Sitia

Settlement in the city area dates back to the pre-Minoan period. Architectural remains have been found from the end of the Neolithic period to the Bronze Age.

The city flourished during the Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods as one of the island's most important ports. During Venetian times, the city was destroyed three times: first by an earthquake in 1508, then by the Turkish pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa in 1538, and finally by the Venetians themselves in 1651. This last destruction occurred during the Cretan War. Lacking the resources to withstand a prolonged siege by the Turks, the Venetians destroyed the fortifications and relocated the garrison to Heraklion. The inhabitants migrated west, and the town remained deserted for the next 200 years of Turkish rule.

The city was rebuilt after the Cretan Revolt until 1870. Today it has almost 20,000 inhabitants.

The harbour in late afternoon