Venetian Fortress (Koules) of Iraklion The original name of the fortress was «Roca al mare», it was built by the Venetians, before the construction of the new walls. Itwas destroyed by the great earthquake of 1303 and took its final shape between 1523 and 1540. During the Turkish occupation, it served as a prison, in whose dungeons perished many revolutionists. The wall of the city ends up in this fortress. It is built with massive rocks and has two floors. The ground floor has a vaulted roof with large skylights. Thick walls divide the entire place in 26 lodgings, used as the residences of the Castellan, the captains and the officials, as well as warehouses. The upper parts as well as the minaret' s foundations are Turkish. Often, exhibitions and cultural shows are held there. On the second floor, there is a small theatre. This archaeological place receives many visitors.

St.Titos Churh

The Byzantines built the first church on the site around 962 A.D. and the Turks converted it into a mosque upon their arrival. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1856, it was rebuilt by the Turks as a mosque and later the Cretans converted it into a church. The church has contained the skull of Saint Titos since its return from Venice in 1966. The Venetians had taken the skull with them when the city fell to Turks in 1669.

Morosini Fountain

Designed in the same style as the Piazza San Marco in Venice, the highlight of the square is the Morosini Fountain, built in 1628 by the Venetians and named after the Venetian governor during that time. The lions on the fountain pre-date the rest of the structure by 100 years. The fountain was built to commemorate an impressive Venetian construction which brought drinking water to Iraklion from Mount Youktas, a distance of 15km. The aqueduct is still evident in Fortetsa and Karidaki (See Fortetsa). It is decorated with coat of arms and scenes from Greek mythology

St Minas Cathedral

Located in the center of the city this cathedral is one of the biggest in Greece,built in 1895 with beautifull frescoes,icons from 18th century is dominating the center of the city,and the square is build upon.

Co located is the old byzantine church of St.Ekaterini

Old Market

A blend of colors,scents and sounds in the old market place of Iraklion a must for the visitor to see,buy,fresh fruits,vegetables,artifacts ,wines or just sit on the traditional cafes and enjoy mixing with the crowd by sipping a Greek coffee

Nikos Kazantzakis Grave

One of the most profound Greek writers ,poets & philosophers Nikos Kazantzakis with creations like:Zorba the Greek ,The Last Temptation of Christ , Freedom and Death , The Greek Passion , and his autobiography Report to Greco to name a few..
In 28th of June 1956, in Vienna, he was awarded the International Peace Award.
He died in 1957 in Germany and is buried on the outskirts of Iraklion on top of the Venetian fort surrounding the city, Martinego.

All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owners. Opinions expressed in articles within this site are those of their owners and may not reflect the opinion of Sky Eye Travel.