MUSEUM OF CHRISTIAN ART/ ST. CATHERINE OF SINAI
Αγία Αικατερίνη του Σινά
St. Catherine, the church of the Sinaite Monastery, now operates as the Museum of Byzantine Icons and Christian Art. Situated northeast of the Cathedral of St. Minas, this cruciform basilica was established during the Second Byzantine period and, from the 15th century onwards, served as a school specializing in grammar, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, art and music.
Following the Ottoman conquest after 1669, the building was converted into a mosque, known as Zulficar Ali Pasha Mosque, and remained in use until 1922, when the last Muslim residents departed Heraklion as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. The architecture of the church reflects Venetian influences, a result of the island’s Venetian occupation from the 16th century onward.
The museum’s collections focus on ecclesiastical art developed in Crete from the 15th to the 19th century. Highlights include icons by renowned masters of the Cretan School, such as Angelos Akotantos (15th century) and Michael Damaskinos (16th century), as well as works from the environment that shaped El Greco, one of the most celebrated painters in the world. Visitors can explore murals, stone sculptures, wood carvings, post-Byzantine metalwork, miniature artifacts, coins, devotional objects, holy vestments, embroidery, manuscripts, and books — all exceptionally preserved and thoughtfully presented throughout the museum.
The Museum of Christian Art invites visitors to discover Crete’s rich religious and artistic heritage, offering a journey through centuries of creativity and devotion.
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