Some attractions of Heraklion are the giant Venetian walls (the largest in the Mediterranean) with the various gates, the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, the Historical Museum of Crete, the Natural History Museum of Crete, etc. Moreover, in the historic center, it is worth visiting Loggia, the square with the Fountain of Lions, the Street August 25, the central market, the Basilica of San Marco, the churches of Saint Titos, Saint Minas, Saint Catherine, Saint Peter and the Venetian Harbour with the imposing seaside fortress of Koules. Lastly, in the evening you can stroll or cycle on the pedestrian road seaside to the Pancretan Stadium.
It is a wood and stone building with a roof in three sections. The main entrance is set back in a recess in the wall. There are eight arched thresholds on the ground floor, with an equal number of pilasters above. The wide variety of architectural features employed includes cornices with cyma moulding, pilasters, capitals of various types and parapets embellished with rosettes.
The building at 17 Halbherr Str. during the Ottoman Era was the residence of Mirtza Efendis. It is a two-storey wood and stone building with later additions in reinforced concrete. A high wall marks out the entire property.
The building operated as a nunnery (Monasterio Greco Madonna Acrotiriani) during the Venetian Era (17th century) and was a dependency of the monastery of Panagia Akrotiriani Toplou by Sitia. A document of 1671 states that the main temple was dedicated to St. John the Theologian, while there was another church dedicated to St. Peter.