The Historical Museum of Crete was founded in 1953, and is housed in a neoclassical building of exceptional architectural merit. The museum’s permanent collections highlight the art and history of Crete from the 3rd century AD up to and including the Second World War. The collections are ordered chronologically and by subject matter, and are combined with a wealth of visual material and multimedia. The museum’s finest exhibits are two paintings by Domenicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco): "The Baptism of Christ" (1567) and "View of Mt. Sinai and the Monastery of St. Catherine" (1570). Another outstanding exhibit is a 4 x 4 metre mock-up of mid-17th century Chandax (Heraklion). Of particular interest is the Nikos Kazantzakis Collection. The museum has an audio guide system, a Café and a Shop.
Opening hours
Summer Opening Hours (April - October)
Monday - Saturday
09.00-17.00
Sundays & Public Holidays
Closed
Winter Opening Hours (November - March)
Monday - Saturday
09.00-15.30
Sundays & Public Holidays
Closed
Admission
Adults: € 5,00
Concessions: Pupils and students (on production of ID), Senior citizens € 3,00
Children 12 and under: Admission free
Explore the HMC on your own, guided by the Museum’s experts using the audio Guide facility offered.
Address: Sofokli Venizelou 27, Heraklion
HMC North View
Model of Venetian Candia
Domenicos Theotocopoulos (El Greco), View of Mt Sinai and the Monastery of St Catherine, 1570
Reconstruction of Nikos Kazantzakis’s study at his house in Antibes
World War II Exhibition
Icons of the Zacharias Portalakis Collection, 15th-20th c.
HMC South View
Wall painting from the Fazil Bey residence in Heraklion, late 18 th c.
HMC Ceiling Painting
Dance Performance at the Zacharias Portalakis Permanent Collection, Photo: Stylianos Papardelas
HMC Patio, Photo: Manolis Mathioudakis
Local
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See and Do
- Historical Museum of Crete Heraklion (0.0 miles) - The Historical Museum of Crete was founded in 1953, and is housed in a neoclassical building of exce...
- Natural History Museum of Crete Heraklion, Crete (0.2 miles) - The Natural History Museum of Crete is housed in the renovated former premises of the Heraklion Publ...
- Kazantzakis Museum Heraklion (8.6 miles) - At the place where wine trails meet with the words of Kazantzakis and the gentle Cretan landscape me...
