Lerapse Museum

The museum known in Heraklion as the Historical Museum of Crete tells the story of the island from the early Christian and Byzantine centuries to the twentieth century, and it is one of the best places to understand how Crete became what it is. The museum occupies a neoclassical building near the waterfront of the old city. It is a modest institution, run by a society of Cretan historians, and it gives a thorough and personal account of the island's past.

The galleries follow history in sequence. Early rooms hold Early Christian and Byzantine objects, including carved stone, pottery, coins and fragments of wall paintings from churches across Crete. The next sections cover the Venetian period, from the thirteenth century to 1669, with maps, weapons, heraldic stones and inscriptions that recall the rule of the Venetian Republic. The Ottoman period follows, then the long struggles for freedom in the nineteenth century, the autonomous Cretan State and union with Greece in 1913, and finally the Battle of Crete in 1941 and the German occupation.

The museum is also known for its art. Among the paintings are two works by El Greco, who was born Domenikos Theotokopoulos in Candia, as Heraklion was then called, and who trained as an icon painter before moving to Venice and Spain. They are an important link between the island's Byzantine tradition and the Renaissance. A reconstruction of the study of Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek and the most famous Cretan writer, with his desk, books and personal items, is another highlight, and a folklore section shows costumes, embroidery and tools.

Plan around one to two hours. The displays are well labelled in Greek and English, and the museum is small enough to cover comfortably. Temporary exhibitions are held in rooms on the upper floor, and the programme changes over time, so ask on the day. Opening days and hours vary through the year, and the museum may close for holidays.

It is a short walk from the Venetian Old Town and the harbour, and it pairs naturally with a visit to the Archaeological Museum, which covers the Minoan period. Together, the two museums offer a thorough introduction to Cretan history, from the Bronze Age palaces to modern times.