Chania is a coastal city in northwestern Crete, one of its most important ports and the capital of the prefecture of Chania. It occupies an area of about thirteen square kilometers and is the second largest city on the island after Heraklion. The municipality of Chania has 108,642 inhabitants (2011), and beyond Chania the wider urban area includes the largest suburbs which have been united with the municipality of Chania, such as: Kounoupidiana (8,620), Mournies (7,533), Souda (6,418) , Nerokourou (5,531), Daratso (4,732), Orchards (3,986), Galatas (3,166) and Aroni (3,003). It was an important Minoan city and has been identified with ancient Kydonia.
The city has the typical Mediterranean climate, which
is hot and dry in summers and mild in winters. Between April and
October the sky is clear. The atmosphere is almost always warm and
hot episodes (with temperatures above 38 ° C) are not very common,
as there is a constant sea breeze (the "Meltemia"). It usually snows
only in the mountains of the prefecture with very rare exceptions,
such as the one on February 13, 2004 where 250-760 mm of snow fell
in the city. Some small hot episodes also occur in March and April,
when dust from the Sahara is carried by a strong "downhill" wind
(Siroko type), which is called Libas (because it comes from Libya).
The highest temperature ever recorded was 42.5 ° C, while the
lowest was (February 13, 2004) -1 ° C at noon.
Early History
Chania is the location according to which the
Minoans built "Kydonia". From excavations carried out in various
districts, such as the one in Kastelli, it became known that the
area was inhabited since the Neolithic era. The city was after the
Minoan era an important city-state with borders from the sea to the
foot of the White Mountains. The first colonists from mainland
Greece were the Dorians around 1100 BC. Kydonia was in constant
conflict with the other city-states of the region, such as Aptera,
Falassarna and Polyrrenia. Homer also mentioned it in the Odyssey
(iii.330). In 69 BC. The Roman consul Caecilius Metellus conquered
Cydonia, which received the privileges of an independent city-state
from the Romans, where it retained the right to have its own
currency until the 3rd century AD.
Byzantine era
The first
Byzantine period lasted from 395 to 824 AD. There are not enough
records for her. During the Arab occupation (827 - 961 AD) that
followed the small town was probably called Rabdh el Djobh
(Tirupoli, city of cheese) or Al Hanim. During this period the
Christian populations moved to the mountains of the prefecture due
to persecution. The Byzantine general Nikiforos Fokas recaptured
Crete in 961 AD. The second Byzantine period lasted until 1204 AD.
and its name was changed to Chania. The Byzantines began to fortify
the city with fortifications, using ancient building materials, in
order to prevent another Arab invasion. During this period Chania
was also the seat of a bishop.
Venetian Period -
Establishment of a new city
After the fourth crusade (1204 AD)
and the fall of Byzantine rule in the region, Crete was given to
Boniface of Momferrato. He decided to sell it to the Venetians for
1000 silver marks. In 1252 the Venetians managed to subdue the
Cretan revolutionaries and the Venetian Senate with the decree of
April 29, 1252 (Gregorian calendar) ordered the Military Commander
to occupy Western Crete and establish a new city or rebuild an old
one. Chania then, like all of Crete, flourished as a commercial
center and as a rural area.
At first the Venetians were cruel
and oppressive, but slowly their relations with the locals warmed
up. Their contact with Venice helped to blend the two cultures, but
without the locals losing their Greek-Christian traditions. The name
of the city was changed to La Canea and the Byzantine fortifications
were strengthened giving Chania its current form. Also, after the
conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, several priests,
monks, artists and literati found refuge in Crete helping to
strengthen the island culturally. Chania, during this period,
contains a mixture of Byzantine, Venetian and classical Greek
culture.
Ottoman Period
However, its walls failed to
prevent the Ottomans from capturing the city in 1645 after a
two-month siege. The Ottomans decided to approach the city from the
west and landed near the monastery of Gonia in Kissamos, which they
looted and burned. They besieged Chania on August 2, 1645. The
losses on both sides were enormous (especially of the Ottomans). The
Ottoman commander was executed on his return having lost more than
40,000 men. From this campaign, which for the Turks was still
considered a great achievement, the phrase To See Chania and the
Corner ("Hanya'yı Konya'yı gormek") has remained until today, which
means to understand a job in depth and to be agile. .
Most of the churches were later converted into mosques and the
city's wealth was transferred to the Ottoman Empire, the seat of
Constantinople. The Turks settled the eastern quarters of the city
(Kastelli and Splatzia), where they converted Saint Nicholas of the
Dominican monks into their Central Mosque ("Houghiar Tzamissi"
Turkish: Hünkar Camisi). They also built new mosques, such as that
of Kioutsouk Hassan in the old port. The public baths (hamam) were
built by the Turks a little above, on today's Halidon Street. In
1821, with the beginning of the Greek revolution, there were
conflicts between Christians and Muslims in Chania, which led to the
massacre of the Christian population in the city of Chania. . The
bishop of Kissamos, Melchisedek Despotakis, was hanged by the Turks
on a plane tree in the square of Splantzia, which still exists
today.
