The exhibition invites visitors to uncover the essence of cartography as it evolved between scientific objectivity and desire. The maps of Crete trace the outline of the territories conquered first by Venice and later by the Ottoman Empire, adding details that expand, interpret, and give personality to the island’s true form. The fifty maps from the Kostis S. Christakis Collection are arranged into five thematic sections that follow the development of cartography and recount the shifting chapters of Crete’s historical identity. Through them, the island is revealed in its many guises: as a vital hub on the trade routes between West and East, as a captivating presence in the European Renaissance, as a city heroically withstanding one of history’s longest sieges, and finally – prophetically – as an inseparable part of Greece.

Archaeological Museum of Heraklion Temporary Exhibition Hall, Duke of Beaufort & Iosif Chatzidakis St.

29 September 2026 -10 January 2027

Opening hours: Same as the Museum’s opening hours https://heraklionmuseum.gr/en/visit-us/ .

Ticket price: €5.