With a simple yet emotionally charged event, the Gate of Agios Georgios was returned to the city and its people after many years, as part of the Cultural Development Programmatic Agreement (CDPA) signed by the Municipality of Heraklion, the Ministry of Culture, and the Region of Crete, aimed at the protection, utilization, and promotion of the Venetian Fortifications and Neoria of Heraklion.

The reopening of the gate was accompanied by a guided tour of the OFI Amateur Exhibition and a concise yet comprehensive presentation by the Mayor of Heraklion, Alexis Kalokairinos, regarding the CDPA, the ongoing works and interventions, as well as those planned for the near future. These works and interventions are part of the initiative titled "Return to the Walls, Return of the Walls", and include:

• Seven bastions

• Four demi-bastions

• Ten lower plazas

• Four urban gates and arcades

• Nine military gates and arcades

The aim, as emphasized by Mayor Kalokairinos, is full accessibility, unhindered passage, walkability, and connectivity, ensuring the continuity and unity of the walking routes along the land walls, their inner perimeter, level sections, and the moat.

The plan envisions free public access through the urban gates, cultural uses in arcades for light rotating exhibitions, performing arts events in the lower plazas, the hosting of simultaneous contemporary events, and comprehensive lighting of the monument.

Mayor Kalokairinos also made special reference to emblematic projects, such as:

• The restoration of the entire Neoria complex

• The reinforcement and structural restoration of the seaside wall (Bentenaki)

• The project in Dermatas Bay, which—beyond its protective function—includes the creation of a dual urban beach

His presentation concluded with photographic material from the Walls Festivals of 2024 and 2025.

The opening ceremony of the Gate of Agios Georgios was accompanied by a musical performance from the Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra of Heraklion, conducted by Leonidas Tzortzakis.