Chania City

Lying between the sea and the high mountains, Chania is the next largest city on Crete and one of it is most appealing. With its fine buildings and harbour lit up at night it creates an atmosphere that attracts locals as well tourists to the cafes and tavernas.

Chania has been under the control of various armies, from the Romans, Byzantines to the Turks. The fort and defences witness to a turbulent history. Chania today is an excellent starting point to visit the surrounding area. The harbour which is really two harbours, in the inner harbour you will find the remains of the Venetian shipyards (Arseneli). If you walk around the harbour and along the sea wall, you will come to the Venetian lighthouse, which is the emblem for the city.

The restored Venetian Fort Firkas houses the Naval Museum , during the summer months; the Fort is also the setting for traditional music and concerts. In the old harbour is the Mosque of the Janissaries, the oldest building from the Ottoman Empire in Crete . The town with its old Ventian quarter is charming with numerous shops to please the most ardent of shoppers. The covered market, modelled on the market in Marseilles , France , offers a wide range of Cretan produce. Many of the old Turkish and Ventian buildings have been restored many of them now restaurants.

Walking around the narrow streets and lanes of the city gives you an insight into the development of the city. People from the Neolithic Age were the first to settle in the area, followed by the Minoans in about 2200BC. They built a settlement known then as Kydonia, which grew into an influential port. Little is known of this period of the city’s history, due to the remains of the ancient city are know buried the modern city of Chania . Like the most of Crete, Chania has experienced invasions and wars throughout the centuries. The city developed under Roman rule to become city of importance.

The Venetians built massive fortifications around the city in the 14 th and 16 th centuries, to protect themselves from pirates and later the Turks. The Turks took control over the city in 1645, and they stayed on Crete until 1898 when the governments of Russia , France and Britain took over control of Crete . Chania was the named as the capital of the island until 1971 when Iraklio took over as the capital of Crete . Throughout all these troubles and changes, Chania has developed into a charming city that entices visitors to return repeatedly.

Places of Interest in the City:

Archaeological Museum : is in the Church of St. Francisco built by the Venetians in the 16 th century. The building has undergone many changes and uses in its time, the Turks converted into a mosque. In 1913, the building became a cinema and later an ammunition store during the Second World War. Inside the museum artefacts from around the region are on display, these include artefacts from the Neolithic Age, to ceramics and sarcophagi from the late Minoan period. Mosaics, glass vases and ceramics form the Roman period, in addition, an imposing Roman statue of the goddess Diana. Other artefacts on display are jewellery, idols, vases and tablets with Linear A writing upon them. In the courtyard is a striking Venetian Fountain made from marble decorated with the heads of lions.

Opening hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Sunday: 08.30-15.00
Holidays: 15 August, 28 October: 08.30-15.00
Phone:+30-28210-90334
Fax: +30-28210-94487

The Naval Museum : is in the Firkas Fortress, on display are model ships and other items relating to the maritime history of the region.

The Historical Museum and Archives: Have displays on the islands turbulent past, exhibits show the struggle of the Cretans against the Turkish occupation. Other exhibits recount the German occupation of the island during the Second World War.

The Folklore Museum : has on exhibit objects of local crafts that consist of implements and weavings with traditional designs.

 

The Church of Agios Nikolaos : Originally, a Dominican monastery converted to a Mosque under the orders of Sultan Ibrahim. In 1918, the mosque became a Greek Orthodox Church, with the unusual feature; the church has both a bell tower and a minaret.

Municipal Park and Zoo: constructed in 1870 by a Turkish Pasha, in the park are an outdoor cinema and a small zoo where you can see the Cretan wild goat the “Kri-Kri”.