Public garden (Dimotikos Kipos) – Chania

Public garden (Dimotikos Kipos) – Chania

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The stunning Public Garden or (Dimotikos Kipos) is located in the central district of Chania, not far from the Municipal Market. In the last years of the Ottoman rule, at a time when the city was suffocating within the restrictive walls, the need for a relaxing recreation area was very strong.

Rauf Pasha himself ordered and supervised the construction of the Garden in 1870. The Garden was designed according to the European standards of the time and was the first public benefit project of the city. Stone paths and flower beds were designed, evergreen trees and flowers were planted, and statues were erected – one of which was Hermes found in Ancient Kydonia. The Garden was a place of recreation for the locals as well as for the troops of the Great Powers.

In 1898, the first building, a theatre, was constructed in the northwest corner of the gardens. It was also used as a governmental printing office and a dance hall. In addition, it hosted the Cretan Parliament during the years of the Cretan State, which is very interesting. During its history, it also functioned as a theatre, as a cafe and as a cinema, until May 1980 when the first municipal cinema in Greece, which continues to this day, started its screenings here.

Later, in 1918, it was renovated, with new trees and flower beds, while the clock – ornament of the city on the northeast side of the Municipal Garden began to be built in 1924 and was completed in 1927. Next to the Clock of the Garden, there is also a public library, the public open-air cinema that first opened in 1905, and a small cafe.

Kipos Cafe, meaning “garden”, was first established at the beginning of the 20th century and is a great spot to sit and relax and very popular with the locals. There are a lot of kid-friendly activities in the gardens, that despite their age, offer a contemporary and modern urban setting. One of the most impressive trees in the garden is the Bengal Ficus tree, which is over a hundred years old.

Visit the website http://www.dimotikoskipos.gr/

 

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