The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Menas, dedicated to the city’s patron and protector saint, was constructed between 1862 and 1895 by the architect Athanasios Mousis. The foundation stone was laid in 1862 by the Archbishop of Crete Dionysios Charitonidis, later Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysios V. The outbreak of the Cretan Revolt in 1866 led to the suspension of construction works, which resumed in 1883. The church was inaugurated on 18 April 1895, during the episcopacy of Archbishop Timotheos Kastrinogiannakis.

The monument is an eclectic composition, combining architectural features of a domed cross-in-square church with those of a three-aisled basilica with galleries. At the eastern end, two corner bell towers rise to a height of 32.70 m. The architectural and decorative articulation incorporates elements drawn from a variety of stylistic traditions. The iconostasis and the episcopal throne were designed by Anastasios Orlandos and executed by F. Skaris. The original painted decoration of the church was completed in 1960 by S. Katrakis, a pupil of Photis Kontoglou.