Ierapetra is the largest city in the prefecture of Lassithi. It
is also the fourth largest city in Crete and the southernmost major
economic and political center of Greece and the European continent.
It is located 100 km southeast of Heraklion, 242 km from Chania and
36 km south of Agios Nikolaos. It was the seat of the homonymous
province, which is the largest part of the current Municipality of
Ierapetra. According to the 2011 census, the population of the city
center was 12,355, while together with its suburban settlements it
reached 16,139.
For the last decade, Ierapetra has been one
of the most popular tourist destinations in Crete and an attraction
for Greek, Russian, Italian and German tourists, due to its
award-winning beaches (2nd European Beach Award). The intense night
life starts from the beach rakadika and ends in the bars in the
narrow streets of the city. During the summer months, the cultural
events "Kyrveia" take place, with a variety of concerts and theater
performances.
Today the city is the only urban center in
southern Crete, while it is an important commercial center for the
export of agricultural products to Europe and is the main economic
and commercial center of the prefecture of Lassithi.
Its area
includes some of the most important ecosystems of the eastern
Mediterranean, such as the island of Chrysi, the forest of Selakanos
which is the largest and most important in Crete, and the mountains
of Thripti. The tourist settlement of Makry Gialos is located 24 km
east of the city. With Government Gazette A 239 - 07.11.2011 the
Local Communities of Pefka, Chrysopigi, Lithina and Pervolakia left
the Municipality of Ierapetra and joined the neighboring
Municipality of Sitia.
With the implementation of the
Kallikratis program, the only hospital in the city, which serves
more than 40,000 people, is degraded, causing the reactions of the
population.
Chronology
The foundation of the city is lost in the mythical
years, when it was founded by the Koryvantes, who came to Ierapytna
from Rhodes (hence the name Kamiros, which was an ancient Rhodesian
city). The city is located on the site of the ancient city of
Ierapytna in southeastern Crete. Older names of Ierapytna were Kyrva
(from the first settler who had the same name), Kamiros, Pytna (=
hill) and was one of the most important cities of Crete, especially
during the Roman period. The site of ancient Ierapytna, which was
destroyed (probably by the earthquake of 796) was at a distance of
one kilometer from the current city, at Viglia.
Naming
The
current name of the city comes from the adjective "sanctuary" and
the word stone. The name Ierapytna is older and refers to Strabo
(who mistakenly placed it on a hill of Mount Idi) in the 1st century
BC. and in Stephen the Byzantine in the 6th AD. century (in his
Dictionary, where he also mentions the national "Ierapytnios"). With
the same name (Ierapytna, from the sanctuary and the pytna = hill in
Pelasgian) it refers to Pliny, Ptolemy, the Synecdoche of Hierocles
and in the catalogs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The city is also
located in the southern part of Crete, in the Gulf of Libya, by the
geographers Jerome and Artemis. During the Middle Ages, Ierapetra
was called Hierapolis or Holy City (with this name it also refers to
Buodelmodi, a monk from Florence, in his book A Round of Crete in
1415. The Greek scholar Michael Apostolis mentions Ierapetra as Iera
P letter to the student of Atramytinos, in 1469. In a naval book of
Byzantine times there is a reference to the city called Iera Pydna,
with references to Samonion (today's Cape Sideros and the islet of
Chrysi. According to other traditions, the city was built by The
Semites, the Phoenicians, the Egyptians and the Dorians.
Prehistoric years
Little is known about the city during this
period. However, the city developed rapidly both economically (due
to trade with Egypt) and culturally. In the following centuries the
inhabitants began to engage in trade, handicrafts and fishing.
Ancient and Roman years
From the 4th century BC. the Doric
city of Ierapytna began to emerge as a military and economic power.
It established close political, social and economic relations with
abroad (the rest of Greece, Asia Minor, North Africa) and gradually
established itself as the only power in Eastern Crete, together with
Itano. After the conquest by the Romans, Ierapetra continued to
prosper.
