Agios Titos Church

The combination of a variety of architectural elements can be seen supporting its intricate history…

The Cathedral of Agios Titos in Heraklion Town is among the most important monuments in Crete. It is found on August 25th street, one of the busiest streets of the town.

Around the church, there is a lovely square with small cafes and bars. The original church of Agios Titos on this location was probably built in 961 A.D. by the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Phokas, who liberated Crete from the Arabs and made it again part of the Byzantine Empire. To strengthen the Christian faith in Crete, who had weakened from the Arabs, the emperor constructed this Orthodox church and dedicated it to Agios Titos, disciple of Apostle Paul and first Bishop of Crete.

The first church was in the old capital Gortyn, which also housed the metropolitan see of the island until its destruction by earthquake and the Arab transfer of the capital from Gortyn to Chandax (Heraklion) in 828 AD.