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Chania celebrates the Union of Crete with Greece

With the raising of the Greek flag at the Firka Fortress, Chania today celebrated the 104th anniversary of the Union of Crete with Greece.

At the same point on December 1, 1913, Eleftherios Venizelos and King George handed over the Greek flag to the Cretans chieftains that was raised atop the citabel of the fortress and after years of struggle sealed the liberation of Crete from the Ottoman Empire and its union with Greece.

The mayor of Chania, Tasos Vamboukas, during his speech noted that at that time "Eleftherios Venizelos, a complex and fascinating Cretan, Greek and European, with an expanded political consciousness  resurrected the homeland".

In the framework of this year's celebrations, the Greek flag arrived at the Firka Fortress with a procession through Halidon Street from the Metropolitan Church of the city> Beforehand, the official liturgy was celebrated by the Archbishop of Crete, Irenaeus.

During the event in Firka, Air Force aircraft overflew the area, while the frigate "Elli" was anchored off the old harbor of Chania.

After the event at the Firka fortress, a guided tour of the Maritime Museum of Crete took place.