Wahrzeichen & Altstadtviertel

Neratze Mosque

Rethymno, Rethymno · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Rethymno's minaret over the old town.

The Neratze mosque in the old town of Rethymno was originally a Venetian church of Santa Maria. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque by Gazi Hüseyin Pasha, and a tall minaret was added in 1890.

The minaret, with its two balconies, is one of the tallest and most beautiful in Crete and a symbol of the old town. Today the building is a music school and concert hall.

The building was originally an Augustinian monastery named Santa Maria. After the Ottoman conquest, it became the mosque of Gazi Hüseyin Pasha. After the population exchange of 1923 and the departure of the Muslim population, it was abandoned and later converted into a music school. Its minaret, one of the most beautiful in Crete, can sometimes be climbed for views over the old town.

Around Rethymno

Nearest town: Rethymno, about 1 km by road
Nearest airport: Chania airport (CHQ), about 45 km by road

Rethymno sits between the mountains and two seas, and it is the easiest region to combine with the rest of the island. Its old town and Fortezza are among the best preserved on Crete, with Venetian doorways, Ottoman wooden balconies and a long sandy beach right next to the centre. More about Rethymno