Heraklion

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For other uses, see Heraklion (disambiguation).
Heraklion
The Venetian fortress of Rocca al Mare (1523–1540) guards the inner harbor of Heraklion.
The Venetian fortress of Rocca al Mare (1523–1540) guards the inner harbor of Heraklion.
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Seal
Heraklion is located in Greece
Heraklion
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Location within the region
2011 Dimos Irakliou.png
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Country Greece
Administrative region Crete
Regional unit Heraklion
Districts Nea Alikarnassos, Gazi
Government
 • Mayor Vasilios Labrinos
Area
 • Municipality 120 km2 (50 sq mi)
Highest elevation 33 m (108 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Municipality 173,993
 • Municipality density 1,400/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
Community
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 70x xx, 71x xx, 720 xx
Area code(s) 281
Vehicle registration HK, HP
Website www.heraklion-city.gr

Heraklion (/hᵻˈrækliən/, Greek: Ηράκλειο, Irákleio, pronounced [iˈracʎo]) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is one of the largest cities in Greece. According to the results of the 2011 census, the population of the city was 173,993 inhabitants while the Heraklion urban area has a population of 225,574 and it extends over an area of 684.3 km2 (264.2 sq mi).

Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion regional unit.

The Bronze Age palace of Knossos, also known as the Palace of Minos, is located nearby.

Names

The Arab raiders from Andalusia (Iberia) who founded the Emirate of Crete moved the island's capital from Gortyna to a new castle they called ربض الخندق rabḍ al-ḫandaq 'Castle of the Moat' in the 820s.[2] This was hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Khándax) or Χάνδακας (Khándakas) and Latinized as Candia, which was taken into other European languages: in Italian and Latin as Candia, in French as Candie, in English as Candy, all of which could refer to the island of Crete as a whole as well as to the city alone; the Ottoman name was Kandiye.

After the Byzantine reconquest, the city was locally known as Megalo Kastro (Μεγάλο Κάστρο, 'Big Castle' in Greek) or Castro and its inhabitants were called Kastrinoi or Castrini ('castle-dwellers' in Greek).

The ancient name Ηράκλειον was revived in the 19th century[3] and comes from the nearby Roman port of Heracleum ("Heracles's city"), whose exact location is unknown. English usage formerly preferred the classicizing transliterations "Heraklion" or "Heraclion", but the form "Iraklion" is becoming more common.

History

The snake goddess (c.1600 BCE) in Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as early as 2000 BC.

Founding

The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 by the Saracens who had been expelled from Al-Andalus by Emir Al-Hakam I and had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. They built a moat around the city for protection, and named the city ربض الخندق, rabḍ al-ḫandaq ("Castle of the Moat"). 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

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Further information: Byzantine Greece
St. Matthew of the Sinaites Byzantine church

In 961, Byzantine forces under the command of Nikephoros Phokas, later to become Emperor, landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town was renamed Χάνδαξ, Chandax, and remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.

Venetian era

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Further information: Kingdom of Candia
Α part of the Venetian harbour (used as shipyards).
The arsenal

In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of Venice as part of a complicated political deal which involved, among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade 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 40 m thick, with 7 bastions, and a fortress in the harbour. Chandax was renamed Candia and became the seat of the Duke of Candia, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became known as "regno di Candia" (kingdom of Candia). The city retained the name of Candia for centuries and the same name was often used to refer to the whole island of Crete as well. To secure their rule, Venetians began in 1212 to settle families from Venice on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of Italian Renaissance led to a flourishing of letters and the arts in Candia and Crete in general, that is today known as the Cretan Renaissance.

Ottoman era

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Further information: Siege of Candia
Depiction of the Siege of Candia
The Ottoman Vezir Mosque (1856), built on the site of the church of St Titus, and now the basilica of St Titus.

After the Venetians came the Ottoman Empire. During the Cretan War (1645–1669), the Ottomans besieged the city for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, perhaps the longest siege in history. 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.[4] The Ottoman army under an Albanian grand vizier, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669. Under the Ottomans, the city was known officially as Kandiye (again also applied to the whole island of Crete) but informally in Greek as Megalo Castro (Μεγάλο Κάστρο; "Big Castle"). During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania in the west of the island.

