TRADITIONAL GREEK LIGHTHOUSES

LIGHTHOUSE CHANIA

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For more than 5 centuries the lighthouse of Chania has been standing at the entrance of the city's old harbour. The lighthouse has been acknowledged as the trademark of the city all around the world. Its history is connected with the history of the city's harbour. In 1212 A.D. the Venetians conquered Crete. Then they decided to build a new city on the remains of ancient Kydonia (today's Chania). The harbour was constructed between the years 1320 and 1356 A.D. The works carried on for the next 200 years. It was during that period when the lighthouse was constructed in a different of today's form. From 1645 until 1830, Crete was under the Turkish occupation. The Turks never used the harbour at Chania. Instead they used the natural harbour at Souda. The lighthouse started to decay gradually, as it had fallen into desuetude. In 1830 England handed Crete over to Egypt. It was then when great works were constructed. The lighthouse was reconstructed on its original base. The new lighthouse is now different from the old one. It looks like a minaret with an internal stairway that leads to a balcony with a glass tower. Searches, which have been made during the recent years as far as the restoration of the building is concerned, reveal that the base of the lighthouse is connected with the rest of the structure with a wooden grill.