Museum of History and Folklore of Crete

Victories and defeats, steep rises and falls of the rich and multifaceted history of Crete are collected in the Historical Museum of Heraklion. Everything is collected in this place, everything that Crete is famous for - canvases-masterpieces, the model of the city of Candia, folklore collections and the sea of everything else. What exactly? Come and see it yourself…

Wandering through the 22 halls of this vault, look at the past from the modern point of view. Look at the time when Crete was ruled by enemies. Feel the breath of time.

I will take you to the museum, where Ms. History reigns

It's a shame, you know, it is very insulting to hear someone recommend to visit the Historical Museum of Heraklion during the warm Greek rain or when you get tired of burning sun. This can only be supplemented with "shells", heating the backs lying on the sunbeds at the seaside. But you are an intelligent person! Therefore, firmly tell your neighbor: "How it is possible, you have not been to the Museum of History and Folklore of Crete yet?" Your anger will be righteous - first visit the museum, then lie down the Cretan sun!

I will take you to the museum, where Ms. History reigns

There are no traces of ancient Greek gods in this repository. But there are real treasures, including sacred Byzantine icons ..

Having visited the Cretan repository of artifacts, it becomes obvious: this collection of archaeological, ethnographic and historical treasures of Crete are definitely not fake ancient shards or vintage pieces.

Looking at objects of everyday life - decorations, clothes, coins, scallops or furniture, it is easy to imagine the Greeks of the "departed" - in rich clothes (not so easy in spite of the established stereotype), with luxurious locks or beards, in wonderful shoes and adorable ornaments. Such an imaginary acquaintance with the ancient inhabitants of Crete will give you an excuse for philosophical reflection - and what kind of people are we today?

Chic mosaic panels represent the Byzantine period in the Museum of the History of Heraklion. They, however, are not very numerous, but they  enrich the treasury greatly. Imagine, each smalt was touched by the hands of a medieval creator. He selected each plate, sorted it out. He dreamed (and it came true) that contemporaries (and descendants, hundreds of years later) would admire his man-made beauty. The Master turned out: and you, as a "descendant", feel awe staying in front of this noble art, don`t you?

Museum, which has the place for everything

And also you can see 2 paintings of El Greco in the treasury. These are the only paintings exhibited in the homeland of Genius. They became the center, if not the "island universe", the Historical Museum of Heraklion.

And just have a look - marble and bas-reliefs from the Gothic Basilica of St. Titus are collected there. Hortina was not the last city of Crete in the Minoan era. It was even the first capital of the island (if you skip on Knossos). In the IX century, the city was destroyed by enemies, but what remains of the cathedral is amazing.

Look at the shelves of the Heraklion treasury: there is a serious catch ... underwater archaeologists have chased these findings. There are amphoras, pitchers, and other antique utensils. I wonder how it got into the sea? No one could tell this ...

There are halls representing the Ottoman period, others - the time of the revolutionary upheavals of the XIX century, when Crete again became part of Greece. And there is also a hall, illustrating the period of Mesopolem. And World War II, when the enemies destroyed even the Jewish cemetery, and the Greek Jews ruthlessly lived off the earth. But the Cretan Historical Museum keeps a memory of everyone - there are gravestones from the crushed last refuge of Cretan Jews ...

And if you are slightly homesick during your vacation, go to the hall, where you can find a collection of coats of arms. And look there ... two-headed eagle sens greetings to you from the Motherland under the glorious sky of Crete!

In a few words, feel how Crete lived from early Byzantine reign (330 A.D.) to the last world war (1940). Do not deny yourself to feel the pleasure of visiting the richest Historical Museum in Europe. It is very simple to be enlightened - except for sunbathing, give food to the brain ... Walking slowly along the halls, where everything is permeated with a truthful past, you will have something to think about and even dream about ...