In 823 AC, the city was surrendered to the Sarakines and in 828 AC was destroyed. In 961 AC, the Byzantines rebuilt the entire city using all the material that was left from the ruins. To protect the city, they built a fortress around the hill, known as Kasteli.

However, the town started declining, and from that period up to now only some parts of the fortress walls survive. In 1204 AD, Chania was occupied by the Venetians who fortified the town around Kasteli and restored the ruined city.

However, they were attacked by the Genouates and defeated. As a result, they remained for some years in Chania but before they left Genouates burned the whole town.

The Venetians came back and rebuilt the entire city with a stronger wall around the city of Chania. The following years, Chania flourished greatly with the construction of many elegant buildings and houses according to the Venetian architecture.

This was a very prosperous period, as it gave an impulse to trade and culture. Elegant mansions were constructed and the connections with Europe through Venice led to the development of arts and literature.

The famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos, also known as El Greco, was born that time. In 1645, after two months of siege the town was surrendered to the Turks and the construction of the city changed as all Catholic churches were turned to mosques. After many battles and revolutionary acts from the inhabitants of Crete against the Turkish fleet, the island was declared autonomous in 1897 and became the capital of the Cretan state.

In 1913, Crete was reunited with the rest of Greece after many efforts of Eleftherios Venizelos, governor of Crete and later prime-minister of the country. The extensive damages from the constant attacks in Crete wiped out the traces of old periods in Chania.

Chania Town was the center of all activity during World War II. In fact this charming town was forcibly occupied by the Germans during the Second World War

Today, a large part of the old town of Chania has survived from the Venetian and Turkish period. The Venetian port and the historical alleys with the tall mansions in Chania give a nostalgic atmosphere. The history of Chania had a huge cultural impact at the lives of the Cretans.