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Photo of the lighthouse on the end of the harbour wall of Chania, Crete, Greece.
Chania is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north coast of the island, about 145 km west of Heraklion. An important period for the city of Chania was the invasion and occupation by German forces during World War II. The British force that faced the German paratroopers during the Battle Of Crete in 1941, had artillery elements over the hill of Dexameni in the south of the city. These elements bombed the German forces in the Maleme airfield undetected, until they ran out of ammunition.
Chania lighthouse, the jewel of the city, is one of the oldest light houses, not only in Greece and the Mediterranean, but also in the world, constructed by the Venetians around 1595 - 1601, it took its final form, in the shape of a minaret, during the Egyptian Period (1831 - 1841) in around 1839. The lighthouse is a major attraction in the old port of Chania especially at night when it's lit up. The tower is 21m high and is built on a stone base, located at the end of the old harbour's pier opposite the fortress of "Firkas".