Hania (or Chania GR: Χανιά) is the capital of the Prefecture of the same name and the second biggest town in Crete, with a population of 60.000 inhabitants. It lies (Coordinates 35°31' N 24°1' E ) along the North coast of the island, about 55 km west of Rethymnon and 140 km west of Iraklion (Heraklion). Hania's old town (although it was heavily bombed by Germans in World War II) is considered as Crete's most beautiful urban district, especially the Venetian harbour with its 16th century lighthouse and the Mosque of the Janissaries ("Giali Tzamissi", built 17th century). Many of the old buildings have been restored as hotels, restaurants, shops and bars, making the old town a lively and colourful place, especially during the tourist period.

An institution of culture, that aims in the creation of necessary "space", where the various sectors of Art, Science and Literature can coexist, each seeking the contribution of the other, thus becoming feasible the materialization of visions that each one of these means of expression of the Human spirit, to be able offer to the community.
Address: 98-102, Chalidon Street, 73 131 Chania, Crete, Greece
Phone number: +30 28210 92294 / +30 28210 36190
E-Mail: info@pinakothiki-chania.gr
Links:
Dimodiki Pinakothiki Hanion

The Market, impressive for its size and shape, is built in the shape of a cross with 76 shops grouped according to their wares in the four arms of the cross. The south façade is particularly well constructed out of chiseled limestone, in the architectural style of the local tradition, developed during the Venetian period. Its construction was completed in 1913 and the formal opening was made by Eleftherios Venizelos on 4th December 1913 as part of the celebrations for the Unification of Crete to Greece.

The temple Kioutsouk (small) Hassan or Giali Tzamisi (seaside mosque), as it was commonly called, a brilliant sample of Islamic art of the Renaissance was a work of an Armenian architect, who had constructed another similar mosque in 'Spaniako', a village in the county of 'Selino'. The mosque, in the yard of which there were palm trees and graves of pashas and janissaries, stopped operating in 1923 and today it is restored without the small and picturesque minaret demolished in 1920.

A two storey house, located at the old port of Hania, with a total area of 840 m2. The exhibition includes about 2,500 exhibits, such as models of ships, different kinds of naval instruments and devices, paintings, heirlooms, gleanings from the sea bottom, shells, photographs etc., which are divided in 13 units, covering chronologically all the periods.

The wealth of archaeological material yielded by excavations conducted over many years by the 13th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities in the county of Chania, and also by retrieval of material and donations, forms a Collection that records, with great clarity, the history of the westernmost county in Crete from Early Christian times to the period of Turkish rule. Representative examples of this Collection are displayed in the church of San Salvatore.

The fortress on the northwest side of the port was constructed to protect the entrance of the port and maintains its Turkish name "Firká" (Firka=barracks). A chain from "Firka" to the lighthouse blocked the entrance to the port in case of intrusion. The fortress was the headquarters of the Army Commander of the city.

The Franciscan monastery of San Salvatore, that houses the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Collection of Chania, was built on the west side of the fortress of Chania, in three phases from the 15th century until the late Venetian period (middle of 17th century). The extensive restoration of the church made it possible to identify more clearly the various building phases of the monument, unify the space, and display its austere, uncluttered architectural features to good effect. The original church, which probably dates from the 15th century, was the small domed section on the east side.

The south complex was completed in 1599, with the construction of 17 Neoria. Today only 7 survive out of the 17. In their original form they were open on the side of the sea. The ceilings are arched, and they are connected with arched openings of the same thickness as the walls.

Chania lighthouse, the jewel of the city, is one of the oldest light houses, not only in Greece and the Mediterranean, but also in the world. The lighthouse (Faros GR: Φάρος) is a major attraction in the old port of Chania especially at night when it's lit up. The tower is 21m high and is built on a stone base, located at the end of the old harbour's pier opposite to the fortress of "Firkas". Visitors are not allowed to enter the tower. Chania lighthouse was first constructed by the Venetians around 1595 - 1601, and it took its final form, in the shape of a minaret, during the Egyptian Period (1831 - 1841) in around 1839. After the latest restoration, completed in 2006, it was given the formation of the Venetian period. The minaret look is still evident however.

The Archaeological Museum of Chania is located in the historic suburb of Chalepa, on a plot of land covering 11,526.81 m2, with a total area of approximately 6,000 m2. Its location, averaging 98 m above sea level, offers a magnificent view over much of the city, especially the seafront. The Museum, designed by architect Theofanis Bobotis and partners, is composed of two distinct linear monolithic masses rising from the earth, a symbolic reference to the vestiges of civilisation beneath the surface.

The permanent exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Chania is set out in three galleries on the ground floor, presenting the archaeological riches of the regional unit of Chania from the first traces of human presence in Chania to the 4th century AD, and a gallery on the upper floor where part of the Konstantinos, Marika and Kyriakos Mitsotakis Collection is exhibited.

The exhibition is enriched with faithful reconstructions of various spaces, visual media, digital presentations, tactile exhibits (copies of ancient objects) accompanied by Braille captions, and an audio guide.

