Fortifications

To walk around the former fortifications is to make a journey through thousands of years. From the hill of Kastelli overlooking the harbour, which has always served as a stronghold, you can follow the Byzantium walls and see the extended fortifications of the period of Venetian rule. Hania was an important military harbour and point of trade for the Venetian fleets. With the threat of attack from Turkey in the 16th century, the Venetians built defensive walls and a large moat around the city, deepened the harbour and built seventeen docks to service their ships. Despite this, the Turkish lay siege to Hania and took it after two months of fighting, with 60,000 Turkish troops landing from a fleet of 400 ships. Turkish troops did not leave until the end of the 19th century.