Crete tourist guide

107th anniversary of the union of Crete with Greece

2020-12-01 19:42:25

On a sunny Sunday, December 1, 1913, two old Cretan revolutionaries, 94-year-old Anagnostis Mantakas and 81-year-old Hatzimichalis Giannaris, raised a Greek flag on the mast of the Firkas fortress in Chania. This historic moment was watched by both the Greek King Constantine, Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and the political leaders of Crete. 107 years ago, the era of the centuries-old struggle for freedom came to an end. The reunification of Crete with Greece ended the rule of foreign powers on the island.

Today's anniversary is one of the most important moments in the history of Crete. After nearly seven centuries of occupation and captivity, in 1898 Turkish soldiers left Crete, and the island gained autonomy but under Turkish protectorate. The Cretan revolutionaries, however, did not only fight to throw off the Turkish yoke. They wrote on their banners "Union or death". This was the reason why they never accepted the autonomy of Crete under Turkish rule. However, they had to wait another 15 years for the reunification of Crete with Greece.

The union with Greece was signed in 1912 and was already the last stage of efforts for independence. The ceremony that took place on December 1, 1913 ago was only a symbolic seal of the reunification of Crete with Greece.

This year's celebration of this anniversary, due to the general lockdown in force, was limited only to the celebration of a funeral service without the participation of the faithful, the performance of the national anthem and the symbolic raising of the flag at the Firkas fortress.

Anagnostis Mantakas and Hatzimichalis Giannaris (in the rear) raised the Greek flag on behalf of the Cretan revolutionaries
and descend from the tower of Firkas fortress in Chania. The photo comes from candiadoc.gr

Gosia,  2020-12-01 19:42:25

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