Cathedral Holy Temple of Saint Titus

The Cathedral of Saint Titus is one of the holiest sites in Crete. It was a Catholic church during Venetian rule (from the 13th century). In 1669, when the Turks took Crete, it was turned into a mosque. After Crete was freed from Turkish rule, the building became an Orthodox church in 1925. The head relic of Saint Titus, which had been taken to Venice in the 17th century, was brought back to Crete in 1966.

A magical palimpsest of Ottoman and Greek architecture and history. A must see for all who visit Herakleion. Human proportioned, yet majestic. A symphony of the ordinary and the sacred. Stunning craftsmanship shapes the wooden sanctuary walls, chandelier and furniture, whilst daylight filtered through the stained glass Ottoman windows, paints the Christian saints in transcendent hues. Truly beautiful. A memory of an innocent childhood, a Memento Mori, and an epiphany. The golden, bejewelled encrusted reliquary containing St Titus's skull a reminder of Venice's departure from the Kingdom of Candia... Herakleion...oh Herakleion, thank you. Yours forever.

Beautiful bassillica right in the city centre. Beautiful inside and out. Amazing relics on show. Peaceful

Magnificent cathedral that is definitely worth seeing. Very well maintained, allowing for a brief moment of tranquilly. Remembering that this is a place of prayer is crucial, and you should dress and behave appropriately. The area around the cathedral is also really charming; there's a beautiful square where you may unwind and listen to the soft splashing of the fountain.

Really lovely church. Lovely decorations and historic pictures.

Beautiful church in the heart of Heraklion Saint Titus skull is held here! It is so calming and relaxing going in for a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city! We also passed by at night and this is when the stained glass windows come to life with all the light from inside the church! Beautiful!!!

Probably the oldest church in Heraklion, the initial building was erected in the 10th century after the reconquest of Crete by the Byzantine General Nikiforos Fokas in 961 AD. The church was destroyed twice by earthquake and once by fire in the 14th and 15th century. It was rebuilt without any architectural changes and lived on as the main Catholic Church in Heraklion. Prominent locals were buried in the churchyard during the Byzantine, Venetian and Turkish period. As soon as the town fell to the Turks, the church was converted into a mosque. After the last destruction by the 1856 earthquake, the church was rebuilt from scratch by the architect K. Mousi as it stands today. It was concluded in 1872, a building of neoclassical nature with intense eclecticism and many oriental features as it was initially intended to be a mosque. Titus was St. Paul’s disciple, the first bishop on Crete and guardian of the island. Titus’ skull was given back by the Venetians and is kept in a small chapel to the north of the nave kept in a mitre.

Rating: 4/5 Price: 5/5 Attraction: 4/5 Entertainment: 3/5 Time: 3/5 Type of entertainment: introverted Short: - it is free to enter, you can’t beat free. - the church is beautiful with making wood work, candles, decorations, stained glass and paintings. - just a church beautiful not super entertaining, however very beautiful. - there isn’t much that happened there when I was there, so no more than 10 mins for me. It’s just a church that is very pretty. Details: there is a gift shop. I would recommend going to the church of agios minas over this church as it is a lot more beautiful, and it’s only 10 mins away.