Greece - Heraklion, Agios Titos Church

The church of Agios Titos (Saint Titus Church) is one of the most important monuments in Crete. It can be found on a lovely square in the city centre of Heraklion. The original church of Agios Titos on this location was built in the 10th century by the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, who liberated Crete from the Arabs.

During the Turkish occupation of Crete, the church of Agios Titos was turned into a mosque, named Vezir mosque. During its many historical phases the church suffered substantial damages, and renovations - including major alterations by the Venetians in the 16th century - and was used as the metropolitan church by the Catholics. The severe earthquake of 1856 totally destroyed the church, which was rebuilt in 1872 on its own foundations. The minaret was demolished in 1920, when the last Ottomans left the island.

In 1925 the church was renovated and nowadays the cathedral still works as an Orthodox church, dedicated to St. Titus, St. Paul’s disciple and the first bishop on Crete and guardian of the island.