The Venetian Neoria is one of the most impressive monuments at the Old Port of Chania. Built in the 16th century by the Venetians, the reason for the growing Turkish threat, where the Venetian needed a shipyard to repair its ships.
The armed ship began construction of the shipyards in 1526 and completed in 1599. At that time the Venetian ship dominated the Mediterranean waters. Of the main stations on the Eastern Mediterranean sea, shopping streets were the ports of Crete where there was the shelter of the commercial ships and martial navy, for refueling and repairs. The ruins of Neoria were large stone constructions with an arched facade.
Opened to the sea, so that the ships can reach up to their unobstructed hulk and communicate with each other with arched openings on the inner walls. They had wooden doors, while access to Venetian Neoria was made by a grandeur gate at the end of today’s Daskalogianni Street, which was destroyed in the mid-20th century.
Altogether, they were built 23 Venetian Neoria, 5 at the Moros complex in the east, 17 at the northern shore of the harbor, and the Megalo Arsenali, apart from the rest, a little further west. During the Turkish domination, the yards were neglected and began to emigrate. Now there are 7, which are 50 meters long, 9 meters wide and 10 meters high. Maritime access no longer exists as the waterfront was constructed.
Megalo Arsenali today houses the Mediterranean Center of Architecture. In Neorio Mora is housed the Sailing Club, which was founded in 1990. Neorio was renovated and reconstructed with the support of the Municipality of Chania according to the program for the protection of the environment 2000-2006
