The cathedral is a tribute to the first bishop who brought the Christian faith to the godly lands of Crete.
There are many shrines on the planet. And temples are not few at all. But this cathedral is a tribute to the first bishop who brought the Christian faith to the godly land of Crete. There is peace there for both believers and atheists. And the heart beats with trembling, the soul sings hosanna. Stone beauty, spiritual purity - this is the place of power, where St. Titus Cathedral stands. Come in and ... feel ...
Ah, people-people: for some it's a temple, for others it's a church, for others - without any sacrilege there, trivial - the Cathedral of St. Titus. And for others in general - a monument of architecture. But whatever the case, you see before you a religious building. Ancient, beautiful, and twice ... man-made.
Did you know that Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of Saint Titus on August 25th? The same one that was one of the best disciples of the Apostle Peter (who fished in the bright sea water). True, this date, August 25, is old-fashioned (in modern calculation - September 7). But on the street August 25 in the holy city of Heraklion, the former capital of Crete, and today stands a beautiful, almost square church of St. Titus. So much for the connection of times, peoples and historical figures...
Of course, it is quite possible that you are a militant atheist, we admit - faith is a personal matter. But what prevents you from seeing a religious building as an architectural monument? Or, if you prefer, just stand by or walk into a beautiful structure that has seen the Venetian period, the Turkish occupation, and Greek independence. This building is covered with the breath of History, it has seen too much, but the stones know how to be silent...
The first shrine, built in honor of the first preacher of Christianity on Crete, Archbishop of St. Titus, was not built in Heraklion but in the then capital of the island - Gortyna (today's Gortis). This happened in the year 961 AD. Emperor Nicephorus Phocas did this godly deed. The same "crown prince", who on plausible pretext (but with those thoughts in his head) withdrew from Crete the Arabs, returning the island to Byzantium.
But even the construction of such a grandiose church for those days did not save it from the delayed wrath of the Greek gods: after standing for more than a hundred years, the temple was destroyed in the earthquake of 1856.
The Turks, who dominated the lands of Heraklion in the middle of the XIX century, decided to rebuild the cathedral - why, the foundation has remained. As a result, under the careful guidance of the Ottoman architect Moussiss Athanasius in 1872, the church was rebuilt.
Actually, this unfortunate cathedral changed hands of the conquerors of the island like a passing Red Banner. In fact, the Turks came - seized. And not somehow, but with rebuilding almost a basilica (up to that rank the temple lacked only piers and columns). What do you suppose the first thing the subjects of the Ottoman Empire did? That's right, they built a dome, put a sickle over it (thanks, no hammer), and turned a Christian temple into a mosque.
Ah, mother history, how easily you dispose people and walls, eternal and momentary, faith and nihilism... But never mind, what to do... words can't be thrown out of Cretan history's song - what was, was: the temple became a mosque.
But the sacrilege didn't last long. The Gods had mercy on Christians, and in 1923, the Turkish domination came to an end. It was the time of Greek independence. And since the mosque has the same relation to Orthodoxy as a hedgehog to a horse, the wise people of Heraklion quickly removed the dome and put in its place a bell tower.
It's this structure that you will admire. And if you also believe, you just have to visit the Cathedral of St. Titus. Don't forget to kneel before the head of the first archbishop of Titus, whose relics rest in a shrine to the left of the entrance. Today, the temple belongs to the Catholics. But even if your soul is Orthodox, sit humbly in one of the magnificent carved chairs and pray gracefully for sins and grace. And Heaven will surely hear you.
The gentle hum of your footsteps, the faint, barely audible echo in the bright temple, with its elegant columns, magnificent small and large iconostases, painted by the hands of ingenious unknown artists, and the pleasant coolness will help you to forget your sorrows and immerse yourself in an atmosphere of joy. Believe it or not, this cathedral is a place of power, where you will gain energy, fire, ardor. In short, if you're vacationing in Heraklion, be sure to cross the threshold of St. Titus Cathedral, a shrine that has been waiting for you ...
