The New Museums

The earthquake which struck the town in 1926 caused major damage to the Archaeological Museum. Though the building was assessed as unsuitable for use, another decade was to pass before work on a new one began.

The Heroon [Heroes' Monument] was built in 1931, on the initiative of Prefect of Heraklion Emmanouil Lydakis. Built next to what is now the Georgiadis Park, it was a museum housing heirlooms and archive material relating to the major Cretan uprisings of the 19^th century.

A few years thereafter, in 1937, building work began on the new Heraklion Archaeological Museum, to plans by architect Patroklos Karantinos. The official opening ceremony took place the following year, and further wings were handed over in 1940. The archaeological finds assembled there attracted intense interest from foreign tourists; this was also when the first tours of Knossos were organised.