Arsenali

The Venetians constructed naval dockyards (arsenali) on both Crete and Corfu, which were primarily used for carrying out repairs to their fleet during the winter. The first two were completed in 1526 and were constructed to the south of the Inner Harbour, and a further fifteen were completed by 1599 (Crete finally fell to the Turks in 1699). A combination of disrepair during the Turkish occupation, and needless German bombing of the City of Hania in 1941, means that there are now only seven contiguous (inter linked) arsenali remaining, with two other docks at the eastern end of the Inner Harbour. The entrances, which are now blocked up, were of course once open to the harbour. A number of these structures are accessible, and are currently used as art galleries or for indoor concerts. They are worth visiting while you are in Hania, if for no other reason than to imagine the overall size of these Venetian timber galleons.