The Neratze Mosque in Rethymno has lived several lives. Built by the Venetians as a church dedicated to Santa Maria, it was converted into a mosque in 1657 by Gazi Hussein Pasha after the Ottoman conquest of Crete. The minaret came much later, added in 1890, and offered views over the city's terracotta rooftops until it was closed for safety reasons.

The building's history runs deeper still. The nearby Venetian cathedral, a burial place for Rethymno's noble families, was absorbed into the mosque complex at the same time. This folded centuries of Christian worship into the new Ottoman order in a single architectural gesture. Today, the building serves as Rethymno's Municipal Music Conservatory.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace this layered history, following the city's shifting rulers from Venetian merchants to Ottoman administrators. They reveal how each left their mark on the streets and buildings around you.