Let me take you on a stroll through my little town...
The town of Chania is made up of a number of multi-cultural layers, which were created as each conqueror of the town came and went. Each conqueror developed the town further beyond the borders of the previous conqueror. In Chania, we can still see these old borders. Where once there were walls, these are now main roads. Some of the walls remain, a living reminder of who passed through our town. Chania was the capital of Crete for many years, mainly due to its proximity to Venice. Iraklio became the capital in 1971, due to its location in the middle of the island.
The island of Crete is first mentioned in the Odyssey by Homer in ancient Greek poetry:
In ancient times, Chania was known as the Minoan town of 'Kydonia'. This word means 'quince' in modern Greek, so it was assumed that quince was a popular fruit at the time. Quince fruit is known since ancient times, and there are still many quince trees all over the island, along with other ancient tree species like carob, fig and pomegranate, and of course olive.
The Minoan civilization declined for various reasons, one of which was probably due to the eruption of the volcano on the island of Santorini. Crete was eventually conquered by the Dorians, an ancient Greek tribe, ca. 1100 BC. It was this event that made Crete 'Greek': Cretans adopted the Greek language and customs and have continued to identify as Greeks since that time and to this day.
The conquerors of Crete came and went:
- Roman rule: the first Byzantine period, ca. 320-820
- a short period of Arab rule, ca. 820-840
- the Byzantines regain control of Crete, ca. 840-1204
- the Venetians take control of the island: 1204-1645
- the Muslim Ottomans take over from the previous Christian rulers: 1645-1830
The Greek Revolution takes place in 1821 but Crete remains under Ottoman rule, being the last part of modern Greece to be released from Ottoman powers. During this time,
- Egyptian rule was imposed, by order of the British: 1830-1840
- the Ottomans regain control of Crete: 1840-1898
- Crete becomes an independent state: 1898-1913
- Crete becomes part of the Greek state: 1913
The people of Crete came from a variety of religions: at one time, Christians (mainly Orthodox and some Catholics), Muslims (mainly Turks) and Jews (with Spanish origins) lived on the island. The population mix of the town changed dramatically in the 20th century, influenced by the following factors:
- refugees from Asia Minor after the population exchange with Turkey: 1922-23; all Muslims were required to leave the island
- the Nazi occupation: 1940-1944; all the Jews were forcibly removed from the island
- repatriated Russian Greeks (Pontians): 1980s
- Eastern Europeans after the fall of communism, and
- Northern Europeans from EU member states who bought property here mainly for retirement reasons.
In present times, while the town is populated mainly by native Greek speakers, a wide range of languages can be heard spoken in the streets of Chania, including the languages of a number of legal and illegal immigrants. In the summer, the population of Chania swells exponentially with the arrival of a million visitors taking holidays here. (Tourists number 5 million across the whole island during this period.)
A - Agora
The Agora was built at the beginning of the 20th century (1911) when Crete was an independent state. It was constructed on the external part of the old town walls built under Venetian rule. Parts of the walls were demolished at this point to make way for the urban plans of the town for new roads and buildings. (Old buildings of historical importance began to be protected from demolition since 1960.) The Agora marks the new part of the town which began to be built outside the old walls. Before that, the area outside the town walls was regarded as countryside, and rich Haniotes built villas here, most of which are still standing, and have now been converted for public use in a variety of ways. The idea for a covered market in this area came from the food sellers of older times who congregated here to serve the needs of the townspeople. Thus, the use of the site has not changed over the years - it was simply formalised in a covered market when originally it was an open-air informal market. The Agora's design was based on the Halle Puget, the covered market of Marseilles, a neo-classical building built in 1666 modelled on a Greek temple.
The Agora has always been a meeting point for Haniotes. Mileage to and from Hania which we see on maps and signs is calculated from this point. The market still has an old-fashioned feel to it. It is centrally placed, and it is here that you will find all the traditional Cretan food products: cheeses, rusks, herbs and spices, meat, fruit and vegetables, and of course olive oil. The town's Christmas tree is placed here every December. Chania was heavily bombed during WW2 when the Nazis occupied Crete, but the Agora was lucky to survive intact, whereas many other buildings in Hania were totally destroyed.
