Splantzia Square

Very close to the pedestrian street of Chatzimichali Daliani, right on its eastern end, we can find what used to be the Turkish district of the city called Splantzia and its beautiful Splantzia square. Spantzia square is dominated by the Late Renaissance Venetian Church of Saint Rocco to its northwest & the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas built in 1320 as part of the Dominican Monastery of Saint Nicholas which later was turned into the Hugar Mosque (Mosque of the ruler) as one can easily guess when standing on the shadow of the large minaret rising above it.

The square’s official name is 1821 square, the year of the Greek revolution which led to one of the largest rebellions against the Turkish rulers in Crete as well. In retaliation, the Ottomans proceeded with the hanging of several Christian citizens and clerics. Among them was the Christian Bishop Melhissedek who was hanged by the angry Turkish mob on the high branches of the large sycamore tree that still stands in the square center.

There is also a large underground fountain built in the 18th century, which served the needs of ceremonial washing when the church became a mosque & as a bomb shelter during WW II. Today the square is a perfect place to relax and enjoy a coffee or a drink in one of its small cafes. It is also one of the most booming areas for short-term rentals, with almost every single one of the old Venetian, ottoman, and Greek houses renovated and beautified.