Minoan era of ancient Cydonia in the
Archaeological Museum of Chania. Chania was the site of a
Minoan settlement, known from
Linear B tablets from
Knossos as having been named (). The subsequent Greek settlement was likewise known as
Cydonia (,
Kydōnía), ultimately the source of the English word "
quince". Some notable
archaeological evidence for the existence of this Minoan city below some parts of today's Chania was found by excavations in the district of Kasteli in the Old Town. This area appears to have been inhabited since the
Neolithic Age.
Ancient Greek and Roman eras Cydonia reemerged after the end of the Minoan period as an important
city-state in
Classical Greece, one whose domain extended from Chania Bay to the feet of the
White Mountains. The first major wave of settlers from mainland
Greece was by the
Dorians who came around Cydonia was constantly at war with other Cretan city-states such as
Aptera,
Phalasarna, and Polyrrinia and was important enough for the Cydonians to be mentioned in
Homer's
Odyssey. In the
Roman consul Q. Caecilius Metellus defeated the
Cretans and conquered Cydonia, to which he granted the privileges of an independent city-state.
Byzantine and Arab eras Cydonia was not well documented in
late antiquity or in the early medieval period, when it was first ruled by the
Byzantine Empire (395–824) and then by the
Emirate of Crete (824–961). The Arabs seem to have begun calling the settlement (), literally "the
Caravanserai" or "
Inn" but possibly transcribing the name of a neighborhood previously devoted to the worship of the
Minoan god Welchanos. The city had become known as Chania in Greek by the time of the second period of Byzantine rule (961–1204). In order to deter another Arab invasion, the Byzantines strongly fortified the city, reusing materials from ancient buildings in the area. Chania was the seat of a
Byzantine bishopric, which became the
Roman Catholic Diocese of La Canea under Venetian rule and then the Latin titular see of Cydonia. In total, about 10,000 Venetians are estimated to have moved to Crete during the first century of Venetian rule—by comparison, Venice itself had a population of at this period. The colonization wave of 1252 also resulted in the establishment of Canea (modern
Chania), on the site of the long abandoned ancient city of
Kydonia. The Venetian rule was initially strict and oppressive but slowly the relations between the two parts improved. Contact with
Venice led to close intertwining of
Cretan and Venetian cultures, without, however, the Cretans losing their
Greek Orthodox nature.
Its fortifications were strengthened, giving Chania the form that it still has today. On the other hand, after the fall of
Constantinople in 1453, many priests, monks and artists took refuge in Crete and reinforced the
Byzantine religion and culture on the island. The city of Canea during the period that followed was a blend of Byzantine, Venetian, and Classical Greek cultural elements. Many of the important buildings of the town were built during this era and the intellectual activities (written word, music, education) were also promoted. Under the
Ottoman Turkish name
Hanya (), Muslims resided mainly in the eastern quarters, Kastelli and Splantzia, where they converted the
Dominican church of St Nicholas into the central Sovereign's Mosque (Turkish:
Hünkar Camısı).
Modern era (1864–1936), major political figure of the 20th century European scene, was born in Chania. In 1898, during the final moves towards independence and
enosis—union with
Greece—the
Great Powers made Chania the capital of the semi-autonomous
Cretan State (), with
Prince George of Greece, the High Commissioner of Crete living here. During these years Crete issued its own stamps and money. This was a very important transitional period when, no longer an isolated
vilayet of the Ottoman Empire, the city became more cosmopolitan and flourishing, regaining its role as the crossroad of civilizations, influenced by Europe as well as by the East. Many important buildings were built during this era, intellectual and artistic societies were created and a new class of local aristocracy brought a different atmosphere to the everyday life of the town. The district of
Halepa has many fine neoclassical embassies and consulates dating from this period. However the main goal was
enosis with Greece, which came after
Eleftherios Venizelos's constant opposition to Prince George's rule over Crete. The series of conflicts includes the
Therisos revolt in 1905, which overthrew Prince George and brought
Alexandros Zaimis to rule Crete. Finally, in 1908, Venizelos managed to establish a revolutionary government, recognized by the
Great Powers. His later election as the prime minister of Greece (1910) eventually led to Crete's union with Greece on 1 December 1913, following the
Balkan Wars. The Greek flag was raised for the first time at Fort Firka in the Old Harbour in the presence of Venizelos and King Constantine. Due to the popularity of Venizelos, Chania as with most of Crete remained staunchly pro-
Venizelist, pro-
Liberal and later pro-
Republican in the
National Schism and the
interwar period. The only attempt to overthrow the monarchist
Metaxas Regime occurred in the city with the failed
28 July 1938 uprising.
World War II Another important period for the city of Chania was the invasion and occupation by
German forces during
World War II. The British force that faced the German paratroopers during the
Battle of Crete in 1941, had artillery elements over the hill of Dexameni in the south of the city. These elements bombarded the German forces in the
Maleme airfield undetected, until they ran out of ammunition.
George II of Greece stayed in a villa near the village of Perivolia outside Chania before escaping to
Egypt. Part of the city was bombed and a significant proportion of the area's population was either executed or imprisoned due to participation in the resistance against the German rule. The
Jewish community of Chania was also eliminated during the German occupation. Most of them were transported off the island by the
Nazi occupiers in 1944. A
British torpedo
sank the ship Tanais, which was carrying most of the Jewish prisoners.
Postwar era The city of Chania slowly regained its normal pace of development during the 1950s, trying to overcome the difficulties that the war had left in its aftermath. During the 1970s, Crete became a major tourist destination for Greek and international tourists, something that gave a significant boost to the city's economy and affected the everyday life and the overall culture of the locals. The capital of
Crete was moved to
Heraklion in 1971. Since the 1990s, the city of Chania has entered a new era, mainly due to construction and infrastructure such as a new airport, port and educational facilities, and it is considered a prominent tourist resort in the
Mediterranean Sea. ==Geography==