Souda Bay
Souda Bay (
Near the mouth of Souda bay, between the Akrotiri and the town of
Souda Bay is now a popular tourist destination although there are no formal public beaches designed in the area, due to the presence of the
History
Ancient and Medieval
There have been port facilities on the bay since ancient times, previously serving the city of
Venetian rule
The Venetians occupied the area in 1207. In 1571 an Ottoman military force landed at Souda and caused major destruction in the Chania area. The Venetians fortified Souda Island between 1570 and 1573, in order to protect the area from Ottoman raiders and pirates. However, Souda Bay remained a pirate infested area during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The Venetians managed to hold on to the strategic islands within Souda Bay until 1715, over thirty years after the fall of Crete to the Ottomans.
Ottoman rule
In 1822 an Egyptian army of approximately 10,000 under Hassan Pasha landed at Souda to defeat the Cretan Revolution of 1821.
After the
Cretan State (1898–1913)
In the period of the semi-independent Cretan State the area attracted international interest, as it offered port facilities to foreign naval vessels enforcing the Cretan autonomy. The first High Commissioner, Prince George of Greece, disembarked at Souda Bay on December 9, 1898. The church of Saint Nicholas was built during this period.
Union with Greece to World War II (1913–1940)
In 1913, events marking the union of Crete with Greece took place on Souda Island. On February 1 the metallic Ottoman flag, the last symbol of Ottoman rule, was removed and replaced by the Greek flag on May 1. Also the ruined chapel was rebuilt and dedicated to Saint George.
In 1916 the British liner
After 1923 the area was used as a Hellenic Army base, housing the artillery units of
1940–1945
During World War II British and Commonwealth troops withdrew from mainland Greece in April 1941 and 25,000 men, mainly from New Zealand and Australia, disembarked at Souda Bay.
In May 1941, during the German attack named "
Military installations
Souda Bay is the location of three major military installations: the
Philately and Postal history
During Turkish rule an Ottoman post office operated in Souda.[6] Evidence (mailed covers) indicate that this post office was open throughout the 1890s.[7] The Cretan State post office opened officially on 1 March 1912, although a postal agency operated there since 1908.[8]
A special local stamp depicting Souda Island was issued on November 15, 1913, to commemorate the union with Greece and was sold only by Cretan post offices. This stamp, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company in the United Kingdom, is commonly called the "Souda Issue".[9]
See also
Notes and references
- ^ C. Michael Hogan, Cydonia, The Modern Antiquarian, Jan. 23, 2008
- ^ "Naval Dock Crete history" (in Greek). Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ "Crete Naval Station" (in Greek). Hellenic Navy. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ "HAF 115 Combat Wing". Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ "Nato Missile Fire Installation". Retrieved 12 September 2010. (in English and Greek)
- ^ Constantinos Sitarenios, ed. (2009). Vlastos Foreign Post Offices. Vol. 4. Athens, Greece: Orestes Vlastos Ltd. p. 68.
- ISSN 0031-8264.
- ISSN 0031-8264.
- ISBN 960-87500-6-7.