Historical Sites of the town
The Fortress
It was built by the Venetians -the well known "Kales " - on the southernmost pier of the ancient harbor, facing "the land of the Saracens".
Its firm construction as well as its use till the end of the 19th century have preserved it to date, so that it reminds us of past times that have been difficult for the town as well as our nation.
It's quite probable that its erection started around 1212, as the archaeologist L.Mariani also claims, by the pirate Pescatore of Genoa.
The first official evidence is an official document of the Venetian Senate dated April 13th 1307, in which the construction of a fortress in Ierapetra is mentioned.
The next reference to the fortress dates from the 16th century and Sammicheli supervises its restoration after the terrible earthquake of 1508 and the Turkish raids. It seems, however that the damages were very serious and not all the necessary repairs were done.
In 1647, when Ierapetra was taken by the Turks, the fortress was preserved by the conquerors for defense reasons. Although many alterations were made, a lot of the Venetian elements have been held.
The current name "Kales" is certainly a corrupt form of the tourkish word "koules" that means castle.
Napoleon's House
It was in July 1798 when Napoleon's fleet on the way to Egypt anchored off Ierapetra and a family in the city put up Bonaparte. The old cretan house in Kato Mera still holds a recollection of this historical visit.
The legend says that Napoleon stopped in Crete and spent a night in Ierapetra without declaring his identity till next morning, when a short note was found on his pillow after his having set sail.
The note was written in French and reads as follows: "If you want to find out who your guest was, then you should know that I am Napoleon Bonaparte."
The local people nowadays proudly point out the house in which Napoleon was hosted. The house is located in the old city, it has been declared a protected building and has been restored by the Archaeological Service in charge.
Putting aside the controversies of historians and the scientific discussions, no matter what the final scientific truth will be, the people of Ierapetra will never cease to be proud of the great guest of their fellow-townsman and show Perouliou's house, which can be found today under the name "Napoleon's house".
The Mosque
Built in the old city (Kato Mera) at the end of the 19th century, when the Turks conquered Ierapetra and modified the church of Agios Ioannis for their religious purposes. It is held to date in a pretty good condition.
It is spacious and has a Muslim inscription from the Koran on the marble lintel of the entrance. Its minaret was repaired around 1953 and dominates the district. Opposite the mosque there is an Muslim fountain, which has also been restored.
The Ottoman School
The Ottoman school or Mechtepi was built in 1899, after the liberation, for the Turkish children. The old Business School, the Housekeeping School, and the town band have been occasionally located there. The building has also been used as a repository for antiquities. Nowadays it houses the Archaelogical Collection.