The
temporary exhibitions at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion offer
opportunities to view the world from a different perspective. Their curatorial
approach is not limited to presenting unknown or underappreciated works of art
of outstanding significance. It aims to leave behind a legacy of images,
knowledge, and questions that will stay with us for many years to come.
Crete in
historical cartography from the 16th through the 18th centuries is depicted in
fifty maps, each of which, in turn, tells the story of the deeds and daily
lives of its people. The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between
the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion and the curator of the British School of
Archaeology at Knossos, Kostis Christakis, an archaeologist, and Nikos
Skoutelis, a professor at the School of Architectural Engineering at the
Technical University of Crete.
It gives us
the opportunity to encounter Venetian-ruled Crete at the height of its power,
its pivotal role at the crossroads of the maritime trade routes that made
possible the world-historical dialogue between the West and the East, the
Cretan War with its dramatic siege and the eventual fall of Chandakas, and
finally the cartographic annexation of the island to Greece, which was already
part of the victorious Ottoman Empire.
Through the
dynamic relationship between cartographers and the world they were called upon
to depict—from the topography, the natural and man-made environment, the
inhabitants, the myths, and the history of the island to the universe itself—
the artistic creation of maps emerged for more than three centuries as a field
of science, experimentation, lived experience, political propaganda,
questioning of reality, and utopian thought.
This
meeting holds special symbolic significance, as it is taking place at the
Heraklion Archaeological Museum, whose building houses the city’s ancient
harbor—the very site where the Venetian monastery of St. Francis was built —a
landmark for ships arriving at the port from all corners of the Mediterranean.
It was in this monastery—after its conversion into the Hunkar Mosque—that the
conqueror of the ruined Chandax offered his first prayer following twenty-one
years of a grueling siege.
This
exhibition explores this fascinating journey and comes to life with lectures, a
roundtable discussion, a film screening, a workshop, and guided tours
throughout its run, from September 29, 2026, to January 10, 2027.
Location:
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Temporary Exhibition Hall
Temporary
Exhibition: “In the Middle of the World: Crete in European Cartography from the
16th to the 18th Century. Representations and Identities”
Exhibition
Opening: September 29, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
Exhibition
Dates: September 29, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Hours:
Hours of operation of the Heraklion Archaeological Museum
https://daysofart.gr/en/news/history-news/archaeological-museum-of-heraklion-temporary-exhibition-in-the-middle-of-the-world-crete-in-european-cartography-from-the-16th-to-the-18th-century-representations-and-identities/
