Firka Fortress

The fortress Revellino del Porto on the northwest side of the old harbor of Chania was constructed by the Venetians as a suppressor against enemy threats and possible invasions. Its construction began in 1610 and was completed a few years before the fall of the city by the Turkish invasion, in 1645.
The interior was organized to barracks and ammunition storage areas. It was also the headquarters of the Commander in Chief of the city’s army. Near the center of the courtyard, there is a large domed water tank that gathered rain water from the roofs. On the northern side of the wall, there are six arched openings that included cannons for the protection of the entrance of the harbor.

During the Turkish period, Revellino was used as barracks (Firka = barrack), for that reason the name Firka is still used today. The arched openings were used as prison cells, from the Turkish period to the civil war. On the corner watch tower of the Fortress, on December 1st, 1913, the Greek flag of the Unification of Crete was raised during an official ceremony. Today, the Maritime Museum of Crete, is housed at the entrance of the Fortress.