Firka Fortress is located on the northwest side of the harbor of the Old Town of Chania. In the 16th century, the Venetians built a fortification project to protect the harbor, Revellino del Porto. The project was completed shortly before the Ottoman Empire in 1645.
The Firka Fortress is located opposite Faro. In the event of a siege, a thick chain from Firka to the base of the lighthouse at the other end of the entrance, the port was closed. Originally the Fort was called Revellino. During Ottoman rule, Ottomans used it as a barracks. In Turks the barracks are Firkas
The site was formed with appropriate buildings in barracks and warehouses of war material. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a large vaulted pool that gathered the rainwater of the roofs. In addition, it was the seat of the military commander of the city. On the north side of the fortress, there were six consecutive domes. In each vault, there was a large canopy. The vaults were designed to cover the entire harbor entrance.
From the years of the Ottoman domination to the time of the civil war, the vaults were used as prisons. On December 1, 1913, the Greek flag of the union of Crete with Greece was raised in the tower of the fortress with the presence of the then Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos and King Constantine. Today, the Naval Museum is housed in the Firka Fortress.
Open hours:
From Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 14:00
