The ancient city of Kandanos

The ancient city of Kandanos dates from the Classical times and it is located south of the homonymous village that exists today in Chania, Crete, near the settlements Kadros, Spaniakos and Kalamos.

According to some researchers, the name of the ancient city of Kandanos derives from the word “kandania”, which is interpreted as the “city of victory”. According to other sources, the word Kandanos originally comes from the word “Kandors”, which means “the rulers”. In the early Christian years, this city was the seat of the Diocese of Crete and continued to exist during the Byzantine period.

Before the war, an archaeologist named Theofanidis excavated in the archeological site of Kandanos a large edifice that was constructed during the Roman times. The size of each side is 30 meters, with a 900 sq.m. floor, covered with mosaics in linear shapes, circles and rhombus. In the archeological site of Kandanos, a statue base was also discovered and according to archaeologists, the statue was dedicated to the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 BC).

The ancient city of Kandanos was destroyed by the Arabs and was never rebuilt since then.