Crete, is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, with Chania being its second largest city.
Chania appears to have been inhabited since the Neolithic era. The first major wave of settlers from mainland Greece was by the Dorian Greeks who came around 1100 BC. In 69 BC, the Roman consul Caecilius Metellus defeated the Cretans and conquered Kydonia to which he granted the privileges of an independent city-state. Kydonia reserved the right to mint its own coins until the 3rd century AD.
The early Christian period under Byzantine rule (First Byzantine Period, 395–824 AD) and the rule of the Arabs, who called the settlement Al Hanim ("the Inn"), are not well documented. Under the Arabs, the Christian population was persecuted and moved to the mountains. The Byzantine Empire retook the city in 961 AD (Second Byzantine Period, until 1204 AD).
In 1252 the Venetians managed to subdue the Cretans but in 1263, their rivals of Genoa, with local support, seized the city under the leadership of Enrico Pescatore, count of Malta, and held it until 1285, when the Venetians returned. The city of Chania during the period that followed was a blend of Byzantine, Venetian, and Classical Greek cultural elements.
The Ottoman army overran the city in 1645 after just two months' siege. Public baths (hamam), and fountains were a feature of the Ottoman city. The pasha of Crete resided in Chania.
In 1821, as Greeks rose against the Ottoman Empire, there were conflicts between Greeks and Muslims in Chania, leading to casualties from both sides, most of whom were Muslims.There was no Muslim population left after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922.
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.
Another important period for the city of Chania was the invasion and occupation by German forces during World War II.
The city of Chania was slowly regaining its normal pace of development since the 1950s.
Chania, Crete, Greece | |
| 2 Likes | 2 Dislikes |
| 78 views views | followers |
| Travel & Events | Upload TimePublished on 19 Aug 2017 |
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét