Crete is the home of the ancient Minoan civilization, and the Chania area was populated as far back as late 3rd millennium BC. Once known as Kydonia, the city has more than 40 centuries of history. You can see that part of the past comprising of artifacts from Neolithic times through to the Roman era. The Archaeological Museum of Chania is set in a building which is a monument of history and culture on its own terms. Built as a Franciscan monastery during the Venetian period it was turned to a mosque by the Ottoman Turks. There is a vast collection of Minoan objects.