After the Revolution of 1821, Crete was ceded by the
Ottomans to the Egyptians of Mohammad Ali, who maintained it until
1840. During the Egyptian occupation, the lighthouse dates back to
the Venetian port of Chania. During the Egyptian occupation, the
first newspaper in Crete, in Chania, the "Cretan Voice", was
published, which was bilingual. During the Egyptian occupation there
were two administrations in Crete, one in Chania and the other in
Chandakas.
In 1841 the island returned to Ottoman occupation.
From 1850 onwards, the Pasha of Crete lived in Chania, when the
Ottomans moved for defense reasons (the existence of a safe port for
the Ottoman fleet of Souda) the capital of Crete from Heraklion.
Until 1850 the Pasha of Heraklion was also the Pasha of Crete.
In 1878, the treaty of Aleppo was signed, which granted some
important rights to the Christian population of the island.
Recent history
Cretan State
In 1898, during the last movements
for independence and union with Greece and especially the unrest in
Heraklion on August 25, 1898, the Great Powers created the
semi-autonomous Cretan State with Chania as its capital, with Prince
George as its High Commissioner. The palace is located in the
district of Halepa, east of the old town, next to the house of
Eleftherios Venizelos.
During these years Crete printed its
own currency and stamps. The city ceased to be a remote vilayet of
the Ottoman Empire and became cosmopolitan, regaining its role as a
crossroads of European and Eastern cultures. Many important
buildings were built during this period, mainly on Nearchou Street,
as well as in the suburb of Halepa, where the consulates of the
protection forces were located.
Union with Greece
Nevertheless, the main goal was the union with Greece, which took
place after the stand of Eleftherios Venizelos towards Prince
George. After several controversies, the revolution of Therissos on
March 10, 1905, managed to oust George and bring Alexandros Zaimis
to Crete. Finally, in 1908, Venizelos succeeded in consolidating a
revolutionary government, which was recognized by the Great Powers.
His subsequent election as Prime Minister of Greece in 1910 managed
to unite Crete with Greece on December 1, 1913. The Greek flag was
raised at the fortress of Firkas in the old port in the presence of
Venizelos and the King of Greece Constantine. Venizelos, who comes
from Mournies, Chania, was the leader of the Cretan revolution of
1896-97 against the Ottoman Empire and prime minister of Greece
(1910-1915, 1915, 1917-1920, 1924, 1928-1932, 1932 and 1933). He
died on March 18, 1936 and his tomb is located in Profitis Ilias
above Chania.
Settlement of Asia Minor
A key historical
event is the arrival and settlement of Greek refugees from Asia
Minor in Chania, after the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 and the
exchange of populations. As a result, the local population and
culture of the city were enriched. It is noted that the coexistence
and interaction between natives and refugees was more peaceful and
smoother than in other parts of Greece.
World war II
Another important moment in the history of Chania is the invasion
and occupation by the Axis forces during the Second World War. With
the transfer of the Greek government to Chania after the occupation
of mainland Greece, the city becomes the de facto capital of the
country. (The capital is defined as the seat of government). But
then after a relentless bombardment of the city by the German air
force in May 1941, German paratroopers invaded the city from the
west (from the Galata and Maleme areas). ) and were repulsed by the
British on the hill of the Reservoir to the south of the city. King
George was staying in a villa in Perivolia, near Chania, trying to
escape the Germans in Egypt. The Jewish community of Chania suffered
significant losses during the 5-year occupation. Most of them, like
other resistance fighters, were taken by the Germans to
concentration camps in central Europe. In 1944, a British torpedo
sank the ship "Tanais", which transported most of the Jewish
community of Chania. Chania was the last European city to be
liberated by the Germans in April 1945, with the Germans executing
locals until the last minute.
Modern history
In the 70's
Crete became a major tourist destination for international and
domestic tourism, which contributed to the prosperity of the economy
and cultural development of the city. Chania ceased to be the
capital of Crete in 1971, when Heraklion returned as the capital of
Crete.
Districts
The city of Chania is divided into two
main parts. The old town, with the old port, and the new town,
outside the walls. The old town is built around the Venetian port
and is surrounded by the Venetian fortifications of 1538, which
preserve their eastern and western parts. On the south side, these
fortifications were destroyed in the early 20th century, to be used
as materials in the construction of the market and various other
public and non-public buildings. From there the new city was
developed whose main districts are Halepa, Agios Ioannis, Pachiana,
Nea Chora, Pasakaki, Lentariana which extend around the periphery of
the city center.
