Presentation of the Virgin Mary or as it is most commonly known as Trimartiri (three-aisled) or Metropolitan Cathedral of Chania is located close to the Old Venetian Harbour in the Old Town of Chania.
The cathedral was build in the ruins of an older church from the 14th century. The first cathedral was smaller as it was also referred to as “Dimartiri” (two-aisled) and during the Ottoman occupation of Chania in 1645 it was turned into a soap factory.
In 1856, as the Agioi Anargyroi church was not large enough for all the Christians of the area, people requested from the Sultan to rebuild the soap factory. The Sultan agreed and the new cathedral was built with donations both from the Sultan and the people of Chania and completed in 1864.
Nowadays, the cathedral serves as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Chania and often hosts special occasions, so if you are lucky you might see a traditional Cretan wedding taking place!
