Visiting Agios Titos Church Heraklion – One Of The Finest Churches In Crete

Explore the most beautiful building in Crete’s capital, a church dedicated to a disciple of St Paul the Apostle

Heraklion may not be the most beautiful city in Crete, but it is home to one of the island’s outstanding churches. Agios Titos Church Heraklion is the most beautiful building in Crete’s capital, a gorgeous exotic temple that once served as a mosque. It’s now home to the relics of Agios Titos (St Titus), one of the foremost disciples of St Paul who helped spread Christianity in its early decades.

Agios Titos Church is one of a small cluster of Heraklion landmarks in the city’s Old Town. From the outside, it offers more than a hint of the Near East, with its dome and Ottoman arched windows. Inside, it’s a blaze of colour, the intense sun casting its rich stained-glass patterns onto its walls and pillars.

In this article I describe the church in detail, pointing out what to see, when to visit and how to get there. I hope you find it helpful, and enjoy visiting the church as much as I did.

Best Heraklion Tours

Heraklion Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour – covers Knossos and all the main sites in the city centre area

Knossos Palace and Heraklion Guided Tour – runs from 13 locations along the tourist strip east of Heraklion

Knossos Guided Tour, Heraklion City and Market Visit – a great introduction to Crete’s capital

The church’s history isn’t anything as old as St Titus, but still goes back over 1,000 years.

When the Byzantines conquered Crete in 961 AD, they moved the seat of the bishopric of Crete from Gortyn to the island’s new capital. At the time Heraklion was known as Chandax, and later as Candia.

The Byzantines built a new church in Chandax, dedicated to St Titus. They also transported relics of St Titus, including his skull, to the new church.

In 1210 the Venetians conquered Crete, and they converted the church from a Greek Orthodox church to a Roman Catholic one.

A new, larger church was built on the site of the original in the mid-15^th century. This was destroyed by an earthquake in 1557 and rebuilt soon afterwards.

This third version of the church lasted until 1856, when it too was ruined by an earthquake. The Ottoman Turks conquered Crete in 1669, but the relics held in the church were removed to Venice before they arrived.

The present building was built in 1869 as a mosque, designed by Athanasios Moussis.

Crete became part of Greece in 1913, and the Turkish population left Crete, replaced by Greeks who had lived in Anatolia (Asia Minor, modern Turkey). The mosque was converted into a church in 1925, and the minaret destroyed. The relics of Titus were returned to the church in 1966.

In 2013, Agios Titos was made a Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Crete.

The first thing you notice about Agios Titos is its Ottoman Turkish features, especially its windows and dome. When I first set eyes on it, I felt transported to the Near East. And this impression is enhanced by the many palm trees, especially around the south side of the building.  The most obvious view of the church is from the front, looking across the square. But I think the south façade of the church is the most beautiful.

You enter the church via the western door, passing through the narthex, or antechamber. Here, you can admire some icons and also light prayer candles.

The main hall of the church is just beyond the narthex. The interior is dominated by the iconostasis, the screen that separates the nave (where the congregation gathers) from the sanctuary. As is customary in Greek Orthodox churches, the screen is decorated with a series of paintings and icons. It fulfils a similar function to rood screens in western European churches.

The sanctuary is the sole preserve of priests and altar servers. The church’s most important relic, the skull of St Titus, is also kept there.

Some people visit churches as a ‘wet weather option’, but I suggest visiting Agios Titos on a sunny day. The sunlight blazes through the colourful stained-glass windows, bathing the interior in vivid, ethereal light.

If you happen to be there during a service the effect is even more powerful, with clouds of incense wafting through the beams of coloured light. The jingling of bells on the incense cones adds even more to the atmosphere.

GOOD TO KNOW: The first time I visited Agios Titos, I noticed a sign asking visitors not to take photographs. This may have been put up in advance of a service that was about to begin. The second time I visited, accompanied by my family a week or so later, the sign had been removed and people were freely making photographs inside the church.

The Agios Titos church website has information on service times.

The church is located on Plateia Agiou Titou (Agios Titos Square), just off the busy 25 Avgoustou (25^th August) Street.

It’s right in the middle of historic Heraklion old town, a minute’s walk from the Venetian Loggia (the Town Hall) and two minutes’ walk from the landmark Morosini Fountain and Basilica of St Mark.

Agios Titos Church is a 15-minute walk from the main Heraklion bus station on the corner of Ikarou and Efessou streets, near the ferry port.

Several local buses – including the number 2 service to Knossos – stop at Plateia Eleftherias (Liberty Square), close to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

From there, it’s a 5-6 minute walk to Agios Titos Church. Turn off the square up Idomenos, then left along Dedalou (Daedalus) Street. This is a fairly shady street for most of the day, and leads to the Morosini Fountain on what many people call Lions Square.

Turn right there, continuing past the Venetian Loggia on your right. Then take the next right-hand turn to Agios Titos Square and Church.

Agios Titos Opening Hours

The church is open daily from early morning (7 or 8 am, depending on the time of year).

It then closes at sunset – which is 5pm in winter, and around 8 pm in the summer season.

Where To Stay In Heraklion

There are some great hotels in Heraklion, especially in the Old Town area around Agios Titos Church. Here are some of the best of them:

**** – Centro Vero Suites by Omilos Hotels – great apartment hotel right next door to Agios Titos Church

**** – Cathedral Suites – lovely apartments a few metres from another fine Heraklion church, Agios Minas Cathedral

*** – Artion City Boutique Hotel – great mid-range option near the city walls and Chania Gate, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town area

I hope you have enjoyed my guide to the Church of Agios Titos, and that it inspires you to visit this amazing church. Check out my article on the best churches in Crete to visit for further insp[iration.

If you plan to visit Heraklion, take a look at my guide to the best things to do in Heraklion.  I heartily recommend visiting Knossos Palace, the Minoan (Bronze Age) complex on the outskirts of the city. I think that visiting Heraklion Archaeological Museum is as essential – it’s where many Minoan (and later) artefacts from around the island are on display.