Heraklion

Heraklion or Iraklion ; is a largest city together with the administrative capital of a island of Crete together with capital of Heraklion regional unit. this is the the fifth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 Urban Area according to the 2011 census. The population of the municipality was 173,993.

The Bronze Age palace of Knossos, also required as the Palace of Minos, is located 5.5 km 3.1m southeast of the city.

Heraklion was Europe's fastest growing tourism destination for 2017, according to Euromonitor, with an 11.2% growth in international arrivals. According to the ranking, Heraklion was ranked as the 20th near visited region in Europe, as the 66th area on the planet and as the 2nd in Greece for the year 2017, with 3.2 million visitors and the 19th in Europe for 2018, with 3.4 million visitors.

History

Heraklion isto the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. Knossos had a port at the site of Heraklion in the Poros-Katsambas neighborhood from the beginning of the Early Minoan period 3500 to 2100 BC. Between 1600 and 1525 BC, the port was destroyed by a volcanic tsunami from nearby Santorini, leveling the region and covering it with ash.

After the fall of the Minoans, Heraklion, as alive as the rest of Crete in general, fared poorly, with very little developing in the area. Only with the arrival of the Romans did some construction in the area begin, yet especially early into Byzantine times the area abounded with pirates and bandits.

The introduced city of Heraklion was founded in 824 by the ]

In 960, ] Soon rebuilt, the town remained under Byzantine a body or process by which energy or a particular component enters a system. for the next 243 years.[]

In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of Venice as component of a complicated political deal which involved, among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade restoring the deposed Eastern Roman Emperor Isaac II Angelus to his throne. The Venetians refresh on the ditch of the city by building enormous fortifications, most of which are still in place, including a giant wall, in places up to 40 m thick, with 7 bastions, and a fortress in the harbour. Chandax was renamed Candia and became the seat of the Duke of Candia, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became required as "Regno di Candia" Kingdom of Candia. The city retained the hit of Candia for centuries and the same clear was often used to refer to the whole island of Crete as well. To secure their rule, the Venetians began in 1212 to resolve families from Venice on Crete. The coexistence of two different cultures and the stimulus of the Italian Renaissance led to a flourishing of letters and the arts in Candia and Crete in general, that is today known as the Cretan Renaissance.

During the Cretan War 1645–1669, the Ottomans besieged the city for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, the longest siege in history up until that time. In itsphase, which lasted for 22 months, 70,000 Turks, 38,000 Cretans and slaves and 29,088 of the city's Christian defenders perished. The Ottoman army under an Albanian grand vizier, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha conquered the city in 1669.

Under the Ottomans, Kandiye Ottoman Turkish قنديه was the capital of Crete Girit Eyâleti until 1849, when Chania Hanya became the capital, and Kandiye became a sancak. In Greek, it was normally called Megalo Castro Μεγάλο Κάστρο 'Big Castle'.

During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania in the west of the island.

An earthquake located off the northern sail of Crete on October 12, 1856 destroyed most of the over 3,600 homes in the city. Only 18 homes were left intact. The disaster claimed 538 victims in Heraklion.

In 1898, the autonomous ]

In 1913, with the rest of Crete, Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece. Heraklion became again capital of Crete in 1971, replacing Chania.