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  • Photo by Gerola (1900-1905)Photo by Gerola (1900-1905)
Crete as we Live it

The lost temple of the Conqueror

Great men require great 'residencies'. That's why the Turks chose the majestic Venetian temple of Chandax (Heraklion) to honor Mehmed the Conqueror and converted it to a 'royal' Mosque. The former Catholic temple acquired a minaret, which proudly rose towards the sky until 1856, when it was destroyed by an earthquake. The rubbles were later used (in 1912) for the construction of the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

However, a little something is preserved from the temple (part of the Monastery of the Franciscan Order) to our days and it is right in front of our eyes: the entrance of the Courthouse, on central Dikeosinis Str., which once was the main gate of the famous Venetian temple.