Splantzia Square
It is located on the southeastern side of the city. On the Ottoman domination, it was the largest district of Muslims.
At the northwestern edge of the square, the church of Saint Rokkos is preserved. It was built in 1630. During Ottoman rule, it functioned as a military prison, while during the Cretan state and until 1925 as a gendarmerie station. Saint Rokkos for the inhabitants of Chania was the patron of the plague.
East of the square is the church of Saint Nikolas, built just before 1320, on the Venetians, as a monastery of the Dominican monks. During the Ottoman domination, it was converted into a mosque and was named Hugar mosque, It was the city’s main mosque. Its minaret was built on the southern side of the temple and was 40 meters high. It was the tallest in the city and unfortunately today it reaches a height of about 34 meters as its conical metal shelf lined with lead sheets was destroyed. In 1918 it was converted into an orthodox temple in honor of Saint Nikolas. Today it is the only temple in Greece that has a bell tower and a minaret.
At the center of the square, there is a huge plane tree and there is a catacomb between the church and the plane tree. During Ottoman rule, under the plane tree, there was an octagonal Arabian kiosk, to which the aristocrats of the Turkish state had the right to sit. Now there is a monument in honor of Greek Christians who were tortured and killed at this point during the Greek Revolution. After excavations that took place, a large tank was found in the catacomb. On the Venetians and the Turks, an underground fountain was constructed and used as ritual space.
Today, on the perimeter of the square, small cafes and taverns are housed, while the huge plane tree offers rich shade and coolness during the summer months.
