The Agora

The Municipal Market of Chania,  the Agora as it is known to all locals, is located right in the heart of the city. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century when the city led the struggle for independence on the site of an old Venetian bastion. The cross-shaped landmark is a busy market of traditional products of Chania and in reality, it very much resembles its ancient Greek predecessors. The Agora building was inaugurated at the end of 1913 by Eleftherios Venizelos himself.

Many of the locals, especially older people visit it even if it’s just for small talk. Under its roof, one can find, buy or smell all kinds of local cheese, honey, herbs, fresh meat & fish, rusks, wine, souvenirs, and leather products produced or manufactured by local farmers and craftsmen. The smells here are just surreal. The herbs alone create an intoxicating smell that can keep you here for hours.

It’s a place you should visit to understand the wide range of traditional products this city has to offer. You can even sample a plain, traditional dish in one of the corny small restaurants that will entertain you with their unassuming menu & attitude. Agora is also a place where the “night-walkers” of the city come to, after a night of heavy drinking, to help their stomachs recover assisted by the traditional “pasta”..the hang-over remedy of the city.

The agora is currently rebuilt from scratch after more than a century of uninterrupted operation. During the renovation, 52 stores operating inside the building had to be moved to other premises scattered around the city. When the reconstruction is completed most of them will return to their natural space. The agora will retain many of the elements of the past, with all the modern utilities and amenities this time. A modern structure based on the old backbone. The agora was the most visited tourist attraction in the city of Chania. As soon as the work is finished it will take the place on the pedestal of the most visited attraction once more, that much is certain.