Holidays in Ierapetra Crete. A visitor's guide to Ierapetra city.

Ierapetra is built on the longest beach in Crete and it has the reputation of been the southernmost town in Europe. It has the largest population in Lasithi and is the fourth largest town in Crete. The temperature rarely drops below 13 C all year long,and it has the most hours of sunshine and lowest rainfall in Greece. Ierapetra has much to offer its visitors: Sandy beaches, rocky mountains, a unique fauna, excellent food – the world famous Cretan cuisine, significant archaeological and natural beauties.

The Archaelogical Collection

The Ottoman school was built in 1899 after the liberation for the Turkish children. Today it is restored and it is used as an archaeological collection. In the archaeological collection there are exhibited various objects found in the area and belonging to various periods. Among the most important are: ritual pots and other vessels, jars, axes, a clay potter's wheel, the Episkopi sarcophagus with twelve scenes depicted on it, Roman lamps, Greco-Roman statues found at Viglia, and the statue of the goddess Persefoni.

Kales

The medieval fortress "Kales", built at the edge of the mole of the ancient harbour, on the side of the old town. The fortress is reputed to have been built by the Venetian Genoese pirate Pescadone in 1212 and since then it has been strongly tied with Ierapetras history.

The Cathedral of St. Georgios

The Cathedral of St. Georgios, patron saint of Ierapetra, is three-aisled, with a hemispherical dome based on a high drum. Morphologically, it follows the rhythm of Orthodox churches built under the Turkish rule, and it is characterized by construction elements of the Ottoman architecture. It was built in 1856, according to a founding inscription preserved on the lintel of the south side of the church by a craftsman named Hatzimanolis, who was most likely Carpathian. However, on a map of the region of 1640, a church already appeared in its current position.

The Napoleon's residence

When the French general Napoleon Bonaparte was en route to Egypt, he stopped and spent a night in Ierapetra incognito. The event is supposed to have taken place on the 26th of June in 1798, a short while before Napoleon reached Egypt and signed his declaration of war against the Mamelukes. The old house still holds the pride of the historic visit.

Afentis Christos

The church of Afentis Christos is regarded as being the oldest church in the town. It was built in the 14th century. The church contains a number of fine icons and a beautifully carved wooden iconostsasis. It is an old custom for the metropolitan to celebrate the Resurrection and the burning of Judas at this church each Easter.

Moslem monuments

The Mosque is found in the southern side of Ierapetra and was built in 1309 Anno Hegirae (which translates to 1891-92 AD), as the dates engraved in the entrance and on a metal plate on its southern wall indicate. It is believed that it was built on top of the remains of an older mosque. The Mosque is a rectangular building with wooden roof that is supported on four pillars covered by roof tiles. In its architectural design there are distinctive references to eclectic and neoclassical trends that influenced Crete in the late 19th century.
The minaret stands out in the NW corner of the Mosque, as the Islamic tradition wants it. Its roof and top portion collapsed during an earthquake in 1953.
South-west of the mosque there is an Ottoman fountain and along with the Mosque they consist a remarkable cluster of Ottoman architecture in Crete.