B - Minaret of Ahmet Aga
The minaret on Hatzimihali Ntaliani St is one of the two surviving minarets in Hania, a remnant of Ottoman rule. In Ottoman Chania, there were more than 30 minarets in the town. The minaret's prominent presence is a clear reminder of the cultural layers of the town's history. The buildings of former conquerors of the island were not always demolished by the new conquerors. People simply built over them or changed the use of the building into something that suited the society at the time. The area of the Ahmet Agha minaret is known as Splantzia, which formed part of the Muslim quarter of Chania during the Ottoman period. Splantzia remains to this day one of the more mysterious parts of the town because it has managed to combine in a harmonised way all the elements of the civilisations that have passed from the island over the centuries. It is inhabited by a wide variety of people: Greeks - both from Crete and other parts of Greece - and migrants, who are mainly Muslim, as well as 'itinerants', travellers and bohemians who come to Hania and settle on a long-term basis in Chania, before leaving again.
Across the road from the minaret, we can see a former Catholic monastery for monks built during the Venetian period, which was turned into housing during the Ottoman period. Twenty years ago, it was bought by Karolos Kambelopoulos, a very famous Greek hairdresser who worked in Paris (he died in January 2019). He transformed the building according to European standards, keeping the Venetian and Ottoman features. The exterior of the building tells us nothing about what the building looks like through the doors - most of the old buildings in the town have very deceptive facades!
Hatzimihali Ntaliani St (named after a hero of the 1821 Greek War of Independence) is now a pedestrian zone which is very popular as an entertainment venue among the locals. The street also houses the Steki Metanaston, the Immigrants' Corner, which gives out information, food and clothing to immigrants who need help. It also organises Greek language classes for beginners. Migrants in Hania are often Muslim, so the area links them with the area's former times. The whole street exudes a foreign air that doesn't seem to be related to the typical Greek standards of the town.
C - Minaret of Hugar Tzamisi - Agios Nikolaos Church
The church of St Nikolas has a very multicultural history. This church was originally a Catholic monastery from Venetian times, built in the 13th century, probably on an already existing site of an Eastern Roman (Byzantine) church. It was considered the most important church in the area. When the Ottomans conquered the island, it was turned into a mosque, specifically for the use of the Turkish military. A significant characteristic of the building is that it houses both a Turkish minaret and a Greek bell tower. Today it is a Greek Orthodox church dedicated to St Nikolas. It is the only church in the whole of Greece that has a bell tower on one side and a minaret on the other, linking two very different cultures.
The Hugar Tzamisi minaret was considered the most important in the town during the Ottoman era, which is why it has two levels. This minaret was also called the leaning tower of Hania in modern times because it was ready to fall! After calls prompting for its renovation, the minaret has now been restored and is a very distinctive landmark of the town.
The square where Agios Nikolaos is situated is dedicated to the 1821 Greek war of independence. It has a very old plane tree which has played a historic role. Greek war heroes were hanged here by the Ottomans. There used to be a Turkish kiosk on the square where important Muslims in the community would sit and drink their tea. Unfortunately it didn't survive in modern times. There is also a Turkish hammam underground, no longer in use in modern times, which the Muslims used for washing before they entered the mosque. On the square nowadays we see one of the oldest charity organisations of Hania which started off by helping old lonely people (mainly men), and has developed in modern times to helping the poor and needy. There is also an old Venetian church on the corner of the square dedicated to St Rocco, the saint that guarded people against the bubonic plague. This shows that Crete did not remain unaffected by the plague, although the plague did not have a great effect on the population.
BYZANTINE and VENETIAN WALLS
Like many Mediterranean towns, Hania is a walled town. Walls were built by the various conquerors to keep out enemies. The first walls of Hania were built during Byzantine rule to strengthen it against Arab invasions, using materials from other ancient buildings in the area. These walls were destroyed by the Saracens (Arab invaders), and then rebuilt by the Byzantines when they retook the town. These walls were also inhabited in modern times, but people were removed from the area for the walls to be restored so that they could be showcased as historical monuments. New walls were built in the town further away from the Byzantine ones, when the town's borders were extended by the Venetians. Both walls are still visible in some parts of the town today.
ANCIENT KYDONIA
Chania was originally an ancient Minoan settlement, and the town's name was Kydonia which means 'quince' in Greek. The Minoans lost power once the Greeks conquered them. Crete was first conquered by the Dorians, the ancient Greeks, around 1100 BC, which is when the island became Greek. Kydonia was mentioned in the Odyssey of Homer, which gives it some significance. A glimpse of the Minoan settlement is visible in Kanevarou St, where excavations have revealed old houses from this time. Hania has been inhabited continually for more than 5500 years, making it one of the oldest towns with continuous habitation in all of Europe.
