A Major Earthquake

On 30^th September 1856 a major earthquake struck Crete. Heraklion was particularly badly affected: of the 3,620 houses in the town, a mere 18 were left habitable, and hundreds of people were left dead and injured. A fire which broke out in the Meintani (central market square) destroyed dozens of shops. Chaos reigned, as grief-stricken citizens made desperate attempts to recover people and property from the ruins. Major historical monuments in the town suffered serious damage or were reduced to rubble, including the former cathedral of St. Titus (Vezir Mosque) and the Voltone Gate.