Chania Lighthouse ( gr, Φάρος Χανίων), is a lighthouse located at the entrance of the port of

Chania Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion. The mun ...

, on the island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cypru ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

. It was built in 1864 on the site of the original lighthouse by the Venetians. It has been a listed archeological site in Greece since 1962.

History

Chania Lighthouse was originally a naval post created by the Venetians that would protect the city from oncoming

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

or pirates. In 1645, the Turks took control of the city, during which the lighthouse was left to ruins. Egyptian troops, who were aiding the Ottoman Empire in protecting Crete, rebuilt the lighthouse in 1864: only the base of the original lighthouse remains. In May 1915 a fixed white light was installed, marking it is an official lighthouse in Greece's network. The lighthouse suffered damage in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and was refurbished in 2006.

Characteristics

The lighthouse is a stone masonry tower rising above the bay below. At the top there is a gallery and light that flashes red each 2.5 seconds.

References

External links

*
Chania Lighthouse
at ''Faroi.com''
French postcard
* {{authority control Lighthouses completed in the 19th century Lighthouses in Greece Buildings and structures in Chania