Clear waters, gorgeous sunsets, and charming architecture: Greece itself is a painting. On the island of Crete, Chania amazes visitors as they stroll through the Venetian Harbor in Old Town. Waterfront restaurants and colorful buildings welcome everyone who wanders through the labyrinth-like streets.
Walking by the water toward the lighthouse, something suddenly catches your attention: a large mosque. Although beautiful, the building stands out against the backdrop of traditional Greek architecture.
Kucjk Hassan Mosque
A Turkish construction, the Kucjk Hassan Mosque or Camii (Seafront mosque) was built in 1645-49, following Chania’s conquer by the Turks. Named after the first garrison commander of Chania, the oldest Ottoman construction of Crete had its religious services suspended in 1923 and its minaret demolished in 1936.
Since that time, the building has served various roles, including a café, a restaurant, and a tourist office. For 30 years, it housed the Chania Archeological Museum. But, it has been recently renovated and now hosts exhibitions.
From the outside, a beautiful rounded door invites tourists to step inside. However, it gives only a hint of the beauty that lies within.
“I was not expecting to come here and see a bunch of art,” said Nico Gonzalez.
Nico is a musician and performer from Spain who was visiting Greece for the first time. He was walking around Old Town when decided to check the mosque out. Expecting to enter a place of worship, Nico found himself positively surprised by this hidden art spot.
“I love all forms of art,” he said. “And this is the kind that touches you. So beautiful.”
Nico was right. Stepping inside the mosque only to discover it was hosting an art exhibition felt like unwrapping a multi-layered gift. There’s always more than meets the eye.
Art Exhibit: Paintings & Jewelry
Once you step in, beautiful impressionist paintings are are at the reception area. The artist is also there. A friendly, Greek lady welcomes you to her workplace for half a month. Her name is Valentina.
Valentina explains that during the two weeks she has reserved the mosque to showcase her art, she hopes to reach a broader audience, particularly among tourists.
She has been successful. Valentina mentioned that although her English isn’t the strongest, she’s noticed significant improvement as she interacts with people from various nationalities every day during the exhibition.
Visitors from all countries and ages enjoyed looking at Valentina’s art.
Meet Valentina Misheva
Valentina Misheva was born and raised in Kissamos, Crete. Her mother was a seamstress and her father a sailor. When she was 21, her aunt, who lived in Lyon, France, invited her to visit.
Valentina said she has always been an artist. And, after a couple months in France, she started her art studies there. She met her husband at the university and they lived in Paris for 15 years.
At the age of 42, she went back to Greece to take care of her elderly parents. She once again fell in love with the island of Crete, and has been living off her art work since then.
Valentina paints and designs jewelry from flowers. She reserved the mosque to showcase and sell her work for two weeks.
Paintings reference Greek art, history, and culture, as seen in the depictions of beaches, tomatoes, and Venetian landscapes. Jewelry is made of flowers she picks up from Kissamos.
“I sell mostly to tourists, and they buy from me because they want to take a piece of Greece back home with them,” she said.
More art: from garden to streets to the world
On the same street, a little closer to the lighthouse of Chania, you can find Nepeta Cataria’s stand. Here, the ceiling is the blue sky and the Sun provides the light.
Pinelopi Katouhaki is a street artist and owner of Nepeta Cataria. The shop’s name is the latin word for catnip, a herb that causes euphoria to cats. Her work includes monoprints, resin, macrame jewelry and herbal skincare.
Almost every day, Pinelopi heads to the streets of Chania to display her work. She finds some shade, sets up a chair, and waits for customers. It doesn’t take long for her stand to be crowded with people, all undecided on which piece to take.
Pinelopi lives in Chania, where she keeps a garden at her house and picks all the flowers for the rings, necklaces and bracelets she makes. She moved there to reconnect with nature and to live a life that feels like vacation.
Finding joy and pleasure in her job, Pinelopi loves to let the creativity flow and make pieces that resemble surrealism, fairytales, love, cats and natural elements like the sun, the stars and the moon.
“Every piece I make is unique,” she proudly said. “I never repeat the same art twice.”
Besides flowers, she also works with sand, rocks, shells in her designs. You can check more of her work on her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Earrings and necklace made out of shells and sand from the beaches of Crete. Photos from Nepeta Cataria Jewellery Instagram page.
Pinelopi also believes in the healing and nourishing power of nature. Her skin care brand sells essential oils and creams with a variety of benefits like reducing aging sings, moisturizing and antioxidant actions.
She cannot take these products with her to the streets because the sun might damage them after long exposure times, she explained. But, she sells them online.
Flowers, sand and shells take the form of necklaces, rings and earrings at Pinelopi’s stand on the streets of Chania.
The streets of Chania offer a unique blend of past and present. The Küçük Hassan Mosque and its transformation into a space for art exhibitions demonstrate how history and contemporary culture and art can coexist beautifully.
Artists like Valentina Misheva and Pinelopi Katouhaki bring this blend to life with their unique creations. Whether it’s through paintings that echo Greek heritage or jewelry made from the island’s natural beauty, these artists capture the essence of Crete, making it memorable to all who visit.
Steph Travels 