1645, Chania fell to the Ottoman Empire after a prolonged siege. The Ottomans left a profound impact on the city, introducing new architectural styles and cultural practices. The Ottoman Era saw the construction of mosques, baths, and public buildings, as well as the conversion of existing Venetian structures for Islamic practice.
Chania remained under Ottoman rule until the late 19th century, when Crete gradually proceeded towards unification with Greece. Following the Balkan Wars, the city officially became part of Greece in 1913. In the 20th century, Chania experienced significant growth and development, despite the challenges of World War II, during which it suffered severe destruction.
The mix of architecture is evident and obvious when strolling through Chania today.
It was cute to see these kids going through town, singing....
Crete was no different than anywhere in Greece : graffiti!
I imagine many tourists took home a variety of photos of this cool lighthouse....
One of my travel buddies and I stopped and let the little fishies nibble on our feet. As you can see from the expression, it was a rather weird experience! Our feet were smoooooooth after that visit.
It was a pretty hot day (I can't imagine what it's like in July, this was the first week of May).
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I also want to share the final product after hours of embroidery:
Love, 365
You saw the best of Crete. Your tour was fantastic. We lived just outside Chania for 3 years in the 80s. K was stationed at the Navy base. I loved it there, didn't want to leave.
ReplyDeleteThe bougainvillias are gorgeous but they shed so many flowers. Make a bit of a mess.
I loved Crete! My only regret is that we didn't spend as much time there as we did other places. It was a lot of fun.
DeleteYou know, I didn't realize how good our tour director was until I read other reviews. He took us to some wonderful places.
The jacket is gorgeous. Nice work!! Are you of Greek heritage? The pictures are gorgeous. It looks like a great country to visit. I'd love the food. Of course I'd say that. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you on the compliment...it was fun and I get a cool jacket out of it. :-)
DeleteI attend a Greek Orthodox Church, which as might guess from the name, I now know a lot of Greeks. Wonderful people that always put family and friends first. I get more hugs from people at church than I ever have had. I am not Greek, but my Greek friends tell me I've been officially adopted, and am now Greek, haha.
If you get the chance, go. The food? Omg. So freaking good. I ate a lot of seafood, which I love anyway, but it was so fresh and well cooked. I loved it. I ate portokalopita (which is orange cake) in Mykonos and I had to find a good recipe and make it. And ~ you can buy gluten free philo dough and make it...so if you want to, let me know if you want the recipe.
Chania has such a complex history but what a wonderful place it has created to enjoy in the modern world. We went in late September and the crowds were a bit overwhelming but I do remember all that colour - and the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteIt was not too bad when we were there the first week of May. It was the only place I didn't need a sweater.
DeletePS Did you get to Margarites while you were on Crete?
ReplyDeleteNo! I looked it up and I wish we had. How lovely!
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