Agios Titos (St. Titus)
The church of St. Titus was the largest and most magnificent church in the city during the 2nd Byzantine era, serving as the Metropolis of the Diocese of Crete. During the era of Venetian rule, it served as the seat of the Latin Archbishop, while during the Ottoman era, it was converted into a mosque, with the belfry being converted into a minaret.
In its initial form, when it was inaugurated in 1446, the church was a wooden-roofed three-aisled basilica. It was destroyed during the earthquake of 1856 and its reconstruction lasted from 1869 to 1925. It currently stands in the form of a domed basilica, almost square in shape, with its three aisles being separated by two archways. The relics kept at the church include the Head of St. Titus, which was translated there from St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.