Old Town
Although bombed and burned
several times in its long history, the old town of Chania is
considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean. In
various places the traveler can meet samples of all the cultures
that passed through it. In the center is the hill of Kasteli which
is inhabited since the Neolithic era and is a fortified place next
to the old port. In it are the palace of the High Commissioner of
Crete during the period of the Cretan State, as well as
archeological sites from the Minoan era.
A little further
east of Kastelli is Splantzia, the old Muslim quarter, which is very
atmospheric. There are many taverns in its picturesque alleys. There
is also the church of Agios Nikolaos, which during the Venetian rule
was the church of Agios Nikolaos of the Dominicans and during the
Turkish occupation was the main mosque of Chania and has been
operating as an Orthodox church since 1918. Outside the church is
the Square of Splantzia with the plane tree on which the Turks
hanged the bishop of Kissamos Melchisedek Despotakis and the deacon
Kallinikos from Veria. At the corner of the square is the Venetian
church of St. Rocco. In the same area are the small churches of Agia
Irini (Sarpaki street) and Agios Aikaterini and Ioannou tou Erimitis
(Melidoni street). Walking towards the sea we see the Venetian
neoria (of 1497), the carnagas, which once built war galleys, today
still operate repairing boats and boats. There one will see the
large Arsenal, which hosted the town hall of Chania, until its
bombing by the Germans in 1941, which now houses the Center for
Mediterranean Architecture. In the eastern part of the Venetian Port
is Neorio Moro, which currently houses the Chania Sailing Club.
On the west side of Kasteli is Santirvani Square (or El.
Venizelou Square), which is the tourist heart of the city. From
there one can board boats that visit the Venetian castles on the
islands of Ag. Theodoron and Gramvousa. A little further is the
square of Trimartyri with the metropolis of Chania and the
archeological museum that is housed in the Venetian church of St.
Francesco. "Stivanadika" are also located there. It is the area
where there are shops that process leather and manufacture various
leather goods. They got their name from the stivania, the Cretan
boots, where they were made there for centuries. Also, a little
further east are the "Macheradika", where there are many traditional
shops that still make Cretan knives.
Even further west, from
Kastelli, are the districts of Ovraiki and Topanas. Ovraiki was the
Jewish quarter of Chania in the last centuries until the mass
extermination of the Jews of Chania by the Axis forces in World War
II. In the area there is the Etz Hagim synagogue which reopened in
1999. Topanas has always been the Christian mansion of the city. Its
name comes from the Turkish Top-Hane (The inn with the landscapes -
artillery balls - Arsenal), since the Venetian military depots were
located there. This district, together with the Hebrew (or Jewish),
are considered the most beautiful districts of Chania. In it is the
fortress of Firkas (Turkish Fırka - Division), where the flag of the
union of Crete with Greece was raised (1-12-1913) and today operates
the Naval Museum of Crete.
Finally, the port of the old town
is the most beautiful and touristic point of Chania. The coast of
Tombazi, the coast of Koundourioti and the coast of the Union with
several historic buildings, such as the neoria, the Glass Mosque
(Yalı camisi - The mosque on the shore) and the large Arsenali,
where today hosts the center of Mediterranean architecture. Its
center is ρadırvan, where the main streets of the old town, Halidon
Street, Kanevaro Street and Zampeliou intersect. On Zampeliou Street
is one of the most beautiful examples of the Venetian mansion in the
city, the abusively called Loggia of the Venetians, retaining a coat
of arms, a Latin saying and almost all the architectural elements of
the facade. The identification of the coat of arms allowed the
identification of the person (Nicolo Clado) and the dating
(1615-1625) of the mansion. Opposite the coast one can admire the
19th century Egyptian lighthouse in the shape of a minaret, built on
the foundations of the oldest Venetian lighthouse, which is the
trademark of the city.
Modern city
A little further south
from the square of the trimartyr is the square of the New Stores,
which is the border of the new city. The official name of the square
is 1866 Square. The square was named in honor of the great Cretan
revolution (1866-1869) against the Turks. There are the city's shops
from the beginning of the 20th century. Today one can find many
picturesque shops and cafes. There are also city and intercity bus
stations.
Nea Chora and Synoikismos
To the west of the old
town is Nea Chora while to the southwest is Synoikismos (center of
the modern city, OTE and KTEL area). It is the wider area where
Greek refugees from Asia Minor lived after the Asia Minor
Catastrophe of 1922. It is a very quiet and beautiful area. Near the
beach of Nea Chora are the Nautical Club of Chania and the old
factory of AVEA, which is the first industrial unit of Crete in the
19th century and today hosts a school. In Nea Chora is the historic
Church of Agios Konstantinos built since 1915. On the main road
Kissamos that separates the two districts has been erected the
monument of Manas Asia Minor.