The Neoria are the old Venetian shipyards that were used in the winter to repair ships. During Venetian rule, there was a need for closer presence of the Venetian navy in Crete so Venice built shipyards (the Italians called them 'arsenali'; in Greek, we call them 'neoria'), docks where ships were repaired during the winter. The first two shipyards in Chania were completed in 1526. A total of 20 shipyards were built in Hania over the years before the Venetians left. During the Ottoman occupation, the shipyards fell into disuse. Only 9 survived - 2 at the entrance to the Venetian port, and the 7 that are joined together in arches. During the Ottoman period, they were used predominantly as storerooms; in modern times, some have been converted into entertainment and exhibition centres. The buildings in the area of the old Venetian shipyards used to extend into the sea in older times. When the harbour was extended under Ottoman rule, the neoria were no longer in the sea, and the buildings became storage sheds.
STAFIDIKI
The visible history of some buildings in Hania remains only in their name, as in the case of the music cafe-bar Stafidiki. In the past, all the grapes that were not eaten or used to make wine were brought to Stafidiki, the Union of Grape Growers of Hania, where they were dried and turned into sultanas/raisins. Raisins were very important in older times, before sugar became more common, because they were used to sweeten foods. Before 1900, Greece's top export product was raisins. When sugar became more commonly used worldwide as a sweetener, the Greek raisin economy collapsed. So the government banned the use of sugar in the confectionery business and grape syrup (called stafidini) was used instead. Stafidiki was based on the site of the old neoria (shipyards) and operated from 1929 to 1965, when the law against the use of sugar was repealed. After that, the grape drying businesses moved to Iraklio, which was a more central grape-growing area in Crete. Stafidini is still used in confectionery and wine making.
D - Koum Kapi
The area of Koum Kapi is known by its Turkish name which is still in use even today, meaning 'sandy gate', since it is located near a sandy beach. The area was used in the past for the homes of the people known as 'Halikoutes'. These people came from Africa - no one knows exactly where they were from - and they were forced to leave the island after the population exchange in 1922 according to the Treaty of Lausanne, which stated that Muslims must leave Greece and Christians (Greeks) must leave Turkey. They were mostly working as boatmen, porters and servants at the Venetian harbour, and lived at Koum Kapi in rough huts. They got their name presumably from the way they spoke - the locals didn't understand what they were saying, so they just called them something equally meaningless.
Koum Kapi has always been known for its small humble dwellings. Today, it's a nice place to sit by the sea and enjoy food and drink on the beachfront. We call Koum Kapi the Greek people's harbour, because foreign tourists usually prefer to have a view of the lighthouse. An open-air theatre is located near the old Venetian walls of the town which is used in the summer for cultural and entertainment events. The walls and the buildings seen in this area were built by the Venetians, but some remnants of the Byzantine and Ottoman features are also still visible.
E - The two oldest Neoria
The Neoria (Venetian shipyards) at this point are the two oldest in Hania. They are also the closest to the harbour. More were built on the other side of the port. Up until the 1990s, people lived on the top part of these two shipyards, but the houses were cleared away eventually because they were considered illegally built on archaeological sites of great importance. One of the two shipyards has been renovated and is now the Chania Sailing Club's headquarters.
LIGHTHOUSE - FAROS
The lighthouse is the symbol of Hania. The Venetians conquered the whole of Crete in 1212. They made Chania their base, and decided to build a new town by extending the Byzantime walls. The Venetian harbour was built in stages, and it isn't all natural. But it wasn't until about 1595 that the Venetians began to construct a lighthouse, built into the natural rock. When the Venetians left and the Ottomans came, the lighthouse fell into disrepair because the Ottomans preferred to use Souda as their main port, in the east of the town, and not Hania harbour in the centre of the town. In 1830, when the Ottoman Empire fell, it was decided not to include Crete as a part of Greece; Crete was instead handed over to the Egyptian army instead, to subjugate the unruly Cretans who were constantly revolting against the Turkish administration. It was under Egyptian rule that the lighthouse was renovated. But it did not have its original form - the base of the lighthouse remains Venetian, but it now looks more like a minaret. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the whole of Europe. It was extensively renovated in 2005. The remains of the old guard house in the middle of the pier used to house a cafe until just recently.
F - The Old Customs House (Palio Telonio)
The Customs House (located between the cluster of seven neoria and the Great Arsenali) was built in one of the neoria on the harbour to extract tolls and taxes for imported goods which were brought to the island by ship in older times. It was used as an exhibition centre in modern times, but in 2006, it suffered damage due to a big earthquake in Hania. It has been fully renovated since then and is now used as a the Municipal Theatre, named after Mikis Theodorakis. Earthquakes are very common in Hania, but they are generally not very destructive since their epicenter is in the sea. If they occurred more often on the land, all the old buildings in the town would not have survived. The greatest damage to the town's buildings was during WW2 under the Nazi occupation, when the town was bombed.
