Saint Minas

The foundations of the imposing Saint Minas were laid on 25 March 1862. The site is said to have been indicated by a monk to whom St Minas appeared in a vision.

The cathedral was built by Athanassios Moussis, the architect of Agios Titos and the barracks in Eleftherias Square, which now houses the Prefecture and the Law Courts.

Building work on the cathedral was interrupted during the 1866 Rising, continuing in 1883.

The effort to build the church in such difficult times was supported enthusiastically by all the people of Heraklion. A sailing ship arrived in harbor of Iraklion loaded with building materials for the cathedral. However, the committee in charge of the project did not have the money to pay workers to carry the cargo from the ship to the building site.

On learning this, the schoolchildren of Heraklion, offered to unload the ship. The cathedral was inaugurated with great pomp in 1895, under Metropolitan Timotheos Kastrinoyiannis.