Heraklion - City of Greece

Heraklion or Iraklion is the largest city and capital of Crete. It is also the fourth largest city in Greece.

Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion Prefecture, with an international airport named after the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. The ruins of Knossos, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans, are nearby.

Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. This Bronze Age palace and human settlement has yielded significant archaeological finds that have given insights to the Minoan civilisation. It is likely that there was a port at Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC, although no archaeological recovery has been made of the port itself.

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 , Candia was part of the British zone. At this time the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman port of Heracleum , whose exact location is unknown.

With the rest of Crete, Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece in 1913. The biggest monument of the city is the Venetian medieval fortress Rocca al Mare located at the port.

Crete has a warm Mediterranean climate. Summers in the lowlands, are hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by a system of seasonal breezes. The mountain areas are much cooler, with considerable rain. Winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost and snow. Although Heraklion is further south than Athens, it has a milder climate

University of Crete
TEI of Crete
Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas

Museums:

-Heraklion Archaeological Museum

-Historical Museum of Crete

-Natural History Museum

-The Battle of Crete and National Resistance Museum

-Museum of The Saint Catherine's Monastery of Sinai

-Museum of Visual Arts

Heraklion has been the home town of some of Greece's most significant spirits, including the novelist Nikos Kazantzakis, the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis and the world-famous Greek painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos.