I + 12 : Chania - Oldest Settlement in Europe?

The Venetian Harbor of Chania with the Workshops to maintain the Fleet on the Left

Sailing from Rethymnon to Chania was fun - albeit a bit rocky when rounding the Akrotiri peninsula. The wind had dropped to 6 kn. We faced the swell from the day before though. After 4 hours, we arrived in Chania. Flanked by two limestone hills there was the natural harbor the Minoans established in 3'650 BC. It was their typical set-up. A port, a hill for a fortress and a temple, fresh water nearby.

Roller Coaster Rounding of Cape Akrotiri :-))

The more I learn about this ancient civilisation the more I respect it. What surprised me most was that Chania is one of Europe's oldest permanently settlements. There were neolithic ruins on the Kastelli Hill, the little rock to the east of the harbor. People must have lived here for thousands of years. Chania may even rival Jericho, the 11'000 year old town in the Jordan River valley. Since the Kastelli neighbourhood was permanently settled, excavations are only possible when a building is torn down. We thus know less than we'd like to.

Fine Ceramics like this Cup were produced in Kydonia

The Greek called ancient Chania Kydonia. Over the centuries, the settlement became an important palatial and manufacturing center. Its fine ceramics were known all over the Mediterranean and fetched a high price - we have seen some of these in the Heraklion Archeological Museum. The Minoans of Kydonia became wealthy. We have evidence that there were luxurious residential settlements with elegant sky lighs and facades.

Chania was particularly important for Minoan Trading with in the western Mediterranean

What happened next is unclear. The Thera eruption (Santorini) occured around 1550 BC. It was comparable to the well documented eruption of Mount Tambora in 1827 in today's Indonasia. Crete was shaken by earthquakes. Its northern coast hit by a 20 - 40 meter high Tsunami wave, followed by 1 meters of ash. The Akrotiri peninsula protected Chania to a certain extend. Am sure the swell inundated the port but many of its ship building and ceramic workshops must have survived. Whilst most of Crete's coastal population perished, people could hang on in Chania. Nonetheless, the town burnt down in 1450 BC. We do not know why. The date coincides with the arrival of the Mycenaeans from the mainland.

Computer Model of the Tsunami Wave in 1550 BC

A few centuries later, the Dorians arrived. By 1100 BC we find traces of their first settlemnts. They chose Chania for the same reasons as the Minoans. Shelter for the ships, rocky hill for a fortress and a temple, water for a settlement. The Dorian Kydonia was a very powerful city in Crete. Centuries later, Rome, Byzantium, the Arabs, Venice and the Ottomans wanted the town for the very same reason. Chania was the location to control the strategic water ways between the Peloponnese and Crete. It was easy to defend.

Expansion of Chania under Venetian Rule - Chania became Venice's hub in the East

What we see today is mostly of Venetian origin. Venice built major repair shops and made the town the island's administrative center. This foothold allowed the Serene Republic to permamently keep one third of its galleys in the eastern Mediterranean. As every wooden ships, they had to be taken our of the water during winter time to remove the barnacles from the hull, chalk it and renew the tar joints. The workshops still frame the old Chania port.

Gravure of Chania from the early 17th Century - a few Years before the Ottoman Attack

When the Ottomans arrived in 1645 with 50'000 men, the town held out for 56 days but then capitulated. The Turks called in Hanya and stayed until 1898.

Turkish Postcard of Hanya - late 19th Century

Tomorrow, we will visit the town and the Maritime Museum where the replica of a ancient Minoan ship is exhibited. A crew of 30 people rowed and sailed the boat to Athens a few years ago and proofed its seaworthiness. The vessel was built following ancient methods.

Cannot wait to see this Replica Minoan Boat tomorrow in Chania's Maritime Museum