During the Venetian Occupation (1204-1669) the need for a closer presence of the Venetian fleet in Crete forced Venice to build Neoria (arsenali), where the ships were repaired during the winter.
As early as 1467, Venice ordered the construction of a number of new buildings, two each for the cities of Chania and Rethymnon. The first two neoria in Chania were completed only in 1526. In 1593, the 16 neoria were already built, but they needed repair. In 1599, the southern complex was completed with the construction of the 17th neorio. In 1607, in parallel with the extension of the north-eastern rampart, the construction of five more neoria, known as Moro’s Neoria, after the name of the General Forecaster who proposed it, begins at the mouth of the port to the east. Of these, two were completed and the walls built up to the beginning of the arch of the third. Later, this third new building was covered with a simple tile roof, which collapsed from the bombings of 1941.
During the years of the Turkish occupation, the lack of maintenance of the port and the degradation of its role led to the abandonment of the original use of the marinas and their conversion mainly into military warehouses. Of the large group of 17 neoria, nine were gradually demolished. Today there is a group of seven consecutive domes and one further west, the Great Arsenali (today the Center for Mediterranean Architecture). From the complex of Moro, two are preserved intact, in the mouth of the port.
In their original form the neoria were open to the sea side, which penetrated inside them up to a point in order to allow boats to be towed. They were vaulted and communicated with each other with arched openings in the thickness of the masonry. The entrance to the neoria was through two gates: one on the south side of the 9th neoria and another on the west of the 17th. Neoria are about 50 m long, 9 m wide and 10 m high on average. On the south side there are also the unique lighting openings – one round skylight and two large windows each. The main entrance to the complex was approximately in the middle, at the current end of Daskalogianni Street, where the western half of the majestic gate is also preserved.
The stone building of the new customs office of Chania was built on the site of the demolished youth centers, which today is surrounded by two squares.