The Great Arsenal (Megalo Arsenali)
Next to the Old Customs House, separated by a car park, is the Great Arsenali. It began to be built in 1585 during Venetian rule. Because it stood on its own and the walls were thicker than most other buildings, it was known as the 'big' shipyard. The second floor was built during the Ottoman period. It has had various uses over the years, and is now home to the Centre for Mediterranean Architecture. It also acts as an art gallery.
G - Hasan Pasha Mosque
Τhe Hasan Pasha Mosque is also known as Yali Tzamisi, which means 'seaside mosque'. It was built in the late 17th century, in honour of the first Ottoman commander of Hania, Küçük Hasan. The design of the building is based on the plans of an Armenian architect. It continued to operate as a mosque until 1923 when the last remaining Muslims left the island. After that, it has had various uses, but it is now mainly used as an exhibition centre. The former mosque is architecturally unique in the Mediterranean - the domes on the roof do not exist elsewhere in this arrangement. The base of the minaret is clearly visible, but the minaret eventually fell due to seismic damage.
H - Firka
Τhe Venetians erected various military buildings to strengthen the town against attacks. This fortification was originally called Revellino del Porto and it was used for firing cannons, around the middle of the 16th century, to prevent any hostile risk to the port. It was completed a few years before the Ottomans took over Chania in 1645. The building was designed to house the military and to store ammunition. In the middle of the courtyard there is a large vaulted tank which gathered rainwater.
During the Ottoman occupation, the Revellino was renamed Firka, which means barracks, and we still call it Firka in modern times. The vaulted shooting sites were used as prisons during the Ottoman occupation until the years of the Greek civil war. Until the end of the 19th century, the “Kerkelos” was located below Firkas Fortress. This was the great iron ring, to which was attached one end of the chain closing off the harbour mouth. The other end was attached to the lighthouse. The corner tower of the fortress symbolically hoisted the Greek flag on December 1st, 1913 when Crete formally became a part of Greece. The Turkish flag was hauled down for the last time and the blue-and-white flag of Greece was raised in its place, where it has waved proudly ever since.
NEA HORA
Nea Hora is located west of Firka. It was the first suburb built in the west of the town outside the old walled town, ie the original 'old town', to accommodate the growing population around the turn of the 20th century, hence its name: Nea Hora means 'new town'. Before that, Nea Hora was where the Jewish and Muslim cemeteries were located. It has always been associated with refugees. The Muslims first populated the area when they were fleeing Christians During this time, Hania had mainly a Christian population. Nea Hora is now a highly congested residential area with many apartment blocks, and some hotels. It is very popular among tourists since it borders the coastline and has a very pretty beach with safe waters for swimming.
I - The old Jewish quarter
The Jewish community of Crete was never very big, but there were two synagogues operating in the old town. When Crete was conquered by the Ottomans, many started to leave the island, going to West Europe. In 1913, when Crete became a part of Greece, there were less than 400 Jews in Hania, about half the size of the original population. Only one of the synagogues, the Etz Hayyim Synagogue, survived the war when all the Jews were rounded up by the Nazis and removed from the island. The building fell into disrepair, but was renovated in the 1990s through the personal efforts of the late Jewish Greek Nikos Stavroulakis (he died in 2017), and began operating again in 2000.
The Jewish people of Crete were all killed during the German occupation in WW2. They were transported off the island by the Nazi occupiers in 1944. They were put on the Tanais, a ship that was transporting prisoners of war to Athens, which would later take them to concentration camps. A British torpedo sank the Tanais, mistaking it for a German ship, in this way tragically killing the whole of the island's pre-war Jewish community, together with all the other Cretan prisoners who were also on the ship (including many men from my grandfather's village. When the nazis came, my grandmother told him to leave the house. She didn't want her five children to see their father killed. He escaped the Nazis by wearing women's clothing and sitting with the women behind the village church).
J - Archaeological Museum
During Venetian times, the building that is presently the Archaeological Museum of Hania was the largest building in Hania. It was used as a monastery and church at that time, changing use to a mosque during Ottoman rule. Under Cretan rule at the turn of the 20th century, it became a cinema; the Nazis used it during WW2, and it then became a store room until it was converted into a museum in 1962. The museum is set to move away from the town, and the building will once again be available for use in a different way.
The Catholic church of Chania is located behind the museum. It has been operating since 1879. The museum building was originally used as a monks' monastery since 1566, the first Catholic monastery in Crete. It was renovated to its present day form in 1991. Catholic Easter usually falls on a different day from Greek Orthodox Easter, but when they fall on the same day, the Catholic and Cathedral of Chania, located across from the museum building, celebrate it together.
The Cathedral of Chania existed before the Venetian period, and has had a changing history according to the rulers. During the Ottoman period, it became a soap factory. It was given back to the Christians in the mid-1850s after the son of a Pasha was saved when he fell into a well. The Cathedral of Chania is considered the most important church of the area, and its patron saint is the Virgin Mary. The town celebrates its feastday on 21 November. A building resembling a hammam can be seen on the left hand side of the square, which is now used as a clothing store. Across from the cathedral, the dome of the Catholic church is also visible. It is a reminder of the many layers of culture that make up present-day Chania.
Our tour stops here. I hope you enjoyed it. Now come and explore the area on your own!
And something to think about: Nothing is forever and everything changes. One wonders how these buildings will be used in the future, a hundred years from now...
Post-script: You never really know what you are treading on. Zamboli is located on Milonogianni Street, which is where the first plumbing in the town was found. The fresh water supply of the town from the nearby hills to the south was carried below the foundations of this street. Some ancient ruins have been excavated on the other side of the City Hall and are visible on Karaiskaki Street.
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Zambolis Studios Chania/Maria Verivaki 2018-2019
The town of Chania is made up of a number of multi-cultural layers, which were created as each conqueror of the town came and went. Each conqueror developed the town further beyond the borders of the previous conqueror. In Chania, we can still see these old borders. Where once there were walls, these are now main roads. Some of the walls remain, a living reminder of who passed through our town. Chania was the capital of Crete for many years, mainly due to its proximity to Venice. Iraklio became the capital in 1971, due to its location in the middle of the island.
The first settlement in Chania was built by the Minoans. The most important part was based on a hill close to the sea (the large square in the middle of the map), called Kydonia. The Byzantines built a wall around this area, seen as the 'circle' in the middle of the map. The last walls were put up by the Venetians. The Ottomans didn't bother with walls; they converted many buildings into other uses. Despite being a very seismic zone, constructions from different eras over the last few centuries have remained standing, which has helped the townspeople to reconstruct their past.
There is a land called Crete in the midst of the wine-blue sea,
a beautiful and fertile land, skirted by the sea; in it are many
people, innumerable, and there are ninety cities.
Language with language is mingled together. There are Akhaians,
there are great-hearted Eteocretans, there are Kydones,
and Dorians in their three clans, and noble Pelasgians.
[Homer, Odyssey 19, lines 172 - 177]
In ancient times, Chania was known as the Minoan town of 'Kydonia'. This word means 'quince' in modern Greek, so it was assumed that quince was a popular fruit at the time. Quince fruit is known since ancient times, and there are still many quince trees all over the island, along with other ancient tree species like carob, fig and pomegranate, and of course olive.
The Minoan civilization declined for various reasons, one of which was probably due to the eruption of the volcano on the island of Santorini. Crete was eventually conquered by the Dorians, an ancient Greek tribe, ca. 1100 BC. It was this event that made Crete 'Greek': Cretans adopted the Greek language and customs and have continued to identify as Greeks since that time and to this day.
The conquerors of Crete came and went:
- Roman rule: the first Byzantine period, ca. 320-820
- a short period of Arab rule, ca. 820-840
- the Byzantines regain control of Crete, ca. 840-1204
- the Venetians take control of the island: 1204-1645
- the Muslim Ottomans take over from the previous Christian rulers: 1645-1830
The Greek Revolution takes place in 1821 but Crete remains under Ottoman rule, being the last part of modern Greece to be released from Ottoman powers. During this time,
- Egyptian rule was imposed, by order of the British: 1830-1840
- the Ottomans regain control of Crete: 1840-1898
- Crete becomes an independent state: 1898-1913
- Crete becomes part of the Greek state: 1913
The people of Crete came from a variety of religions: at one time, Christians (mainly Orthodox and some Catholics), Muslims (mainly Turks) and Jews (with Spanish origins) lived on the island. The population mix of the town changed dramatically in the 20th century, influenced by the following factors:
- refugees from Asia Minor after the population exchange with Turkey: 1922-23; all Muslims were required to leave the island
- the Nazi occupation: 1940-1944; all the Jews were forcibly removed from the island
- repatriated Russian Greeks (Pontians): 1980s
- Eastern Europeans after the fall of communism, and
- Northern Europeans from EU member states who bought property here mainly for retirement reasons.
