Chania - Venetian Harbour

09/11/2022

19/07/2022

Will you be in Chania Venetian Harbour tonight?

"Local Strata", 🎼Cretan traditional music and dance every Tuesday night at Chania - Venetian Harbour.

Starting at 19:30 from Neorio Moro Ιστιοπλοϊκός Όμιλος Χανίων, groups of local traditional associations, escorted by artists with traditional music instruments will be walking through the Venetian Harbour, ending at the Cathedral Church Square around 21:00.

The traditional singing and dancing culture will offer you a lifetime experience and will give you sounds and images of Chania Tradition & Culture.
Hamilton Hellenic TDG

https://fb.watch/el_sTfXEgP/

27/04/2022

Strolling around the Old Town is one of the most fun things to do in Chania!
© Photo AllinCrete

#κρήτη #χανιά #χανια

23/03/2022

09/01/2022

A city of many tales...
📷 credits Nikos Fragos Photography

A city of many tales

Δήμος Χανίων - Municipality of Chania
Δημοτικό Λιμενικό Ταμείο Χανίων
Chania Tourism
Greek Gateway

23/11/2021

Grab a drink and find a bench with this kind of view..Sometimes
all you need is less. Photo by .

21/11/2021

04/10/2021

01/10/2021

29/07/2021

We left the best for the end. The jewel of Chania, the Lighthouse in the old Harbor.
The Egyptian Lighthouse in the Venetian port of Chania is the jewel of the city, its most photographed monument. Although called "Egyptian", it was originally built by the Venetians in the late 16th century. It was founded on natural rock and initially functioned as an open flame torch. It is 21 meters high and its light covers a distance of seven miles. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world that survives today.
The tower of the Egyptian Lighthouse consists of three parts. The base is octagonal, the middle part hexagonal and the third circular. The construction material is of the same origin and quality as the Venetians built the fortifications of the city. In case of threat, the Venetians closed the entrance of the port with a chain that tied to the base of the Egyptian Lighthouse and reached the opposite Fortress Firkas.

29/07/2021

Continuing our path through Chania we go back to the Old Venetian Harbor, where we can find Firkas Fortress. A Venetian Fortress overlooking the entrance of the old Harbor
Firkas is one of the most impressive Venetian fortresses. It was the main fortress of the Venetian town of Chania, built in a key position and protecting the harbor entrance. Outside the main gate, a strong iron ring (called kerkelos) was placed to which one end of the chain closing off the harbor mouth was attached. The other end was attached to the lighthouse of the Chania port. The fortress still has several underground tunnels, which were used for imprisoning the rebelling locals.
At the fort Firkas, the most glorious page of the modern Crete was written on 1 December 1913, when the Prime Minister of Greece, Eleftherios Venizelos, and the King of Greece, Konstantinos, raised the Greek flag after 800 years of slavery, sealing the Union of the autonomous Cretan State with Greece. Another event associated with Firkas was the removal of the Greek flag on 18 August 1908. The flag was raised by the Cretan deputies that declared unilateral union with Greece, taking advantage of domestic turmoil in Turkey, but this act was not recognized by the Great Powers. Thus the flag was removed by the “protectors” of the Cretan State.
Thus, Firkas became a holy symbol for the Cretans, the symbol of struggling for the liberation of the island

26/07/2021

26/07/2021

Did you know that one of the Neoria , has now become the Centre of Mediterranean Architecture or Grand Arsenal (K.A.M as it is known in Greek).
The Grand Arsenal was built in 1585 by Alvise Grimani and was completed in 1600. It originally had no floor, but with the addition of a floor in 1872, during the late Ottoman period, it entered a new era. The house hosted several important public functions. Among other things, the school of the Christian Community was housed here. From 1892 it also housed theatrical performances in its large hall. It was also used as a public hospital from 1923, but also as a town hall from 1928 to 1941.
Today, once a useless ruin, it has been transformed into an impressive venue for events and exhibitions. It operates as a Center of Mediterranean Architecture, hosting important Greek and international events on its premises, with special emphasis - as is natural - in Architecture.

25/07/2021

Moving further on the old harbor, one stumbles upon the large rectangle structures that span across Akti Enoseos.
These structures are called Neoria. But what's the story behind them?
During the Venetian occupation (1204 - 1669), the need for the closer presence of Venetians in Crete made them construct a large number of "Neoria" (arsenal) in Chania, where the ships would be repaired during the winter. The construction of the first two "Neoria" in Chania was completed in 1526. In 1593, sixteen "Neoria" had already been constructed.
In 1599, the south "Neoria" complex was completed with the construction of the 17th "Neorio". In 1607, during the expansion of the northeast rampart, begins the construction of 5 more "Neoria" at the heart of the port to the east. Two of them were completed, however, only the walls to the arch of the third one were constructed. During the Turkish period, the lack of maintenance works in the port and the degradation of the role of “Neoria" also resulted in the alteration of the original function of “Neoria” which were now used as military storage spaces. From the initial "Neoria" complex with 17 "Neoria", nine were demolished.
Nowadays, a group of 7 continuous domes is preserved-along with another one further to the west, the "Grand Arsenal" (today, the Centre of Mediterranean Architecture). Only two "Neoria" are preserved intact from "Moro" complex, at the heart of the port, while in the position of the demolished "Neoria", the stone building of the new customs of Chania was constructed, which is today surrounded by two squares.

24/07/2021

You all have surely noticed the strange building with the round rooftop in the center of the old harbor! Well you would be surprised to know that this used to be a mosque call Mosque of the Seas
Yali Tzamisi (mosque of the seas) or Tzami Koioutsouk Hassan (in honor of the first Garrison commander of Chania Küçük Hasan) dominates the old harbor and is one of the most famous monuments of Chania. It is the first mosque built by the Ottomans in Crete.
The mosque, a shining example of Renaissance Islamic art, was the work of an Armenian architect. In the courtyard of Giali Tzamisi there were palm trees and tombs of pashas and janissaries.
Yali Mosque functioned as a Muslim temple until 1923, when the last Muslims left Crete with the exchange of populations. At times it was used as an Archaeological Museum, warehouse, museum of folk art and today hosts events and exhibitions.

23/07/2021

So, our journey begins. Firstly I would like to thank all who gave me this opportunity to showcase my view of Chania's many tales and faces.

We start our walk through Chania , from the Catholic Church.. The monks arrived in Chania by order of Pope Paul V in 1566. Led by Father Ignatius IV Aritos, they founded their first Monastery in Crete. This monastery stood where the Catholic Church stands today. In 1842 the building took its existing form and in 1860 it was expanded with the addition of a second chamber.

One can find the Catholic Church just opposite of Chania's Metropolitan Church in Halidon Street.