The coin of ancient Ierapetra
In ancient
Ierapytna a silver didrachm was used as a coin. One such dates from
the 2nd - 1st c. e.g. and is kept in the British Museum. It depicts
a female head in right profile, adorned with a crown. The crown is
well-groomed and compact, while the neck is covered with curls. The
back has the inscriptions IERAPY and ARIST | AGORA | S, while it
depicts a palm tree with fruits. On the left an eagle in right
profile flies. The whole back is surrounded by a laurel wreath. It
has a diameter of 23 mm and weighs 7.54 g.
Roman conquest
The Romans subjugated Ierapytna after a first failed attempt by Mark
Antonios. In the last battle fought in the city in 67 BC. General
Aristion was defeated by Quinto Metellos. The severity of the battle
and the difficult conditions for the Ierapytni were also recorded by
the historian Valerios Maximos, who stated that the inhabitants were
forced to drink their urine due to the lack of water. Aristion
escaped with his fleet, but due to bad weather his ships were
destroyed and he was arrested. The city was eventually destroyed by
the Romans and later rebuilt. The conquest of Ierapytna meant the
final subjugation of Crete to the Romans. Crete then became a
province of Rome along with Cyrenaica and with a Deputy Governor and
based in Gortyna.
The new Ierapytna developed into a naval
base, with its port serving the wider area but also because of its
geographical location. The consequence of these was to develop in
population, economically and culturally, to expand and become one of
the richest Cretan cities. Due to its location and development, the
city retained the right to mint its own coins, as can be seen from
the coins found in the area and depicting the heads of Tiberius,
Caligula and Augustus, among others. At the same time, the city was
adorned with many statues, baths and works of art, some of which
were found and are kept today in the Museum of Ierapetra
(Archaeological Collection).
According to the traveler Onorio Beli, Ierapytna was adorned with
two theaters: the "small" (which was allegedly located near the
junction of the current streets Kondylaki and Afxentiou) and the
"big", which was probably located in Viglia, on the left side of the
road to the Gra-Lygia.
Byzantine period
During the first
Byzantine years (330-824) Ierapetra was not in the center of
interest of the Byzantine Empire. However, as mentioned in the list
of Hierocles (6th century) it was the seat of a diocese.
Ierapytna was destroyed, according to the prevailing theory, by the
great earthquake, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, that struck
Crete in 796. The Saracen pirates looted the city in the 9th century
and completed its destruction.
Venetian domination
After
the occupation of Crete by the Genoese, the Venetians occupied the
island in 1212. According to the population census by Kastrofylakas
in 1583, Ierapetra is not inadvertently mentioned, although
reference is made to the population of its villages. However, in the
list of priests, 7 priests are mentioned in the city. The Venetian
rule lasted in Ierapetra from the 13th to the 17th century. The
Venetians at that time had appointed their own bishops of Latin
descent. Ierapetra received its current name at that time and ceased
to be an administrative center, as the interest of the Venetians
shifted to Sitia. Thus, the provinces of Ierapetra and Sitia were
merged into one territory, based in Sitia, with borders starting
from Kalo Chorio and reaching up to Myrtos, while a part of the
current province of Ierapetra west of the river Sarandapich was the
administrative part of of the territory of Chandakas (today's
Heraklion).
The Castle of Calais was built during the first
years of Venetian rule and was strengthened by Francesco Morosini
(the destroyer of the Acropolis) in 1626 to protect the small port,
although according to local tradition it was built by Genoese
Admiral Enrico Pescatore in 1212.
In 1293 the revolutionaries
gathered during the Revolution of Alexios Kallergis against the
Venetians in the Monastery of Faneromeni. During the same period,
other uprisings took place, such as those of Agios Stefanitos (1212)
and the Revolution of Kapsokalyves, in 1370.
Eleftherios
Platakis mentions that the whole of Ierapetra was leveled by an
earthquake on May 29, 1508 and rebuilt after several years, in the
middle of the 16th century as a small village with a small fortress.
The quake was estimated at 7.2 on the Richter scale and caused
significant damage beyond Ierapetra to Chandakas (present-day
Heraklion), where only 4-5 houses remained habitable, and to Sitia.
Shortly before the Turkish occupation, a disinfectant was
founded in Ierapetra (1619). At that hospital, the ships that
arrived at the port of the city were disinfected and the Hansen and
other patients with infectious diseases were treated.
