St. Catherine's Church

Church of St. Catherine in the largest city of Crete is an architectural monument of the 16th century. For centuries, it housed the compound of a Greek Orthodox monastery, a Turkish mosque and a museum of church art.

Church of St. Catherine stands in the center of Heraklion near the Cathedral of St. Mina. This ancient building was built in 1555 and is a striking example of the connection of the Byzantine and Italian architectural schools.

During the period of Turkish rule, the church was turned into a mosque, and in the XX century the history of Cretan icon painting began to be taught here.

Today, within the walls of the church there is a museum center, which houses icons and frescoes of famous Cretan masters – Mikhail Damascina and Angelos, the teacher of the famous artist El Greco.