Khaniá

Khaniá (khänyä´) or Canea (kənē´ə), ancient Gr. Cydonia (sīdō´nēə), city (1991 pop. 50,077), capital of Khaniá prefecture, NW Crete, Greece, a port on the Gulf of Khaniá, an arm of the Sea of Crete. Olives, citrus fruits, and wine are shipped. One of the oldest Cretan cities, it was conquered in 69 BC by the Romans and in AD 826 fell under Arab rule. Reconquered (961) by the Byzantine Empire, it became (13th cent.) a Venetian colony. The Ottoman Empire took the city in 1645. It was the capital of Crete from 1841 to the mid-20th cent. The city has a synagogue, a mosque, and several churches. Among its historic sites are medieval fortifications and an old Venetian arsenal.

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Khaniá. Encyclopedia title: The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. © 2012 The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. Used with the permission of Columbia University Press. All Rights Reserved. Publisher: The Columbia University Press. Place of publication: Not available. Publication year: 2013.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.