In present times, while the town is populated mainly by native Greek speakers, a wide range of languages can be heard spoken in the streets of Chania, including the languages of a number of legal and illegal immigrants. In the summer, the population of Chania swells exponentially with the arrival of a million visitors taking holidays here. (Tourists number 5 million across the whole island during this period.)
A - Agora
B - Minaret of Ahmet Aga
The minaret on Hatzimihali Ntaliani St is one of the two surviving minarets in Hania, a remnant of Ottoman rule. In Ottoman Chania, there were more than 30 minarets in the town. The minaret's prominent presence is a clear reminder of the cultural layers of the town's history. The buildings of former conquerors of the island were not always demolished by the new conquerors. People simply built over them or changed the use of the building into something that suited the society at the time. The area of the Ahmet Agha minaret is known as Splantzia, which formed part of the Muslim quarter of Chania during the Ottoman period. Splantzia remains to this day one of the more mysterious parts of the town because it has managed to combine in a harmonised way all the elements of the civilisations that have passed from the island over the centuries. It is inhabited by a wide variety of people: Greeks - both from Crete and other parts of Greece - and migrants, who are mainly Muslim, as well as 'itinerants', travellers and bohemians who come to Hania and settle on a long-term basis in Chania, before leaving again.Across the road from the minaret, we can see a former Catholic monastery for monks built during the Venetian period, which was turned into housing during the Ottoman period. Twenty years ago, it was bought by Karolos Kambelopoulos, a very famous Greek hairdresser who worked in Paris (he died in January 2019). He transformed the building according to European standards, keeping the Venetian and Ottoman features. The exterior of the building tells us nothing about what the building looks like through the doors - most of the old buildings in the town have very deceptive facades!
Hatzimihali Ntaliani St (named after a hero of the 1821 Greek War of Independence) is now a pedestrian zone which is very popular as an entertainment venue among the locals. The street also houses the Steki Metanaston, the Immigrants' Corner, which gives out information, food and clothing to immigrants who need help. It also organises Greek language classes for beginners. Migrants in Hania are often Muslim, so the area links them with the area's former times. The whole street exudes a foreign air that doesn't seem to be related to the typical Greek standards of the town.C - Minaret of Hugar Tzamisi - Agios Nikolaos Church
The church of St Nikolas has a very multicultural history. This church was originally a Catholic monastery from Venetian times, built in the 13th century, probably on an already existing site of an Eastern Roman (Byzantine) church. It was considered the most important church in the area. When the Ottomans conquered the island, it was turned into a mosque, specifically for the use of the Turkish military. A significant characteristic of the building is that it houses both a Turkish minaret and a Greek bell tower. Today it is a Greek Orthodox church dedicated to St Nikolas. It is the only church in the whole of Greece that has a bell tower on one side and a minaret on the other, linking two very different cultures.The Hugar Tzamisi minaret was considered the most important in the town during the Ottoman era, which is why it has two levels. This minaret was also called the leaning tower of Hania in modern times because it was ready to fall! After calls prompting for its renovation, the minaret has now been restored and is a very distinctive landmark of the town.
The square where Agios Nikolaos is situated is dedicated to the 1821 Greek war of independence. It has a very old plane tree which has played a historic role. Greek war heroes were hanged here by the Ottomans. There used to be a Turkish kiosk on the square where important Muslims in the community would sit and drink their tea. Unfortunately it didn't survive in modern times. There is also a Turkish hammam underground, no longer in use in modern times, which the Muslims used for washing before they entered the mosque. On the square nowadays we see one of the oldest charity organisations of Hania which started off by helping old lonely people (mainly men), and has developed in modern times to helping the poor and needy. There is also an old Venetian church on the corner of the square dedicated to St Rocco, the saint that guarded people against the bubonic plague. This shows that Crete did not remain unaffected by the plague, although the plague did not have a great effect on the population.
BYZANTINE and VENETIAN WALLS
Like many Mediterranean towns, Hania is a walled town. Walls were built by the various conquerors to keep out enemies. The first walls of Hania were built during Byzantine rule to strengthen it against Arab invasions, using materials from other ancient buildings in the area. These walls were destroyed by the Saracens (Arab invaders), and then rebuilt by the Byzantines when they retook the town. These walls were also inhabited in modern times, but people were removed from the area for the walls to be restored so that they could be showcased as historical monuments. New walls were built in the town further away from the Byzantine ones, when the town's borders were extended by the Venetians. Both walls are still visible in some parts of the town today.
