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Historical Museum of Crete
Gain an understanding of Cretan history through exhibits spanning from the Byzantine era to World War II at Historical Museum of Crete. Founded in 1953 in a neoclassical building formerly known as the House of Kalokerinos, the museum showcases the Nikos Kazantzakis collection, featuring the study and library from the author's home in Antibes, France, manuscripts of his works, and first editions of his books in various languages. Two of the finest exhibits are the only paintings by El Greco in Crete: The Baptism of Christ (1567) and View of Mt. Sinai and the monastery of St. Catherine 1570). Ceramics, sculptures, coins, jewelry, and a wide range of heirlooms highlight the everyday life on Crete during various historical periods. Rent an audio guide for more information about each exhibit and take a break with a sea view at the cafe deck. For Historical Museum of Crete and beyond, use our Heraklion visit planner to get the most from your Heraklion vacation.
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Historical Museum of Crete reviews
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This place is a bit off the beaten path but worth the effort if you want to get a good overview of Crete's history from pre-historic times through WWII. The exhibits are well laid out. The acoustic.... more
This place is a bit off the beaten path but worth the effort if you want to get a good overview of Crete's history from pre-historic times through WWII. The exhibits are well laid out. The acoustic.... more »
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This is my favourite museum in Crete. Though it is not a huge museum it is full of excellent displays and an amazing 3d model of the old city. If you wish to understand Cretan history it is very...
This is my favourite museum in Crete. Though it is not a huge museum it is full of excellent displays and an amazing 3d model of the old city. If you wish to understand Cretan history it is very... more »
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Small but informative museum. It was good to see the modern history as well and all of the different cultural impacts. The museum has some interactive bits as well, which was nice. They have good covid protocols (for those reading this while still in the pandemic). My biggest complaint is that many items were not listed clearly or only had an audio icon for discovery - fine if you got the audio device, but we did not know they had them when we started in the museum. Some of the English translations are hard to read due to dark text on dark background. Restrooms on site, very low entrance fee (€5 per adult at the time of writing), Cafe and food on site as well. Beautiful views of the ocean to boot.
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Great expositions, treated very carefully. Pleasant staff; can everybody recommend to visit it.
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