St. Mark's Basilica is one of the most important Venetian monuments in Heraklion. It is located in the city center, close to Eleftheria Square, directly opposite the Fountain of Lions. Today the building of the Cathedral is the Museum of Fine Arts. It was founded in May 2000 K. Shizakisom and is a nonprofit organization. The main objectives of the museum is to promote contemporary art, promoting the work of young artists of Crete, aesthetic and spiritual education of the population.

The building of the cathedral was built by the Venetians in 1239 in honor of the patron saint of St. Mark. At that time it was the main cathedral in all of Crete. It is here that all the most important ceremony, and was buried in special sarcophagi Venetian nobility.

Basilica has survived many earthquakes, which for centuries was shaken Heraklion, but not much affected, and perform only minor repairs. In the period of Turkish rule in the building housed a mosque. Society of Cretan Historical Studies in 1956 restored the building to its original form. Today the building houses a lecture hall of the historical school of Crete and an exhibition hall, which is exhibited in the Byzantine wall painting XIII-XIV centuries.

The Museum of Fine Arts held educational and training lectures and seminars on art and art activities, hosts various conferences, concerts and other cultural events. The museum provides premises for organizing various exhibitions, both public and private Greek and foreign collections. Also, the museum is being publishing.