ANCIENT KYDONIA
Chania was originally an ancient Minoan settlement, and the town's name was Kydonia which means 'quince' in Greek. The Minoans lost power once the Greeks conquered them. Crete was first conquered by the Dorians, the ancient Greeks, around 1100 BC, which is when the island became Greek. Kydonia was mentioned in the Odyssey of Homer, which gives it some significance. A glimpse of the Minoan settlement is visible in Kanevarou St, where excavations have revealed old houses from this time. Hania has been inhabited continually for more than 5500 years, making it one of the oldest towns with continuous habitation in all of Europe.The Neoria are the old Venetian shipyards that were used in the winter to repair ships. During Venetian rule, there was a need for closer presence of the Venetian navy in Crete so Venice built shipyards (the Italians called them 'arsenali'; in Greek, we call them 'neoria'), docks where ships were repaired during the winter. The first two shipyards in Chania were completed in 1526. A total of 20 shipyards were built in Hania over the years before the Venetians left. During the Ottoman occupation, the shipyards fell into disuse. Only 9 survived - 2 at the entrance to the Venetian port, and the 7 that are joined together in arches. During the Ottoman period, they were used predominantly as storerooms; in modern times, some have been converted into entertainment and exhibition centres. The buildings in the area of the old Venetian shipyards used to extend into the sea in older times. When the harbour was extended under Ottoman rule, the neoria were no longer in the sea, and the buildings became storage sheds.STAFIDIKI
D - Koum Kapi
The area of Koum Kapi is known by its Turkish name which is still in use even today, meaning 'sandy gate', since it is located near a sandy beach. The area was used in the past for the homes of the people known as 'Halikoutes'. These people came from Africa - no one knows exactly where they were from - and they were forced to leave the island after the population exchange in 1922 according to the Treaty of Lausanne, which stated that Muslims must leave Greece and Christians (Greeks) must leave Turkey. They were mostly working as boatmen, porters and servants at the Venetian harbour, and lived at Koum Kapi in rough huts. They got their name presumably from the way they spoke - the locals didn't understand what they were saying, so they just called them something equally meaningless.
Koum Kapi has always been known for its small humble dwellings. Today, it's a nice place to sit by the sea and enjoy food and drink on the beachfront. We call Koum Kapi the Greek people's harbour, because foreign tourists usually prefer to have a view of the lighthouse. An open-air theatre is located near the old Venetian walls of the town which is used in the summer for cultural and entertainment events. The walls and the buildings seen in this area were built by the Venetians, but some remnants of the Byzantine and Ottoman features are also still visible.E - The two oldest Neoria
The Neoria (Venetian shipyards) at this point are the two oldest in Hania. They are also the closest to the harbour. More were built on the other side of the port. Up until the 1990s, people lived on the top part of these two shipyards, but the houses were cleared away eventually because they were considered illegally built on archaeological sites of great importance. One of the two shipyards has been renovated and is now the Chania Sailing Club's headquarters.
LIGHTHOUSE - FAROS
The lighthouse is the symbol of Hania. The Venetians conquered the whole of Crete in 1212. They made Chania their base, and decided to build a new town by extending the Byzantime walls. The Venetian harbour was built in stages, and it isn't all natural. But it wasn't until about 1595 that the Venetians began to construct a lighthouse, built into the natural rock. When the Venetians left and the Ottomans came, the lighthouse fell into disrepair because the Ottomans preferred to use Souda as their main port, in the east of the town, and not Hania harbour in the centre of the town. In 1830, when the Ottoman Empire fell, it was decided not to include Crete as a part of Greece; Crete was instead handed over to the Egyptian army instead, to subjugate the unruly Cretans who were constantly revolting against the Turkish administration. It was under Egyptian rule that the lighthouse was renovated. But it did not have its original form - the base of the lighthouse remains Venetian, but it now looks more like a minaret. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the whole of Europe. It was extensively renovated in 2005. The remains of the old guard house in the middle of the pier used to house a cafe until just recently.F - The Old Customs House (Palio Telonio)
The Great Arsenal (Megalo Arsenali)
Next to the Old Customs House, separated by a car park, is the Great Arsenali. It began to be built in 1585 during Venetian rule. Because it stood on its own and the walls were thicker than most other buildings, it was known as the 'big' shipyard. The second floor was built during the Ottoman period. It has had various uses over the years, and is now home to the Centre for Mediterranean Architecture. It also acts as an art gallery.G - Hasan Pasha Mosque
