A small, humble church dedicated to Saint Minas and the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, known today as “Little Saint Minas”,can be seen very close to a church of Saint Catherine. This chapel of Saint Minas, who had been the patron saint of the city since 1735, features an iconostasis of exquisite art and icons made by the painter Georgios Castrophylacas.
After a period of successive Cretan revolts against the Turks, the Christian population of Heraklion decided to build a new, magnificent church dedicated to their patron saint. The construction works at the Cathedral of Saint Minas, which was designed by the self-taught architect Athanassios Moussis who came from Constantinople for that purpose, began in 1862. The work was interrupted during the revolution of 1866-1869, and was finally concluded in 1895.
The Cathedral of Saint Minas is one of the most impressive churches in Crete, combining splendid interior decoration with exterior grandeur.