The Temporary Exhibition Gallery and the Museum gift shop are on the ground floor, while the Educational Programme Room, the Amphitheatre and the Café are on the upper floor.

Eleftherios Venizelos (Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, GR: Ἐλευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος - 23 August 1864 – 18 March 1936), born in Mournies village near Chania, was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932. Venizelos had such profound influence on the internal and external affairs of Greece that he is credited with being "the maker of modern Greece", and he is still widely known as the "Ethnarch".

After the scientific and administrative services of the Foundation "Eleftherios Venizelos" were transferred to the former Vloom Mansion, in 2005, the Venizelos residence remained the Foundation's headquarters and it has been converted into a Museum, a commemoration site for Eleftherios Venizelos.
The residence bears the imprint of Eleftherios Venizelos and the building has maintained its original form, of the years he lived there. The furniture of the decade 1925-1935 was selected by Venizelos himself and his wife Elena, and was brought from Athens and abroad. Decorative objects and paintings of the period, original photographs and personal items of significant value decorate the interior of the residence.
Website:www.venizelos-foundation.gr

The aim of the Foundation is to function on a national level as a dynamic european research and educational centre constituting a central point of reference for the coordination of research into the work, era and life of the great statesman and more generally into modern Greek history without ideological constraints and preconceptions and without local limitations.
The address of the Foundation is:
National Research Foundation "Eleftherios K. Venizelos"
House of Eleftherios Venizelos
Elena Venizelou Square, Chalepa, 731 33 Chania
T.K. 73133
Tel. (0030) 28210-56008, 51555-6, 54011
Fax (0030) 28210-56009
Email: info@venizelos-foundation.gr
Office Hours: 08:30 - 16:00
Website:www.venizelos-foundation.gr

The Institute for Olive Tree and Subtropical Plants of Chania is one of the Institutes of the National Agricultural Research Foundation (NAGREF), located at Chania, Crete, Greece. The Institute consists of 10 Laboratories, with research activities focused on the following fields: Oliviculture and Post-harvest Physiology, Citriculture, Subtropical Plants, Irrigation and Water Resources Management, Plant Mineral Nutrition and Physiology, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Food Technology, Hydroponic Culture and Aromatic Plants, and Animal Production. The research activities of the Institute are supported by modern facilities, including fully equipped laboratories, glasshouses, 50 ha of experimental fields and collections of genetic material for olive, citrus, subtropical plants and grapevines.

The village of Mournies is a principal village, located 3.8 km south of Hania at 40m a.s.l. It took the name "Mournies" from the numerous mulberry trees, that use to be here even today. At the beginning of the 17th century, Mournies was famous for its beautiful villas, belonging to local noblemen. One of them, located southeast of the village, was the imposing three storey villa of "Koukounara". It had beautiful flowery gardens, fountains, statues ..., a real paradise, where many famous persons were received hospitality, amongst them the glorious Mme Ortans, the empress Eugene of Napoleon the third, queen Olga of Greece, and the king Constantinos in 1913. The villa today, being restored, houses a department of the Geek Navy.
Mournies was the birth place of one of the greatest statesman of the new Hellenic Republic, Eleftherios Venizelos. Venizelos' influence on the history of Greece was paramount, from his participation to the talks with the Ottomans that resulted to granting Crete independence in 1897, to the final union of Crete with Greece in 1913. The house of Venizelos located in Mournies is going to be a museum, and many personal items of the politician are going to be on display there.

Institute dedicated to postgraduate and specialised education, applied research and the development of Mediterranean agriculture. MAICh offers postgraduate programs in the following fields: Business Economics and Management, Geoinformation in Environmental Management, Horticultural Genetics and Biotechnology, Food Quality and Chemistry of Natural Products and Sustainable Agriculture.

At the magical and historical location of Profitis Ilias, in Akrotiri, at the east of Hania lays the tomb of Eleftherios Venizelos, one of the most long-standing prime ministers of Greece and whose political life was focused on doubling the size of Greek territory and on the creation of a contemporary State. Eleftherios Venizelos himself had designated this position to be his resting place before his death.
For the visitor, it affords a panoramic view of the rich green plain of Hania, the imposing White Mountains, the Cretan Sea, the town of Hania and the Chalepa quarter which is the location of the house in which the great politician spent most of his life and today is the headquarters of the National Research Foundation 'Eleftherios K. Venizelos'.

At a time that living organisms are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially through habitat destruction, the Park for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna of the Technical University of Crete, which extends to 30 hectares, constitutes a small but important area where native plants and co-existing animals are protected and can develop without human intervention.
Up to now 250 different plant species that grow naturally in habitats of the Park have been identified, while their systematic documentation is still in progress.
The development of new ecological units (“habitats”) began in areas of the Park that have been cultivated in the past. These will include plant species of Crete that do not grow naturally in the Park. Two such units, the wetland and the coastal habitats have already been launched.
www.park.tuc.gr/

Agios Georgios" the General Hospital of Hania. Situated in the outskirts of the city of Chania, near Mournies village. It was established in 2000 and has a capacity of 450 beds. Its fundamental aim is the provision of high quality health services to all citizens, within a friendly and humane environment.