Regarding the cultural and sporting events in the city, the traveler
Belly mentions that at that time there were naval battles, which
were sailing competitions and took place in a specially designed
port. The place where the games took place was Megali Alyki, west of
today's Ierapetra.
Ottoman rule
The city fell to the Turks
in 1647, as a result of which it was again degraded into a simple
settlement, as reported by the French botanist and traveler Joseph
Piton de Tournefort (1717). On June 26, 1798, Napoleon the Great,
after his failed expedition to Egypt, abandoned his defeated army
and, according to tradition, spent the night in Ierapetra. The house
that hosted him (which belonged to the prominent Gerepetritis
Andreas Peroulios) still exists. Peroulios did not understand that
the stranger who had spent the night at his house was Napoleon,
until his wife found under the pillow a note that wrote that the
person who had catalyzed for one night in their home was Napoleon
Bonaparte. Napoleon's house as it is called today belongs to the
Municipality of Ierapetra, which bought it from the last heir
Haridimos Tzortzakakis, a descendant of Eugenia Perouliou, daughter
of Andreas. During the Turkish occupation a mosque was built which
also still exists in the old town. An excerpt from the Koran is
inscribed on the marble lintel of its entrance. The Municipal
Philharmonic Orchestra is housed there and opposite is the fountain
of the Turkish Mayor Karakasis. The building known as Mehtepi or
Ottoman School was built in 1899 for the Turkish children. It is
located in the Town Hall Square and today is the property of the
Municipality of Ierapetra and houses the Archaeological Collection.
Formerly it hosted the Municipal Philharmonic and was the seat of
the Housekeeping School.
Liberation struggles and union with Greece
During the 19th
century Ierapetra took part in all the national liberation
struggles. In 1897 the Cretan revolutionaries Michael Korakas and
Emmanuel Kokkinis together with 3,000 Greek revolutionaries attacked
with their cannons against the Turkish forces, trying to occupy the
city walls. Kokkinis was killed by an Italian bomber who was
chartering at the port, but the following year the Turks surrendered
the city in the presence of French Admiral Potier. The Greek flag
was raised in Kale and in 1905 the Union of Crete with Greece was
proclaimed in the central square in front of the District.
Settlement of Asia Minor
After the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922
and the subsequent exchange of populations, many Asia Minor families
settled in Ierapetra, which gave cultural and economic prosperity to
the region. It is indicative that the people of Asia Minor were the
first growers of fruits and especially tomatoes in winter. From the
mid-30s, the production of tomatoes gradually started from the area
of Tzanides, on estates suitable for winter cultivation.
Beaches
Ierapetra has some of the most beautiful and cleanest
beaches in Crete. For this reason it has been awarded by the
Association of Marine and Coastal Areas (EUCC), based in Leiden, the
Netherlands, with the International Prize for High Quality of
beaches. This means that Ierapetra, now with international
recognition, is included in the list of the 50 most attractive areas
of Southern Europe.
East Beach
The East beach of Ierapetra
is the largest beach in the city, length of one (1) kilometer. It
starts at the open municipal gym and continues to the rocks, where
the city limits are. Then continues the nearest beach outside the
city, referred to as Agios Andreas beach, due to the homonymous
church located there. Almost the entire length of the beach there is
a pedestrian street above the beach. Agios Andreas is a sandy beach,
with rocky shores and is suitable for free diving.
South
Beach
The South beach of Ierapetra, is one of the three beaches
located in the city. The beach is located next to the fortress of
Kales. It is an organized municipal beach with fine pebbles. Also,
very close to the beach, there are several cafes and taverns.
Other beaches in the Municipality of Ierapetra
Holy Fire
Sandy beaches
Serenity, Achlia
Tholos (in Kavousi)
Kakkos
Straw
Koutsouras
Meadow (in Ferma)
Makry-Gialos,
Kalamokanias
Makry-Gialos, Katovigli / Lagoufa
Mavros Kolympos
Great Beach
Golden Island
Agios Andreas Beach
Myrtos Beach
in Myrtos
Port of New East
Pacheia Ammos beach
The old
woman's leap
Other beaches near Ierapetra
Dipping
Koufonisi