Τhe Hasan Pasha Mosque is also known as Yali Tzamisi, which means 'seaside mosque'. It was built in the late 17th century, in honour of the first Ottoman commander of Hania, Küçük Hasan. The design of the building is based on the plans of an Armenian architect. It continued to operate as a mosque until 1923 when the last remaining Muslims left the island. After that, it has had various uses, but it is now mainly used as an exhibition centre. The former mosque is architecturally unique in the Mediterranean - the domes on the roof do not exist elsewhere in this arrangement. The base of the minaret is clearly visible, but the minaret eventually fell due to seismic damage.H - Firka
Τhe Venetians erected various military buildings to strengthen the town against attacks. This fortification was originally called Revellino del Porto and it was used for firing cannons, around the middle of the 16th century, to prevent any hostile risk to the port. It was completed a few years before the Ottomans took over Chania in 1645. The building was designed to house the military and to store ammunition. In the middle of the courtyard there is a large vaulted tank which gathered rainwater.During the Ottoman occupation, the Revellino was renamed Firka, which means barracks, and we still call it Firka in modern times. The vaulted shooting sites were used as prisons during the Ottoman occupation until the years of the Greek civil war. Until the end of the 19th century, the “Kerkelos” was located below Firkas Fortress. This was the great iron ring, to which was attached one end of the chain closing off the harbour mouth. The other end was attached to the lighthouse. The corner tower of the fortress symbolically hoisted the Greek flag on December 1st, 1913 when Crete formally became a part of Greece. The Turkish flag was hauled down for the last time and the blue-and-white flag of Greece was raised in its place, where it has waved proudly ever since.NEA HORA
Nea Hora is located west of Firka. It was the first suburb built in the west of the town outside the old walled town, ie the original 'old town', to accommodate the growing population around the turn of the 20th century, hence its name: Nea Hora means 'new town'. Before that, Nea Hora was where the Jewish and Muslim cemeteries were located. It has always been associated with refugees. The Muslims first populated the area when they were fleeing Christians During this time, Hania had mainly a Christian population. Nea Hora is now a highly congested residential area with many apartment blocks, and some hotels. It is very popular among tourists since it borders the coastline and has a very pretty beach with safe waters for swimming.I - The old Jewish quarter
The Jewish community of Crete was never very big, but there were two synagogues operating in the old town. When Crete was conquered by the Ottomans, many started to leave the island, going to West Europe. In 1913, when Crete became a part of Greece, there were less than 400 Jews in Hania, about half the size of the original population. Only one of the synagogues, the Etz Hayyim Synagogue, survived the war when all the Jews were rounded up by the Nazis and removed from the island. The building fell into disrepair, but was renovated in the 1990s through the personal efforts of the late Jewish Greek Nikos Stavroulakis (he died in 2017), and began operating again in 2000.The Jewish people of Crete were all killed during the German occupation in WW2. They were transported off the island by the Nazi occupiers in 1944. They were put on the Tanais, a ship that was transporting prisoners of war to Athens, which would later take them to concentration camps. A British torpedo sank the Tanais, mistaking it for a German ship, in this way tragically killing the whole of the island's pre-war Jewish community, together with all the other Cretan prisoners who were also on the ship (including many men from my grandfather's village. When the nazis came, my grandmother told him to leave the house. She didn't want her five children to see their father killed. He escaped the Nazis by wearing women's clothing and sitting with the women behind the village church).
J - Archaeological Museum
During Venetian times, the building that is presently the Archaeological Museum of Hania was the largest building in Hania. It was used as a monastery and church at that time, changing use to a mosque during Ottoman rule. Under Cretan rule at the turn of the 20th century, it became a cinema; the Nazis used it during WW2, and it then became a store room until it was converted into a museum in 1962. The museum is set to move away from the town, and the building will once again be available for use in a different way.The Catholic church of Chania is located behind the museum. It has been operating since 1879. The museum building was originally used as a monks' monastery since 1566, the first Catholic monastery in Crete. It was renovated to its present day form in 1991. Catholic Easter usually falls on a different day from Greek Orthodox Easter, but when they fall on the same day, the Catholic and Cathedral of Chania, located across from the museum building, celebrate it together.
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Our tour stops here. I hope you enjoyed it. Now come and explore the area on your own!
And something to think about: Nothing is forever and everything changes. One wonders how these buildings will be used in the future, a hundred years from now...
The Western Venetian wall on the seafront was where the Asian Minor refugees first settled in 1922 before accommodation was found for them.
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Zambolis Studios Chania/Maria Verivaki 2018-2019
