The Old Town of Chania, which has suffered a lot from looting, is full of picturesque narrow streets, stone-built pedestrian streets and sights of immense historical importance that are undoubtedly the jewels of the city and the entire island. Historically, it is worth mentioning that the Old Town of Chania was burned and bombed several times in its long history.
The conquerors made sure to leave their stamp on every part of the Old Town. For reference, the Egyptian Lighthouse, the Venetian Harbor and the Ottoman “Giali” Mosque are some of the buildings that have been saved and complete the mosaic image of the Old Town.
Visitors to the Old Town of Chania have the opportunity to wander through the narrow streets and admire the countless sights. Sights of historical and cultural importance that testify to the favorable position that was built and wanted to conquer it. More specifically, in the Old Town you will find the Venetian Port, the Egyptian Lighthouse, the square of Splantzia, the fountain, the Firka fortress, the Maritime Museum of Crete, the great Arsenal, the Neoria, the “Giali” Mosque and Chania Metropolitan Church.
Today the Old Town is home to various businesses such as hotels, restaurants, shops and more.
After the occupation of Chania by the Turks, the Christians gather in the western part of the city, while the Turks live on the other side, in the districts of Kasteli and Splantzia.
The Turks call the western Christian quarter “Tophane” which in Turkish means “armoury”, because of the existence of the Venetian ammunition warehouse that is preserved to this day at the end of Theotokopoulou Street, and since then the name Topanas has remained for the quarter.
In the period of the Turkish rule, several buildings were shaped according to the religious habits and needs of the new conqueror, following the standards of Turkish architecture.
The end of the late Turkish occupation (1841 – 1898) comes when the “Great Protecting Powers” of the time, who were interested in Crete, decide on the international occupation of the island.
The embassies of European countries are located in the aristocratic Christian quarter of Topanas.
