Irakleio

Irakleio or (Modern Greek: Ηράκλειο, Irakleio)—archaically Irakleion or Herakleion, also called Candia—is the fifth largest city of Greece, on the northern coast of the island of Crete. It is the capital of Crete and of the Irakleio Prefecture. It has 140 357 inhabitants (2007).

The famous, archeological site of Knossos lies in the upper hills behind Irakleio.

Naming and short history

The official, current name in Modern Greek is Ηράκλειο, Irakleio [iˈrakliɔ] (but in katharevousa, a former standard variety of modern Greek until 1976, it was Ἠράκλειον, Irakleion). This name is a revived use of the Ancient Greek name Ἠράκλειον, Hērákleion: it referred to the hero Heracles and designated a harbour of the Roman period, whose exact location is unknown.

In 824 AD, the Arabs dominated the region and founded the current city; it was named in Byzantine Greek Χάνδαξ, Chandax, from Arabic Khandaq “moat”. This name remained when the Byzantine Empire took again Crete in 960-961. In 1204, the city and the island went under the control of the Republic of Venice and Χάνδαξ, Chandax was adapted into Càndiga, then Candia, in the Northern Italian language of the Venetians. The name Candia was borrowed by a lot of other languages (e.g. in English: Candia) and used to designate not only the city but the whole island of Crete. In early Modern Greek, Χάνδαξ, Chandax evolved into Χάνδακας, Chandakas.

During the Ottoman domination (1669-1898), along with Χάνδακας, Chandakas, a second Greek name appeared: Μεγάλο Κάστρο, Megalo Kastro “Big Castle” or simply Κάστρο “Castle”. This unofficial name is still in use nowadays.

The ancient name Ηράκλειο(ν), Irakleio(n) was restored from 1822 on, as Cretans rose up against the Ottomans. This name was confirmed officially with the foundation of the short-lived Cretan State (1898-1913) and with the integration of Crete into the Greek state in 1913. Nowadays, Greek speakers say only Ηράκλειο, Irakleio or, informally, Μεγάλο Κάστρο, Megalo Kastro; but the Venetian type Candia is still known in several languages (e.g. Italian and English Candia, Catalan Càndia, Turkish Kandiye).