Oplarhigou Lakerda 16, Ierapetra, Crete, Greece
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Holidays in Ierapetra Crete. A visitor's guide to Ierapetra city.

Ierapetra is built on the longest beach in Crete and it has the reputation of been the southernmost town in Europe. It has the largest population in Lasithi and is the fourth largest town in Crete. The temperature rarely drops below 13 C all year long,and it has the most hours of sunshine and lowest rainfall in Greece. Ierapetra has much to offer its visitors: Sandy beaches, rocky mountains, a unique fauna, excellent food – the world famous Cretan cuisine, significant archaeological and natural beauties.

The Archaeological Collection


The Ottoman school was built in 1899 after the liberation for the Turkish children. Today it is restored and it is used as an archaeological collection. The exhibits of the current collection cover the history of the greater Ierapetra region and date from the 3rd billenium B.C. until the 5th century A.D. The visitor has the opportunity to admire clay sarcophagi, pottery from various periods, inscriptions, coins and works of sculpture like the suberb statue of the peplophorus (wearing a "peplon") goddess Persephone, which dates to the 2nd century A.D.

 

Kales Fortress


Kales Fortress, the only surviving fort in southern Crete to be located in an urban center, is the trademark of Ierapetra. It was built by the Venetians on the northern sea wall of the port, to look out for enemy ships and protect the harbor from Arab pirates. 
According to some records, the castle was originally built in 1212 by a Genoese pirate called Enrico Pescatore, who sold it to the Venetians almost immediately afterward. It was a massive, yet simple rectangular structure made without any decorative works. During the tremendous earthquake of 1508, it suffered extensive damage but was strengthened in 1626 by Francesco Morosini. After the Turks took over Kales Fortress in 1647, they repaired it and included it in the defensive network with which they aimed to suppress the Cretan revolts. Its current name, Kales, actually dates from the Ottoman period and constitutes an altered form of the Turkish word “koules,” which means “fortress.”
Today, the fortress has been restored and hosts cultural events organized by the municipality of Ierapetra.

 

The Cathedral of St. Georgios

The Cathedral of St. Georgios. George - Ierapetra, Crete

The Cathedral of St. Georgios, patron saint of Ierapetra, is three-aisled, with a hemispherical dome based on a high drum. Morphologically, it follows the rhythm of Orthodox churches built under the Turkish rule, and it is characterized by construction elements of the Ottoman architecture. It was built in 1856, according to a founding inscription preserved on the lintel of the south side of the church by a craftsman named Hatzimanolis, who was most likely Carpathian. However, on a map of the region of 1640, a church already appeared in its current position.
 

The Napoleon's residence


When the French general Napoleon Bonaparte was en route to Egypt, he stopped and spent a night in Ierapetra incognito. The event is supposed to have taken place on the 26th of June in 1798, a short while before Napoleon reached Egypt and signed his declaration of war against the Mamelukes. The old house still holds the pride of the historic visit. In 2024 with the presence of the descendant of Napoleon the Great, Charles Bonaparte, Ierapetra officially sealed its membership in the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities as the forty-seventh (47th) member.

 

Afentis Christos

The church of Afentis Christos in ierapetra crete

The church of Afentis Christos is regarded as being the oldest church in the town. It was built in the 14th century. The church contains a number of fine icons and a beautifully carved wooden iconostsasis. It is an old custom for the metropolitan to celebrate the Resurrection and the burning of Judas at this church each Easter.

 

Moslem monuments

The Mosque is found in the southern side of Ierapetra and was built in 1309 Anno Hegirae (which translates to 1891-92 AD), as the dates engraved in the entrance and on a metal plate on its southern wall indicate. It is believed that it was built on top of the remains of an older mosque. The Mosque is a rectangular building with wooden roof that is supported on four pillars covered by roof tiles. In its architectural design there are distinctive references to eclectic and neoclassical trends that influenced Crete in the late 19th century.
The minaret stands out in the NW corner of the Mosque, as the Islamic tradition wants it. Its roof and top portion collapsed during an earthquake in 1953.
South-west of the mosque there is an Ottoman fountain and along with the Mosque they consist a remarkable cluster of Ottoman architecture in Crete.

 

Digital Museum of Ierapetra 


The Digital Museum of Ierapetra is an attempt of the Municipal Authority to show the historical and archaeological monuments as well as to present the natural environment of the municipality area. It hosts a 3D video presentation for all the historical periods of Ierapetra from the Minoan era to the modern period, while there are also related materials that  support the infrastructure of the digital representation that the Museum  offers in 3D.