Crete (Heraklion)

Heraklion or Iraklion, is the largest city and capital of Crete. It is also the fourth largest city in Greece. Its name is also spelled Herakleion, a transliteration of the ancient Greek and Katharevousa name, Ἡράκλειον, or Iraklio, among other variants. For centuries it was known as Candia, a Venetian adaptation of an earlier Greek name, which in turn came from the Arabic rabḍ al-ḫandaq. The English form Candy, from French, meant the city of Candia or all of Crete (as in Twelfth Night 5.1). Under the Ottoman Empire, it was called Kandiye. In the local vernacular, it is often called Κάστρο (Kástro, "castle") and its inhabitants Kastrinoí, "castle dwellers".

Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion Prefecture, with an international airport named after the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. The ruins of Knossos, which were excavated and restored by Arthur Evans, are nearby.

History
Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. This Bronze Age palace and human settlement has yielded significant archaeological finds that have given insights to the Minoan civilisation. It is likely that there was a port at Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC, although no archaeological recovery has been made of the port itself.

Founding
The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 AD by the Saracens who had been expelled from Al-Andalus by Emir Al-Hakam I and had taken over the island from the Byzantine Empire. They built a moat around the city for protection, and named the city 'Castle of the Moat'. The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Byzantine shipping and raided Byzantine territory around the Aegaean.

More information : wikipedia