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Other than the administrative problems caused by Turkish rule, the lack of a [[cathedral]] was of importance to the Metropolis. Under Turkish rule, the Church was allowed only one [[church]] in Candia (Heraklion), that of St. Matthew. St. Matthew was a dependency of the [[monastery]] of [[St. Catherine's Monastery (Sinai)|Sinai]], a relationship that was not well. Without a cathedral, the metropolitan was forced to travel among the churches and monasteries. Against this state of affairs Metropolitan Gerasimos Letitzis was able, after a difficult struggle with the Turkish authorities, to have the small Church of St. Minas built as his cathedral. The church was consecrated on [[November 10]], 1735, but was not acknowledged officially until an ecclesiastical act on [[June 19]], 1742. The small cathedral became the center of the Christian community in Heraklion. Over the years the cathedral was adorned with icons. In 1800, Metropolitan Gerasimos Pardalis brought to the cathedral six large [[icon]]s from the Monastery of Vrondissi that were painted by the renowned Michael Damaskinos.
During the period of Turkish rule, the Ecumenical Patriarchate used its position within the [[Ottoman empire ]] to help the Church in Crete by bringing many of the monasteries under the protection of the Patriarchate as stavropigial institutions. This practice began under the first metropolitan under Turkish rule, Neophitos Patellaros, who from 1654 transferred many of the largest and most wealthy monasteries including Arcadi, Arsanios, Holy Trinity of Tzagarolon, Holy Virgin of Gdernetos, Chrissopigis, and Jerusalem of Malevizi.
As agitation for Greek independence gained popular support, the people of Crete revolted against the Turks. In retaliation on [[June 24]], 1921, the Turks conducted a massacre in Herkalion that is remembered by the populace as ‘’o megalos arpentes’’ (the great ravage). Among the victims were Metropolitan Gerasimos Pardalis, and five of his bishops: Neofitos of Knossos, Joachim of Herronissos, Ierotheos of Lambis, Zacharias of Sitia and Kallinikos, and the titular bishop of Diopolis. The [[see]] of metropolitan remained vacant for the next two years until the sultan consented, in 1823, to the consecration of Kallinikos of Anchialos as the Metropolitan of Crete. At the same time the bishopric of Knossos was abolished and became part of the metropolis.
