Feast of Heraklion: the day of St. The Minas [11 listopada]

One of the largest temples in Greece is the cathedral of St. Minas (St. Menasa/gr.: Ο Καθεδρικός Ναός του Αγίου Μηνά] in Heraklion (also: Heraklion) on Crete Island. The construction of the cathedral began on March 25, 1862 year, in a place that according to one of the monks, Saint Minas, and completed it in 1895 year.

The cathedral is located on Agios Minas Square. Aiming for it-it is worth to stay at the square though for a while at two much smaller Kościółkach: one of them is the Stareńki Church of St. Catherine (Gr.: Ναός της Αγίας Αικατερίνης των Σιναϊτών), in which today there is a museum of icons (entrance fee), and the second Church of St. Minas called Small (gr.: Μικρός Ναός Αγίου Μηνά). As my friend tells me from Heraklion – permission to build a small church of St. Peter. The Ottomans gave the Turks the condition of building it in one day, and at that time the church was created.

From the left: Church of St. Catherine and The Little St. The Minas [fot. Betaki]

The cathedral is a huge building that upodobały, as well as the neighboring churches-pigeons occupying not only the square, but also protruding cornices, roofs and surrounding lanterns.

In 1941 years, during the German bombardment, the cathedral dropped was a bomb, which, however, has not exploded: to this day it is believed that it is thanks to the care exercised by Saint Minas.

Saint Minas is not only the patron saint of the cathedral, but also the whole Heraklion. The feast of your city of Iraklion and Saint Minas is celebrated on November 11th: It is a day off to work. On this day, the faithful gather in the cathedral and in the square to take part in solemn devotion and processions.

Christmas celebrations in 2017 year [zdjęcia ze strony candianews.gr]

Over the cathedral and the surrounding buildings there are two powerful towers visible from many places: between them you can see the Ciemnoczerwoną Dome.

[fot. Betaki]

When we raise the head inside, we will see that the palate fills the painting depicting Christ Pantocrator. The interior of the cathedral, when you find it, makes a great impression: Here you can see powerful chandeliers, relics of Santa Minas, simple stained glass windows and ornate pulpit. From the plaque in the vestibule you can read (Byzantine) that the construction of the cathedral was interrupted for many years in the 1866 year due to the outbreak of the Cretan uprising.

Wypatrzone in the Cathedral [fot. Betaki]

The great Kreteńczyk, Nikos Kazantzakis, in the „Report for El Greca” * So describes the former Iraklion (calling it Megalo Kastro), as well as this place:

„At the time, Megalo Kastro was not just a grid of houses, shops and alleys squeezed on the waterfront just by the eternally raging sea. Its inhabitants were not an unordered group of men, women and children, scattered on their own everyday issues: food, women, children. They ruled them with harsh, unwritten laws that no one ever opposed. Orders always came in advance. The whole city was garrisoned: Also, each of its inhabitants was an eternally Oblężona fortress, which was commanded by St. Minas, defender of Megalo Kastro. Sitting on a gray horse, holding a red lance pointing toward the sky, the whole day the holy waited still on the icon in his chapel-with a terrible glance and a short kręconą goatee, burnt by the sun. Throughout the day – hanged with silver Wotami, wearing traces of impressed hands, eyes and hearts, which the people of Kastro Przykładali to him, upraszając for Grace – waited motionless, pretending to be only an image, a figure painted on a piece of wood. ” 

Here you can watch a number of pictures of the cathedral from different years, including a photo of a bomb, which in 1941 year has not exploded.

Many thanks to Ewa scandals for the curiosities associated with this place, as well as for keeping the company during this year’s my walk to the Cathedral of Heraklion and for Vangelis Scandalis for the translation of the Byzantine language: Thank you!