The Museum presents the history and culture of Crete from early Christian era, to present times.
Medieval and Renaissance Collection
Byzantine, Venetian and Turkish sculpture and epigraphs; frescoes from the 13th to the 16th centuries; portable icons of the Cretan School from the 15th to the 18th centuries; ecclesiastical vessels and vestments; wood carvings; coins; jewelry and miniatures from the Byzantine and Venetian periods. The collection contains the only painting on Crete by Domenicos Theotocopoulos (El Greco): View of mount Sinai and the Monastery, c. 1570.
Collection of the Struggle for Independence
Memorabilia from the Cretan insurrections of the nineteenth century and the period of the Independent Cretan State (1898-1913). The Collection include flags, weapons and portraits
of insurgent leaders.
Collection of folk arts
Hundreds of representative examples of Cretan folk art (weaving, embroidery, lace, jewelry, small objects,
musical instruments, etc). A life-size replica of the interior of a traditional Cretan village home.
Nikos Kazantzakis room
The desk, library, personal belongings and manuscripts of many of the great writer's works.
Emmanuel Tsouderos room
The desk, the library and personal mementoes of the man who was Prime Minister at the time of the Battle of Crete (1941).
Engravings, maps, rare editions and a collection of Cretan stamps.
The museum is open every day from 09:00 to 16:30 (Saturdays 09:00 to 14:00). Closed Sundays and holidays.
