| Aggelou Street |  |
| This cobbled street leads to the maritime museum, housed in the red building on the right, and to Firka Fortress, beyond the museum’s entrance porch. Admission to the fortress is free, but the entrance gate is not always open; opening hours are displayed in the passageway. As with all tourist attractions, it’s best to avoid peak times! |
| Ahmet Agha Minaret | |
| This minaret is all that remains of a mosque built in 1645, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Crete. It is unique in Crete because it is the only one to have been fully preserved, right down to the crescent that crowns it. The mosque itself, however, no longer exists; it was converted into a knitting factory in 1923, following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. |
| Bastion of St Nicholas of Molos | |
| The jetty is built on a series of reefs that once made the harbour inaccessible to boats. In days gone by, this bastion stretched as far as the lighthouse and, together with Firkas Fortress (which can be seen just to the left of the lighthouse), defended the entrance to the harbour; it could be linked to the fortress by a chain that blocked any passage. Much of this bastion has been demolished, and what remains offers a superb view of the town and the sea. |
| Chania lighthouse | |
| At the very end of the long breakwater that protects the harbour, the Chania lighthouse is one of the town’s landmarks and a popular spot for a stroll among both locals and visitors. Originally built by the Venetians in the 16th century, it was rebuilt by the Egyptians in the 19th century, during the period when Egypt administered Ottoman Crete, and they gave it its unusual minaret-like shape. |
| Firka Fortress | |
| The ‘Revellino del Porto’ fortress was built by the Venetians from 1620 onwards to protect the entrance to the harbour. In 1645, when the Ottomans conquered Crete, it became a garrison and a prison. This is where its current name comes from: ‘firka’ meant ‘barracks’ in the Turkish of the time. It was not until 1913, when Crete was united with Greece, that the Greek flag was hoisted on a watchtower which is now thronged with tourists. |
| Hasan Pasha Mosque | |
| Built in 1645 by an Armenian architect, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Chania, this mosque was the first to be built in Crete. It served as a place of worship until 1923, after which its minaret was demolished and it was used successively as a warehouse, a museum of folk art, a tourist information centre and an annex to the archaeological museum. Today, it has become an exhibition space and an iconic landmark of the old harbour. |
| Kastelli archaeological site | |
| We are here on Kastelli Hill, which was the centre of the Minoan city of Cydonia. Archaeological excavations began here in 1964 and have continued ever since, leading to some fascinating discoveries. For example, five Linear B tablets, two Linear A tablets, several seals, pottery and other artefacts have been found here. Unfortunately, the scope for further excavations remains very limited in such a heavily built-up area! |
| Mitropoleos Square | |
| Chalidon Street leads onto the large square where Chania Cathedral (or Trimartiri Cathedral), built in 1860, stands. We were forbidden from taking panoramic photos there, for ‘copyright’ reasons. A bit surreal, isn’t it? Never mind, there are plenty of other magnificent places to show you, and not all of them play the diva… |
| Old Venetian port | |
| The old harbour, of course, bears no resemblance to Venice; it is a picturesque promenade lined with countless terraces of bars and tavernas that attract crowds at all hours. With its spectacular views of the Hassan Pasha Mosque and the minaret-shaped lighthouse – the city’s iconic landmarks – it is a magical place that instantly makes you fall in love with Chania. |
| On top of the ramparts | |
| In the 19th century, numerous Cretan uprisings against the Ottomans were brutally suppressed, leading to a war that forced the major European powers to intervene. From 1896 to 1913, whilst remaining an Ottoman province, Crete became autonomous, protected by foreign armies. The small building seen here was then part of the Russian army barracks. |
| Sifaka Street | |
| The Byzantine walls protecting Kastelli Hill were built in the 6th and 7th centuries, largely using materials taken from the ruins of ancient Kydonia. When the Venetians arrived in the 13th century, they first settled within these Byzantine walls, then built new ramparts which made these walls the innermost of Chania’s three defensive rings. |
| Talos Square | |
| In the 19th century, this square became a symbol of Greek nationalism and, following independence, was renamed 1821 Square to commemorate the year of the revolution. Its original name refers to Talos, a mythical giant with a body encased in bronze, who protected Crete from pirates and invaders on behalf of the legendary King Minos. The unusual fountain standing there commemorates a maritime tragedy: the sinking of the ferry ‘Heraklion’ off the coast of Crete in 1966, which claimed more than 200 lives. |
| Venetian shipyards (1) | |
| Venice occupied Crete from 1204 to 1669, making it necessary to build shipyards to house and repair its fleet. Many were subsequently demolished, but two groups of buildings remain in Chania: one here along the present-day marina, the other further on, at the very end of the marina. The Venetians ordered their construction in 1467, but the 17th dock in this vast complex was not completed until 1599. |
| Venetian shipyards (2) | |
| Originally, the shipyard basins opened out onto the sea to allow boats to be hauled ashore. They were connected to one another by arched openings cut through the thick masonry. Here, the shipyards were not built until 1607, and only two of the five planned were ever completed. All lost their original purpose following the Ottoman conquest, becoming mainly military warehouses. |
| Western wall | |
| Pireos Street runs alongside the western wall of the old town, with the San Salvatore bastion on the far left. At the foot of the wall, there is a large green space criss-crossed by a path which, unfortunately, ends in a dead end. To the south of this area, there is no entrance to the old town; follow the street or go round the bastion to get there. |
