Basilica
Church of Agios Thomas
The settlement of Agios Thomas, built in a privileged location, 30 kilometres to the south of the city of Heraklion, preserves a large number of churches in relation to its size. The three-aisled church with a domed narthex of St. Thomas from which the settlement took its name dominates the centre of the settlement. Its […]
Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary
The nave of the Cathedral is dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin to the Temple, while the two aisles are dedicated to Saint Nicholas and the Three Holy Hierarchs. An earlier church of the Venetian period existed on the same site, which was transformed into a soap factory during the Turkish rule. The building […]
Agios Myron (St. Myron)
The impressive church of St. Myron holds a conspicuous position at the west of the village named after it. The church was the seat of an Orthodox Diocese from the Early Byzantine era to the era of Venetian rule. It was initially an Early Christian basilica that was converted in the 11th-12th century into a […]
Panagia ton Stavroforon (Mother Mary of the Crusaders)
The Mother Mary of the Crusaders is part of a Latin monastery of the Crusaders (Crosecchieri), the remaining structures of which no longer survive. It is a three-aisled basilica with an elevated nave. It was destroyed by German bombs during the Battle of Crete in 1941 and was restored in 1956.
Metropolitan Church of Agios Minas (St. Menas)
The big church of St. Menas, to the northeast of the small one, was built between 1862–1895 by a practical architect from Epirus, Athanasios Mousis, with frequent contributions of the monasteries and donations from hundreds of Christians, as can be noted from the church’s manuscript books of donations. It is an eclectic monument whose architectural […]
The Early Christian Basilicas of Agios Nikolaos at Chersonesos
In the modern settlement of Limenas at Chersonesos, which has been built atop the ancient city of Cherronesos, three basilicas have been discovered, indicative of the great prosperity of the settlement also during the early Byzantine period when it was the seat of the homonymous ancient diocese. Basilica A of St. Nicholas, as it was […]
Church of Agios Ioannis (St. John) (Liliano)
The Byzantine church of Agios Ioannis is a three-aisled basilica, with ogival arcs supported by columns bearing capitals of the Ionic order. The church, which dates back to the 12th – 13th century in its entirety, was erected using older structures, possible older churches, as building materials.
Agios Panteleimon (St. Pantaleon) (Bitzariano)
The Byzantine church of Agios Panteleimon, dating back to the 10th century, is a three-aisled basilica with two rows of colonnades. It is possible that, in antiquity, there was an Asclepeion at the site of the church. The aisles are dedicated to Saint Pantaleon, the Life-giving Font and Saint John. Few murals survive today, on […]
Koimisi tis Theotokou (Dormition of Mother Mary) (Panagia)
This is a 15th century three-aisled basilica dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary with many interesting construction details. The hamlet of Panagia, one of the best-preserved traditional villages in central Crete, was named after the church.
Early Christian Basilica
A short distance from the archaeological site of Gortyna and just outside the village of Mitropoli, there are the ruins of a magnificent Early Christian five-aisled basilica that was dedicated to Saint Titus. This is the largest known Early Christian basilica on Crete and one of the largest in Greece. Its grand size, the luxury […]
