Museen Geheimtipp

Byzantine Collection of Heraklion

Heraklion, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Icons and church treasures in a Venetian basilica.

The Byzantine collection of Heraklion is shown in the church of Agia Ekaterini of Sinai, near the cathedral of Agios Minas. It includes icons, frescoes, manuscripts and wood carvings from the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods.

The highlight is a group of six icons by Michael Damaskinos, a master of the Cretan school of icon painting in the 16th century. His work combines the Byzantine tradition with Italian Renaissance influences.

It's a small but rich collection, best combined with a walk around the cathedral square.

The building itself is part of the story. In the 16th century this church was home to a famous school, where students learned theology, rhetoric and painting, and it is believed that El Greco trained here before leaving for Venice and Spain. Seeing the icons of Damaskinos, his contemporary, helps you understand where El Greco's art began. The museum is small, so half an hour to an hour is enough.

Around Heraklion

Nearest town: Heraklion, about 2 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 6 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion