Category Archives: Chania

Etz Hayyim Synagogue

Our afternoon visit to the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania today was an enriching experience that shed light on an unexpected heritage in the midst of this historical town. The story starts out in the late fifteenth century, when the structure was built by the Venetians to serve as a Catholic Church. The building was placed at the heart of the Jewish neighborhood in Chania, which was closed off by gates each night from the rest of the  town. The Jewish populace at the time consisted of approximately 600 individuals, and they were predominately Romaniote Jews.

It was explained to us that around the 17th century, when the Ottomans took charge of the island, the Jewish neighborhood was opened up to the rest, and the building was renovated and began functioning as a synagogue. During that time period, the Jewish population was also witnessing an increase in numbers – doubled to be more precise – as the expelled Jews from Spain migrated to Crete. To accommodate this rise in numbers, a second synagogue was built across the street.

However, the stability that had been maintained for centuries was interrupted in 1941, when Nazi Germany attacked the island. The bombings of Chania managed to destroy the newly created synagogue, but fortunately the Etz Hayyim Synagogue remained standing. The story tragically escalates in 1944, when the Nazis shut down the Jewish neighborhood and performed door to door arrests. All of those who identified as Jewish were transported to local prisons, then taken to Heraklion to be shipped off into the various concentration camps that were scattered around Europe. Only three people managed to evade capture, two men and a woman; she was the only one who remained in Crete. Those on the ship lost their lives while being transported, when the T’anaïs was sunk by an allied submarine.

After World War II, the building was abandoned until 1996, when a three year renovation plan restored the structure to its former glory. Today, it serves as a place of worship for a community of twelve Jewish residents of Chania and Heraklion, and to all others who are interested. This synagogue is considered to be the second oldest synagogue in Greece, and it is also mentioned in the top 100 most endangered sites in the world.

Dionysus in Linear B and Art

Today’s adventures were a nice mix of language, culture, history, art, and religion. Though the morning started off rocky with there only being frigid cold water so I could not (would not) take the shower I so desperately wanted. But after breakfast, we began our next bit of crash course Greek reviewing the introductory phrases we have learned so far and then beginning to understand a Greek menu. I’m finding myself remembering more and more which makes me happy. After modern Greek, We received an overview of Linear A and B, which helped me to finally grasp what each one is and who used what.

Though, I was most interested in the story Cashman told us about a tablet that references Dionysus. I should preface this by stating that Dionysus is my favorite Greek God so I always latch on to something when he is mentioned. This fragmentary tablet, however, states that an amphora of honey (?) was dedicated to Zeus and two amphorae for Dionysus. One reason this is interesting is that scholars believed the Greek tradition that Dionysus was a god imported into Greek from the East relatively late, as described in the opening lines of Euripides’ Bacchae. Though he is clearly referenced in this material (and he is even getting more than Zeus!) that dates nearly 1000 years earlier so this assumption cannot be true. I’m curious to know why Dionysus was receiving more offerings than the king of the gods. Is it because the Minoans were completing this dedication for festival rites in honor of Dionysus or because they favored the wine god more?

In the museum there were a couple other objects depicting Dionysus. One included a beautiful Roman floor mosaic that showed Dionysus coming upon the sleeping Ariadne for the first time. This mosaic was likely to be the location of where the family would have had their meals. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to have such an ornate and beautiful floor as part of my dining room! There was another relief that depicted a Bacchic scene.

Fun fact: sarcophagus in Greek literally translates into flesh eater…things make so much sense now!

20140110-041021.jpg The Linear B tablet mentioning Dionysus

20140110-041033.jpg Floor mosaic

20140110-041028.jpg relief of a Bacchic Scene

We’re all here in Chania!

There are still traces of the holiday season in Chania's harbor.

There are still traces of the holiday season in Chania’s harbor.

We are excited to all be in Crete, with all of our luggage too… Our travels were complicated by the extreme weather in the US, but now all we have to fear is a little rain.

Students will be posting to this blog once or twice a day, describing our travels across Crete and what they are learning about the island’s history and culture. I suspect we might also see some images of the beautiful landscape and adorable animals.

Twelve students are enrolled in this traveling course “Crete through the Ages,” including majors in Classical Studies, History, Art, and Economics – to name a few. Over the next three weeks we will cover most of Crete, the largest island in the Aegean Sea, visiting a variety of sites, cities, and all four coast lines. Our studies will explore a long span of history, with special emphasis given to the art and architecture of the Minoan civilization (3000-1000 BCE). Our first day in Chania, however, has been dedicated to more recent periods since the city preserves wonderful buildings of the Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman periods.

The “Mosque of the Janissaries” was built immediately following the Turkish conquest of the city in 1645. It occupies a prime location in the city’s harbor, and today is used as an exhibition space. In addition, most of the city’s Venetian churches were converted into mosques for the new Muslim population. Although you can still find a few minarets preserved around town, most of these buildings now function as Greek Orthodox churches.

The Wintersession in Crete group gathered in front of the Mosque of the Janissaries in Chania's harbor.

The Wintersession in Crete group gathered in front of the Mosque of the Janissaries in Chania’s harbor.