

Educational and Research Institutions

Culture

Museums

Arts

Sports

Local TV stations

Notable people

Literature

Scientists and academia

Painting and sculpture

Film industry

Music

Spirituality

Sports

Business

Politics and law

Clergy

Fashion

International relations

Consulates

Twin towns and sister cities

Location

Gallery

See also

References

External links