Gazi, Crete 3.21

Gazi is a town and a former municipality in the Heraklion regional unit of Crete in Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Malevizi, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies 6km west of Heraklion, on the north coast of Crete. With 12,606 inhabitants, it was the seat of the municipality of Gazi, which comprised several nearby villages with a total population of 19,221 and an area of 95.81km².Villages of Gazi municipal unit, by community:Gazi : Gazi, Agia Marina, Agios Dimitrios, Agios Panteleimon, Ammoudara, Council-Houses, Kavrochori, Kefalogiannis, Koluvas, 62 Martyres, Xiropotamos, Kalessa.Rodia : Rodia, Kapetanaki Metochi, Linoperamata, Pantanassa, Palaiokastro, Savatiana Monastery.Fodele : Fodele, Agios Panteleimon Monastery, Fodele beach.Achlada : Achlada, Agia Pelagia, Lygaria, Made.Kalesia : Ano Kalesia and Kato Kalesia Fodele is claimed as the birthplace of the painter El Greco, but this is disputed. His family were from the area and there is a Museum of El Greco in the village.The ruins of a Genoese castle are at Palaiokastro .