Museum of Christian Art

Overview

The Museum of Christian Art (also called the Collection of Saint Catherine) is housed in the 15th-century Church of Saint Catherine of Sinai, adjacent to the Cathedral of Saint Minas. Its collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, frescoes, and liturgical objects is among the finest on Crete.

Highlights

• Icons by Michail Damaskinos: Six large icons by the 16th-century Cretan painter, a contemporary of El Greco who blended Byzantine and Italian Renaissance styles.
• Wall Frescoes: Detached frescoes rescued from abandoned churches across Crete.
• Liturgical Silverwork: Chalices, censers, and book covers from the 14th–18th centuries.

History

The Church of Saint Catherine was built in 1555 as the katholikon (main church) of the Sinaite monastery in Heraklion. It served as a center of learning during the Cretan Renaissance, when painters like Damaskinos studied alongside El Greco. The church was converted into a museum in 1986.

Visitor Tips

• Combined visit: The museum is steps from the Cathedral of Saint Minas — visit both.
• Small but rich: The collection is compact enough to see thoroughly in under an hour.
• Duration: 30–45 minutes.