Kum-kapi
To the east of the
old town is the beach of Kum kap καs ((Turkish: Kum kapısı, The Sand
Gate). In the middle of the 19th century it was inhabited by Bedouin
Arabs (the Halikoutes), who moved to work during the concession
period in Egypt. In recent years, the whole night life of Chania is
located there with numerous taverns, cafes and bars. South of it is
the national stadium of Chania "Elena Venizelou", the state
conservatory of Chania and the picturesque municipal garden (1870),
work of Reuf Pasha, built according to the standards of European
parks as the first public benefit project of the city, and today
hosts the municipal summer cinema. In its eastern corner is the 1924
Clock.
Municipal Market and Courts
Between the New Stores and Kum-Kapi is the municipal market of
Chania. It is a cruciform building, built in 1913 according to the
standards of the Marseille market and since then hosts various
traditional shops and taverns. From there begins Dimokratias Street,
which passes between the Municipal Garden (inside which is the
historic cafe "Garden" which has been operating since 1870, having
housed in its premises the Parliament of the Cretan State, as well
as part of the Municipal Library of Chania) and the stadium, a
little further down meets the "despotic", the mansion of the
metropolitan of Chania and ends at the court square. The beautiful
Turkish military hospital of the 19th century, where today it houses
the courts and services of the prefecture of Chania. Behind the
courts is the church of Peter and Paul, where the ancient cemetery
of the city was found.
To the west of the courts is the Peace
and Friendship Park (on Andrea Papandreou Street) and next to it is
the Cultural Center of Chania, the Historical Archive of Crete and
the War Museum, housed in the 19th century Italian barracks. In a
recent fire in 2018, the War Museum burned down completely.
Halepa and Tabakaria
The courts also start from Iroon
Polytechniou Street, which leads to the districts of Tabakaria (the
old tanneries) and Halepa. In Halepa there are many neoclassical
buildings from the period of the Cretan State, as well as the then
consulates of the Great Powers. There is also the house of El.
Venizelou, which hosts the National Research Foundation "Venizelos",
the old French school and the TEI of Chania. Also in Halepa there
are many churches, such as Ag. Magdalene in Russian style, or the
Evangelist built in Baroque style, as well as the later palace of
Prince George. On the hill above Halepa, is the Prophet Elias with
the Tombs of El. and S. Venizelou. There you can enjoy your coffee
and dessert with the most beautiful view of Chania. There is also
the polytechnic campus of the Technical University of Crete
(Kounoupidiana). The area is green and the view is magnificent. The
new Archaeological Museum of Chania is being built in the Halepa
district, while expansion projects of a total height of 110cm are in
progress. euros at Chania Airport, after the completion of which it
will be the largest airport in Crete.
To the south of the
city of Chania are the districts of the reservoir, where very fierce
battles took place in 1941, Ai Giannis and Koumbes, where there are
Turkish koubedes (burial monuments).
Other districts of the
city are Lentariana, Pasakaki, Varousi, Frangiko (where the Frankish
cemetery is located), Pelekapina (where the 19th century politician
K. Manos is located) and Chrysopigi with its monastery.
Beaches
Seitan Limani beach is at a distance of 25 km from the
country. It is a disorganized beach that needs a ten minute descent
as there is no road to lead there. Its name (Port of Satan) is due
to the very difficult descent and ascent during which athletic shoes
are required.
Museums
Nautical Museum of Crete (in the
Venetian port)
Archaeological Museum of Chania (housed in the
katholikon of the Venetian monastery of Agios Frangiskos)
Museum
of Asia Minor Memory (Museum - Center for Research and Study of Asia
Minor Culture) (25 Sfakion Street)
Byzantine and Post-Byzantine
Collection of Chania (church of San Salvatore)
New Archaeological
Museum of Chania (under completion, in the area of Halepa)
War
Museum (Chania)
Folklore Museum of Chania
Typography Museum
Municipal Art Gallery
Museum of Chemistry
Museum of School
Life
Monuments-Sights
Old town and Venetian harbor
Kucuk Hassan Mosque (Yali Mosque)
Metropolitan Church of the
Assumption of the Virgin (Trimartyri)
Church of Agios Nikolaos
Splantzias
House El. Venizelou (Halepa)
Tombs of Venizelos
Etz Hagim Synagogue
Catholic Church of the Virgin (1879), in the
old town
St. Rocos Catholic Church
Historical Archive of Crete
Center of Cretan Law
Center for Mediterranean Architecture (KAM)
Chrysostomos Philological Association
Ancient Aptera in
Apokoronas
Monument of Manas Asia Minor (Kissamou and Mpotsari
street)
Chania Lighthouse (Venetian port)
Municipal garden of
Chania