Modern era

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 (1898–1908), Candia was part of the British zone. At this time, the city was renamed "Heraklion", after the Roman port of Heracleum ("Heracles' city"), whose exact location is unknown.

In 1913, with the rest of Crete, Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece. Heraklion became capital of Crete in 1971, replacing Chania.[5]

Architecture and urban sculpture

Detail of the fountain in Lions Square.
The Venetian loggia (1626–28).
Agios Minas Cathedral in honour of Saint Menas, patron saint of the city.

At the port of the city dominate the Venetian constructions, such as the Koules Fortress (Rocca al Mare), the ramparts and the arsenal.

Around the city can be found several sculptures, statues and busts commemorating significant events and figures of the city's and island's history, like El Greco, Vitsentzos Kornaros, Nikos Kazantzakis and Eleftherios Venizelos.

Also, 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).

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:[6]

Transportation

Port

View of the port

Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. Travellers can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to destinations including Santorini, Ios Island, Paros, Mykonos, and Rhodes. There are also several daily ferries to Piraeus, the port of Athens in mainland Greece.

Airport

Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about 5 kilometres (3 miles) east of the city. The airport is named after Heraklion native Nikos Kazantzakis, a writer and philosopher. It is the second busiest airport of Greece, because of Crete being a major holiday destination.

The airfield is shared with the 126 Combat Group of the Hellenic Air Force.

Highway network

European route E75 runs through the city and connects Heraklion with the three other major cities of Crete: Agios Nikolaos, Chania, and Rethymno.

Public transit

There are a number of buses serving the city (more information visit [1]) and connecting it to many major destinations in Crete.

Railway

From 1922 to 1937, there was a working industrial railway, which connected the Koules in Heraklion to Xiropotamos, for the construction of the harbor.

A study from the year 2000 investigated the feasibility for two tram lines in Heraklion. The first line would link the Stadium to the airport, and the second the center of Heraklion and Knossos. No approval has yet been given for this proposal.

In the summer of 2007, at the Congress of Cretan emigrants, held in Heraklion, two qualified engineers, George Nathenas (from Gonies, Malevizi Province) and Vassilis Economopoulos, recommended the development of a railway line in Crete, linking Chania, Rethymnon and Heraklion, with a total journey time of 50 minutes (30 minutes between Heraklion and Rethymnon, 20 minutes from Chania to Rethymnon) and with provision for extensions to Kissamos, Kastelli Pediados (for the planned new airport), and Aghios Nikolaos. No plans exist for implementing this idea.

Panoramic view of the old harbour.
Panoramic view of the harbour.

Climate

Heraklion has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate (Csa in the Koeppen climate classification). Summers are warm to hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. Winters are very mild with moderate rain. Because Heraklion is further south than Athens, it has a milder climate.

