At the grand opening ceremony on 27th June 1983, Yiorgos Anemoyiannis was joined by thousands of others who saw his dream come to fruition. Thousands of people from all over Crete, Greece and many far-flung places overseas flocked to partake of the emotion aroused by the living memory of Nikos Kazantzakis. Present at the ceremony were Kazantzakis' widow Eleni, her adopted son Patroklos Stavrou, Odysseas Elytis and countless VIPs from Greece and abroad.
Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri, a personal friend and admirer of Nikos and Eleni Kazanzaki, cut the ribbon opening the entrance gate to the public. This marked the handing over of a global acquisition, the cultural heritage of Nikos Kazantzakis housed in one of the few museums devoted to an individual in Greece, offering visitors the opportunity to trace the uphill path of the great writer's thought, and the impact his work has all over the world.
