Places near me Random place
All Greece Chania Lighthouse
AO Edited

Chania Lighthouse

This stone tower was built to protect Crete from incoming pirates.

Chania, Greece

mossenmoons profile photo
Added By
mossenmoons
The current tower dates back to 1864.   mossenmoons / Atlas Obscura User
The lighthouse has a fantastic view of the port.   mossenmoons / Atlas Obscura User
The original tower at this site was destroyed.   mossenmoons / Atlas Obscura User
April 2024   mikewhit1949 / Atlas Obscura User
Lighthouse from the harbor   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Chania lighthouse Feb 2024   kadybrownell / Atlas Obscura User
Lighthouse at sunset   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

The lighthouse was originally built by the Venetians in the 16th century. It saw a rocky life, death and rebirth through following years when in 1645, Turks took control of the city and allowed the tower to collapse. In 1864, Egyptian troops raided and rebuilt it. It once again became damaged during WWII, however has now been a listed archeological site since 1862. Of the original building, only the base remains.

A short walk along the defensive wall to the tower reveals views across Chania's quaint pastel houses, the old Venetian port, and the White Mountains Forest Preserve in the distance.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Military History Towers

Know Before You Go

The lighthouse gate is locked, however it is free to walk along the old walls up until the gate.

Community Contributors

mossenmoons profile photo

Added By

mossenmoons

kadybrownell profile photo mikewhit1949 profile photo daithimor profile photo

Published

January 24, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Greece

Greece

Europe

Places 244
Stories 23

Related Places

  • Tower Remains

    West Lafayette, Indiana

    Cairo Skywatch Tower

    The U.S. Air Force commissioned this tower during the Korean War to watch the sky for enemy aircraft.

  • Only remnant of the El Polvorin complex

    San Juan, Philippines

    El Polvorin

    An attack on this gunpowder depot led to the start of the Philippine Revolution.

  • Grain Tower.

    Medway, England

    Grain Tower Battery

    This abandoned gun tower was built to defend the River Thames from a French naval attack.

  • The guard tower.

    Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Thorp Building Navy Guard Towers

    During World War II the Thorp building was guarded by the OSS, FBI, and US Navy because of the top-secret bombsight being produced there.

  • The submarine watchtower in Ormond Beach.

    Ormond Beach, Florida

    Ormond Beach Watchtower

    A replica of one of the more than 15,000 civilian lookout towers that lined the U.S. coast during World War II.

  • The tower.

    Friskney, England

    RAF Wainfleet Control Tower

    The control tower at the historic weapons range is now available as a highly unusual vacation rental.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member