Climate data for Heraklion 1961–1990
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 24.7
(76.5)		 26.2
(79.2)		 29.4
(84.9)		 34.5
(94.1)		 38.0
(100.4)		 41.3
(106.3)		 41.0
(105.8)		 42.0
(107.6)		 39.5
(103.1)		 35.7
(96.3)		 31.2
(88.2)		 28.5
(83.3)		 42
(107.6)
Average high °C (°F) 15.2
(59.4)		 15.5
(59.9)		 16.8
(62.2)		 20.2
(68.4)		 23.5
(74.3)		 27.3
(81.1)		 28.6
(83.5)		 28.4
(83.1)		 26.4
(79.5)		 23.1
(73.6)		 20.1
(68.2)		 17.0
(62.6)		 21.9
(71.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.6
(54.7)		 12.8
(55)		 13.8
(56.8)		 16.6
(61.9)		 19.7
(67.5)		 23.7
(74.7)		 25.7
(78.3)		 25.6
(78.1)		 23.4
(74.1)		 20.3
(68.5)		 17.4
(63.3)		 14.5
(58.1)		 18.9
(66)
Average low °C (°F) 10.0
(50)		 10.0
(50)		 10.8
(51.4)		 13.0
(55.4)		 15.9
(60.6)		 20.0
(68)		 22.7
(72.9)		 22.7
(72.9)		 20.3
(68.5)		 17.5
(63.5)		 14.7
(58.5)		 12.0
(53.6)		 15.8
(60.4)
Record low °C (°F) 1.2
(34.2)		 1.4
(34.5)		 3.3
(37.9)		 6.4
(43.5)		 8.0
(46.4)		 13.2
(55.8)		 16.2
(61.2)		 16.6
(61.9)		 13.5
(56.3)		 9.7
(49.5)		 6.4
(43.5)		 3.4
(38.1)		 1.2
(34.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 91.5
(3.602)		 77.4
(3.047)		 57.4
(2.26)		 30.0
(1.181)		 15.2
(0.598)		 3.2
(0.126)		 1.0
(0.039)		 0.7
(0.028)		 19.5
(0.768)		 68.8
(2.709)		 58.8
(2.315)		 77.1
(3.035)		 500.6
(19.709)
Average precipitation days 10.1 9.1 6.9 3.4 1.9 0.5 0.1 0.1 1.3 4.9 6.0 8.9 53.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 117.8 124.7 176.7 228.0 300.7 351.0 372.0 347.2 282.0 198.4 150.0 120.9 2,769.4
Source: Hong Kong Observatory[7] NOAA (extremes)[8]
Sea temperature[9]
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
16 °C (61 °F) 15 °C (59 °F) 15 °C (59 °F) 16 °C (61 °F) 19 °C (66 °F) 22 °C (72 °F) 24 °C (75 °F) 25 °C (77 °F) 24 °C (75 °F) 22 °C (72 °F) 20 °C (68 °F) 18 °C (64 °F) 19.7 °C (67.5 °F)

Colleges, universities, libraries, and research centers

View of the port from the fortress
Bust of Nicolas Kitsikis, builder of the port of Herakleion (1921)

Culture

The Phaistos disk (2nd millennium BC) in Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
Natural History Museum of Crete
Pankritio Stadium

Museums

Sports

The city hosts three football clubs, Ergotelis FC, OFI Crete and Atsalenios aw well another clubs in various sports. The main club of Heraklion (not included the suburb Nea Alikarnassos) are:

Sport clubs based in Heraklion
Club Founded Sports Achievements
OFI Crete 1926 Football , Basketball Greek football cup, 2nd Place at A Ethniki
Heraklion B.C. 1928 Basketball Earlier presence in A1 Ethniki
Ergotelis FC 1929 Football , Basketball Presence in A Ethniki
Atsalenios 1951 Football Presence in Gamma Ethniki

Famous natives

Marcus Musurus (left) and Nicholas Kalliakis (right) were two significant Renaissance humanists, scholars and philosophers from Heraklion.[10]
El Greco (Dominikos Theotokopoulos)
Cyril Lucaris
Epitaph on Nikos Kazantzakis' grave. I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I'm free.

Heraklion has been the home town of some of Greece's most significant spirits, including the novelist Nikos Kazantzakis (perhaps best known for his novel Zorba the Greek), the poet and Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis and the world-famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco).

Literature

Scientists and scholars

Painting and sculpture

Film industry

Music

Sports

Business

Politics

Law

Clergy

Fashion

Local TV stations

International relations

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece
File:Region of Crete offices at Heraklion.JPG
Prefecture of Crete

Consulates

Twin towns and sister cities

Heraklion is twinned with:

Location

     Fira     
 Chania – Rethymno  Brosen windrose.svg  Agios Nikolaos    
 Tympaki – Moires   Archanes    Ierapetra 

Gallery

See also

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Encyclopaedia of Islam, s.v. Iķrīṭish
  3. ↑ it was in use by the local people by 1867, see Samuel Gridley Howe, The Cretan refugees and their American helpers, 1867 [3]
  4. ↑ The War for Candia
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
  7. ↑ "Climatological Information for Iraklion, Greece" – Hong Kong Observatory
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Iraklion Climate – weather2travel.com
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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