A dozen kilometres east of Chania, in the direction of Rethymnon, the sign points to the village of Megala Chorafia and the archaeological site of Aptera. The road is beautiful, with a view of the bay of Souda on one side and olive groves as far as the eye can see on the other.

First encounter, the fort of Itzendin, with a splendid view on the bay, built by the Ottoman Turks in 1867 to quell the rebellions of the Cretans. It must be said that the Turks occupied the region since 1645 and this until 1897. For 250 years!

C’est l’un des forts turcs les mieux conservés, non seulement parce qu’il est le plus récent, mais aussi parce qu’il a servi à l’Etat grec en tant que prison de 1948 jusqu’en 1971. Bien que l’architecture extérieure soit restée intacte, l’intérieur mérite bien la rénovation qui d’ailleurs est en cours. Les visites à l’intérieur ne sont pas encore autorisées.

100 metres away, the fortress Koulés (fort in Turkish), also called Soumpasi, dominates the bay of Souda and the coast of Apokorona.

A relatively new Turkish fortress in good condition.

The fortress is in good condition, firstly because it is relatively recent (late 19th century), secondly because the quality of its construction is excellent, and thirdly because it has not been the scene of a disastrous battle.

The fortress was built to control the valley of Apokoronas, through which the road to the city of Chania passed. Together with the other forts, built by the Turks in Apokoronas, it controlled the port of Souda and supported the nearby fortress of Itzendin.

This fort is located 12 km east of Chania, built in place of a Venetian fort, close to the ruins of the ancient city of Aptera. It was built by the Turks after the Cretan revolution of 1866, as part of a programme to regain control of Crete through a network of fortifications. More specifically, construction began in December 1867, was completed in 1868 and is a representative example of 19th century fortress architecture.

After the departure of the Turks from Crete, this fort served as a school for the village of Megala Chorafia.

A few steps away is the site of the ancient city of Aptera. It is easy to understand why the Dorian settlers chose this place to build their city. It was not only for the magnificent view but also to control the road and the surroundings. Built two hundred metres above the sea, on a steep hill, with the whole bay of Souda at its feet, this important city in western Crete had its heyday.

Founded around the eighteenth century^th , the city reached its peak in the Hellenistic period, from the first century BC to the end of the Minoan period. Aptera, due to its strategic position in the bay of Souda, had two ports: Minoa (the present Marathi) and Kissamos (near the present Kalyves).

A significant part of the city wall, which once had a perimeter of about four kilometres, is still in good condition, as are two large vaulted cisterns dating from Roman times, the ruins of a theatre, the foundations of numerous houses and temples, some vaulted tombs and the mosaic floors of some ancient Christian basilicas dating from the last period of the city's existence. In the centre of the archaeological site is a protected area, surrounded by a fence, where the foundations of a small temple dating from the classical period (5th century BC) and a Roman building with arcades that probably housed the parliament can be seen. But most of the city, once full of ancient houses and streets, is now under the olive trees and the surrounding fields.

Their craftsmanship was renowned not only in Crete, but also on the Greek mainland and even in southern Italy. Their workshops produced the most beautiful masterpieces. They had their own fleet of ships, two harbours in the bay of Souda, and they developed a dynamic trade. The city flourished for a long period, during which no less than seventy-two different coins were minted!

Aptera continued to be an important city during the Roman period and the early Byzantine Empire, before being destroyed by two earthquakes in the fourth and fifth centuries.^th and VII^th centuries, then by the Saracens in 823.

The Venetians then built a fort on the site of the ancient city. It was destroyed by pirates in 1583. The strategic position of the site was also exploited by the Ottomans who built the fortress of Koules overlooking the whole bay of Souda to the north of the site, and by German troops who positioned themselves on the plateau of the ancient city during the Second World War.

Robert Pashley the famous British explorer,^th in the 19th century, the first to establish a link between the ruins discovered on the hill of Paliokastro and the city of Aptera, confirming this identification thanks to the coins found on the site. Archaeological excavations began in 1942. They were conducted by the Germans who occupied the island. Further excavations took place in 1986-1987 and 1992-1995. Excavations are still going on today.