The period of the Cretan State (1898–1913) was marked by Crete’s effort to align itself with Greece. The dominant current of Neoclassicism proved the most suitable means of expressing the aspiration for union and a shared national destiny, while also projecting a new image that distanced the island from its recent ‘Eastern’ past.

Decree 332 of 25 March 1901—the first law of the Cretan State to address urban planning—established the basic principles governing urban development, building construction, and the issuance of building permits. The construction of projecting bays (sachnisi) was henceforth prohibited, while Article 28 stipulated that “on the principal streets of Chania, Heraklion and Rethymno, all houses must be at least two storeys high”, and Article 32 that “in towns, houses must be roofed with clay tiles, metal sheets, or, in general, materials not susceptible to fire”.

Decree 395 of 2 August 1901, On the Town Plan of Heraklion, enforced the application of the urban plan drawn up by the engineer Protopapadakis in the Vezir Çarşi market area. Among other provisions, it stated that “covered balconies projecting onto the streets shall be removed when they are in a dangerous condition or when they obstruct the passage of pedestrians or riders, all repair and new construction being prohibited”.

The engineers of the period—graduates of polytechnic schools and bearers of a ‘European education’—were well equipped to serve the spirit of the age and to articulate the demand for a new image of Crete, one that would restore it to the ranks of free European states. As one of the principal thoroughfares of Heraklion, 25th August Martyrs Avenue became the city’s most privileged ground for this ‘modernising’ endeavour, offering an almost blank canvas following the damage inflicted by the destructive events of 1898.