In the north of the Cathedral of Saint Minas is the area of ​​St. Catherine, which is named after the eponymous church located here. The area is a wonderful oasis in the city center with cozy cafes and playgrounds. Hallmark Square are thousands of pigeons, who are happy to feed the locals and visitors. Surrounded by modern buildings, the church of St. Catherine seems timeless. Since 1967, the building houses the Museum of Religious Art.

Church of St. Catherine was built in 1555 and belonged to the monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. Venetian architecture had a great influence on the appearance of the temple. From the 15th to the 17th century, the temple was the center of intellectual and artistic activity. The nuns at the Monastery of the Orthodox Church organized a school in which studied the ancient Greek writers, philosophy, theology, rhetoric and art. The school received education and the famous El Greco.

After Heraklion in 1669 was occupied by the Turks, the church of St. Catherine was transformed into a Muslim mosque, which was located here until the 20th century, when Crete became independent.

The exhibits in the museum, represent the history of the Greek Orthodox Church from the 14th to the 19th century. Here you can see an excellent collection of icons, manuscripts, frescoes, altar furnishings, books, vestments, church utensils and more. The museum has six unique works of Michael Damascus, which is one of the best representatives of the Cretan icon painting school. Among them is the famous icon of the "Adoration of the Magi."