Republic of Venice

In 1204, the Venetians took over Crete and the island became an overseas colony of the Venetian Republic. The colony of the Kingdom of Kandia was established and the capital Kandia (formerly Chandax) was named the same.

The Greek bishop was sent away from the island and Latin bishops were installed in his place. During this period many Orthodox churches and chapels were built on Crete, most of which have survived to this day. The peasants, however, were deprived of their land, which passed into the possession of the knights, and the original owners became slaves. The confiscation of property, taxes and harsh working conditions were the cause of continuous rebellions by the proud Cretan population, but these were severely repressed.

After Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, many Greeks moved to Crete and the Byzantine culture on the island was strengthened. Because of the increasing Turkish threat and attacks, the Venetians and the native Cretans began to cooperate, at least in the most necessary way, and there was development in the economic and cultural spheres.

More or less well-preserved historical monuments dating back to the Venetian period can be found at almost every turn in Crete. A fine example of the architecture of the time is the capital city of Heraklion, where many of these monuments stand, mostly in the Old Town of Heraklion. Famous are, for example, the old Venetian port with the defensive fortress of Koules (the Venetians named it "Rocca Al Mare", the Turks later renamed it "Koules") or Plateia Venizelou (Venetian Square). In Chania we can also admire the beautiful harbour, the historical part of the city with the remains of the Venetian fortifications or, for example, the monastery of San Nicolao. One of the largest Venetian fortresses in all of Greece, the Fortezza Fortress, stands in Rethymno. Here you will find, for example, the interesting Venetian fountain of Rimondi. And one of the oldest Venetian fortresses, the Frangokastello Fortress, is again near the town of the same name.

Important Cretan artists also come from this period, such as the famous icon painter Michail Damaskinos or Domenico Theotokopoulos (known as "El Greco") or the writer and theatre artist Vitsentzos Kornaros of Sitia.

Turkish occupation

The Turkish army is constantly attacking the island of Crete. In 1645 the Turks took the towns of Hania and Rethymno and in 1669 (after a siege of about 22 years) they also took the town of Kandia (renamed Heraklion by the Venetians). The Venetians were thus forced to surrender and in 1669 the Turkish occupation began and Crete became part of the Ottoman Empire. The role of commercial centre was taken over by Chania, located to the west, and for a few years it was also the capital of the island (until 1972).

However, this was the most difficult and harshest period of occupation the Cretans had ever experienced. Huge taxes, slavery and rape were a daily reality and there were continuous revolts of the people. The huge uprising for independence in 1821 led to the freedom and independence of Greece, but unfortunately it was not so successful in Crete. The London Protocol of 1830, which established Greece as an independent country, did not include Crete.

The period of Turkish occupation also took its toll on local construction and architecture, as existing buildings were often reconstructed and supplemented with purely Turkish features, and new mosques and minarets sprang up among the development. In Rethymno, for example, several such mosques and minarets can be found, for example the famous Neratza Mosque. There is also the beautiful Janissaries Mosque (also known as the Janissaries Bastion) in Chania.

In 1830, the Turkish Sultan decided to sell the island and the administration of Crete was temporarily handed over to Egypt. But soon afterwards, in 1841, after an unsuccessful Egyptian revolt against Turkey, all Egyptian possessions were forfeited to the Turks and Crete was returned to the Ottoman Empire.

In the 19th century, there were struggles for the annexation of Crete to the Kingdom of Greece. For example, the revolt of 1866, which ended in a fire and explosion in the Arkadi monastery, was very tragic. The unrest and revolutions continued until 1898, when Crete was freed from Turkish rule and placed under international administration, thus beginning the next stage of its historical development.