Greece, Heraklion

Heraklion is the largest city and capital of Crete. It is also the fourth largest city in Greece. Its name is also spelled Herakleion (transliteration of ancient/Katharevousa name), or Iraklio, with other variants. For centuries it was known as Candia.

Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion Prefecture, with an international airport named after the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. The ruins of Knossos, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans, are nearby.

History

Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the biggest centre of population on Crete. It is thus very likely that there was a port here as long ago as 2000 BC. There is, however, no archaeological evidence of the port.

The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 AD by the Saracens (an Arabic Muslim people). They built a moat around the city for protection, and named the city 'moat'.

In the period of autonomy under Great Power supervision (1898-1908), Candia was part of the British zone. With the rest of Crete, it became part of the Cretan State in 1908, and was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece in 1913.

The biggest monument of the city is the Venetian medieval fortress Rocca al Mare (also known as Koules) located at the port.

Transportation

Port
Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. The public can take ferries and boats from Heraklion to a multitude of destinations including Thira, Rhodes, Egypt, Haifa and mainland Greece.
Airport
Heraklion International Airport, or Nikos Kazantzakis Airport is located about 5km east of the city. The airport is named after Herkalion native Nikos Kazantzakis, a Greek writer and philosopher.
Public transit
There are a number of buses that are serving the city as well connect the city to many major destinations in Crete.