Heraklion - St Peter

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, is located about 100 km south of the Peloponnese. Crete was the center of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 3000 to 1400 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland Greece. Crete was later ruled by Rome, then successively by the Byzantine Empire, Andalusian Arabs, the Byzantine Empire again, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the Cretan State. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.

Heraklion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete. With a municipal population of about 180.000 it is the fourth largest city in Greece. The greater area of Heraklion has been continuously inhabited since at least 7000 BCE, making it one of the oldest inhabited regions in Europe. As a major center of the Minoan civilization it often considered Europe's oldest city.


The Dominican church of St Peter is dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul, although it is commonly known as St Peter's Church.

The church was built between 1248 and 1253. Originally the church of a monastery of the Cistercian order, the monstery later became the property of the Dominicans. The church served not only as a monastery church, but also as a burial place for the Venetian clergy of the city. During the Ottoman period, the church was first converted into a mosque for Sultan Ibrahim and later into an Orthodox church.

The Gothic church stands together with the surrounding ruins of the monastery on the coast, near the old Venetian harbour.