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Historic - National Museum
(7, Kalokairinou St.
This museum is housed in a threestorey neoclassical building in
the Bendenaki area, belonging to the Kalokairinos family. It was
founded in 1953 by the Cretan Society of Historical Studies. In
its twelve rooms - thanks to the exhibits displayed in chronological
order - the visitor is able to follow the evolution of Cretan civilization
in its consistent course, from the early years of Christianity up
to the 20th century.
It contains sculptures and architectural
elements, frescoes, icons, historic relics,
documents, maps, books, handicrafts,
Cretan folk costumes and jewellery,
portraits, firearms belonging to the
fighters who took part in the wars of in-
dependence, sultans' firmans (royal de-
crees), as well as objects of everyday
use, musical instruments, woodcarved
chests. In a separate room on the first
floor (the Kazantzaki room) are kept
manuscripts, letters and other personal
items belonging to the great writer. In
the first floor passage there are
mediaeval maps, and photographic archives of the period between
1867 and
1912 and of the Battle of Crete.
Room 10, on the second floor, has been
turned into a typical rural Cretan
house (a "kamarospito") with its
characteristic "kamara", its fireplace,
household objects, furniture, a bed all
made up, a candlestick and oil lamp, the
stand on which the women used to place
their water jugs, the family icon-stand,
and various kinds of agricultural imple-
ments. In the space behind the room is
the workshop with all the necessary im-
plements for weaving.
Collection of Byzantine icons - Saint Catherine's
church (Aghia Aikaterini square) - also called the Museum of Religious
Art.
It is housed in the church of Saint
Catherine which is a dependency of
Mount Sinai. The church is a basilica
with a transverse nave. Its northern
side has been turned.into a chapel with
a cupola (Aghioi Deka). It was built in
the 15th century and'.was turned into a
mosque during the Turkish occupation.
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