Crete Marine Museum

About the museum

The Crete Marine Museum is housed at the entrance of the Firka fortress, in the old harbour of Chania. The fortress was built by the Venetians to garrison the town; later the Ottomans used it as a barracks and as the seat of the division. On the Firka the Greek flag was raised on 1 December 1913, when Crete united with Greece.

The museum was inaugurated on 27 May 1973, on the 32nd anniversary of the Battle of Crete. Its founder was Rear Admiral Giannopoulos, who was serving in Chania at the time. Its endowment came from the Hellenic Navy, and the museum operates with the support of the Chania Regional Unit.

The collections are arranged in chronological and thematic sections: the ancient and Byzantine periods, the Venetian rule, the struggles of the 19th century, the Balkan Wars and the Union of Crete, the Second World War and the Battle of Crete, the post-war period, and the merchant navy and the marine environment. The permanent exhibition of ancient and traditional shipbuilding at Neorio Moro presents, among other things, a replica of a Minoan ship that was built using experimental maritime archaeology.

Highlights

• Housed at the entrance of the Venetian Firka fortress
• Sections from antiquity to the post-war period
• Exhibition on the Battle of Crete and the Second World War
• Replica of a Minoan ship at Neorio Moro
• Lighthouse material and philatelic collection

Permanent exhibitions

• Μάχη της Κρήτης και Β΄ Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος – With uniforms, period photographs and other relics, the exhibition presents the Battle of Crete in 1941.
• Μόνιμη έκθεση αρχαίας ναυπηγικής – The main exhibit is the reconstructed replica of a Minoan ship, with tools, materials and photographs from its construction and the experimental voyage.

Founded

1973

Admission & discounts

Members of the Minoan Lines Bonus Club pay €4 (at Neorio Moro €3) and receive a 10% discount in the shop; members of the Youth Card and Chania Tour Guides also receive a 10% shop discount. Free admission for members of ICOM, ICMM and AMMM, holders of Ministry of Culture cards, guides, journalists, active personnel of the Armed Forces and security corps, students of military schools, and teachers accompanying pupils during the school year.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is a few steps from the parking spaces and a few minutes’ walk from the old harbour.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

There is a shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit