Tampakaria Halepa, Chania
In the eastern part of the city of Chania we find a district which from the beginning of the 19th century tanners were installed for the processing of skins during the Egyptian rule in Crete.
It is a very atmospheric area, an architectural monument of the industrial age.
The selected site for the tanner plant was the most suitable as it was quite far away but also close to the town with plenty of salt water and shallow sea that was useful for the first stage of skin processing. In the 1950s there were more than 80 tanneries, and today only six are still in operation.
The buildings that housed Tabakaria are still standing, some more well-preserved, while the old ones have only the shells left. Adapted to the natural slopes of the landscape, the tanners of Tampacaria are grounded with entry from the road and two or three-seaters on the side of the sea. Built with stone and tiled roofs, they are set in a row and are only interrupted by very narrow, step-by-step passages to the sea, composing a unique architectural ensemble.