Municipal Market (‘Agora’) will remain open during the Christmas holidays

The Municipal Market of Chania will remain open during the festive period.

The Mayor of Chania stated during the last meeting of the Municipal Council that there is no reason to close the Market a few days before the holidays.

The reconstruction work of the building is expected to start after the first ten days of January.The shopkeepers will be given a period of about 10 days, immediately after the New Year, to empty their shops.

It will be the first time since 1913, when the Municipal Market was inaugurated, that the symbol of the city will be closed for at least two years.

History of the Agora:

The Municipal Market of Chania is one of the most important and most impressive newer monuments. It was built in 1913 on the bastion of Piatta Forma, in the middle of the Venetian walls and has an area of 4,000 square meters. Initially, it was an open-air market, made up of butchers, fish shops, and fruit shops.

In 1908 the Municipality of Chania decided to build the current Municipal Market. The architectural study was carried out by K. Drandakis, a resident of Chania, and the construction cost was 300,000 drachmas (loan from the Bank of Crete). The building is cross-shaped and has four doors in each wing and houses 76 shops.

The construction of the building was completed in the second half of 1913 and began to operate unofficially on 1 November 1913. The official inauguration took place on 4 November 1913, with the presence of then Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos during the celebrations for the Union of Crete with Greece.

The Municipal Market has been and continues to be the heart of the city. During the occupation, it was used by the conquerors for the needs of the German army.

Over the years, some changes have been made in the shopping malls that make up it. The fish market was moved to the area of Souda and the market is now out of town. Their place occupied souvenir shops, cafes, taverns with traditional flavors, bakeries, and pharmacies.

In 1980 the Municipal Market was designated as a preservable monument by the Ministry of Culture.

Source: biscotto.gr, thetoc.gr, visitchania.gr