Air 2 Rethymno and Neradze Mosque

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Rethymno is the third largest city of Crete with a population of about 30,000, built on the site of ancient Rethymno (4th-5th century BC). After the Byzantine era, Rethymno was fortified and strengthened even more by the Venetians. The Old Town of Rethymnon is one of the most beautiful attractions for the visitor to Crete, who has the opportunity to wander into the past. The city, with its picturesque alleys and beautiful monuments, preserves in its entirety the urban fabric, as it was formed during the Venetian and Turkish occupations.

The Neratze Mosque in Rethymno, also known as Gazi Hussein Mosque, is found close to Petichaki square. Initially it was a Venetian church dedicated to Santa Maria and later on, it became an Augustinian Monastery. However, when the Turks dominated the town in 1657, their leader, Gazi Hussein Pasha, turned it into a mosque.