Urban exploration

Heraklion or Heraclion (; Greek: Ηράκλειο, Irákleio, pronounced [iˈraklio]) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fifth largest city in Greece with a population of 140,730 according to the results of the 2011 census, while the population of the municipality was 173,993.

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Heraklion on Crete. It is one of the greatest museums in Greece and the best in the world for Minoan art, as it contains the most notable and complete collection of artefacts of the Minoan civilization of Crete.

The island of Crete (Ottoman Turkish: گریت‎ Girīt) was declared an Ottoman province (eyalet) in 1646, after the Ottomans managed to conquer the western part of the island as part of the Cretan War, but the Venetians maintained their hold on the capital Candia until 1669, when Francesco Morosini surrendered the keys of the town.

The Agios Minas Cathedral (Greek: ῾Ιερός Μητροπολιτικός Ναός ῾Αγίου Μηνᾶ) is a Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Heraklion, Greece, serving as the seat of the Archbishop of Crete. Ιt is dedicated to Saint Menas the martyr and wonderworker (285-309 A.D.), who is the patron saint of Heraklion.

The Church of Crete (Greek: Εκκλησία της Κρήτης) is an Eastern Orthodox Church, comprising the island of Crete in Greece. The Church of Crete is semi-autonomous (self-governing) under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The current Archbishop of Crete is, since 30 August 2006, Irinaios Athanasiadis.

The «Nikos Kazantzakis» Stadium (Greek: Γήπεδο «Νίκος Καζαντζάκης»), formerly known as Ergotelis Stadium and more commonly as Martinengo Stadium, is a football stadium located on the Martinengo bastion, part of the fortifications of Heraklion, on the island of Crete. It is named after Modern Greek literature giant Nikos Kazantzakis, whose grave is also located on the same bastion.

The Siege of Chandax was the centerpiece of the Byzantine Empire's campaign to recover the island of Crete, which since the 820s had been ruled by Muslim Arabs. The campaign followed a series of failed attempts to reclaim the island from the Muslims stretching as far back as 827, only a few years after the initial conquest of the island by the Arabs, and was led by the general and future emperor Nikephoros Phokas.

The Siege of Candia (modern Heraklion, Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, or a total of 21 years, it is the second longest siege in history after the siege of Ceuta; however, the Ottomans were ultimately victorious despite Candia's unprecedented resistance.