1205 – The Venetians occupied Crete and for the safety of the port of Kandia, as today's Heraklion was called at the time, they decided to build fortifications.
1303 – A large earthquake caused a large tsunami and destroyed the lighthouse that the Venetians had built on the northwest side of Heraklion harbor.
1508 and 1512 – Two new earthquakes toppled the second lighthouse, which had been built in place of the first. Then, building a fort was decided.
1530-1540 – That's how long the work of building the fortress lasted. The fortress was called Rocca Al Mare. It was built on a natural rocky outcrop and to strengthen the underwater base, old galleys were filled with rocks, gravel and boulders and were sunk on the spot. The fort occupies an area of 3600 m2, has two floors and the width of the outer walls reaches 8.7 m. Inside the fort, there were 26 different apartments that served as storage areas for food, ammunition, rainwater tanks and prisons. On the ground floor, there were 18 cannons and 25 on the first floor. There were three entrance gates, west, northwest and southwest. Outside, marble reliefs depicting the winged lion of Saint Mark, symbol of Venice, dominate.
1552- The north side jetty collapsed due to wave wear.
1556- The jetty was rebuilt.
1558- A significant part of the jetty was destroyed again.
1566- A sloping wall was proposed to better protect the fortress from waves.
1570- New holes were created in the jetty and repairs continued.
1648- The Ottomans occupied Crete and named the fortress Su Kulesi.
1649- The Ottomans continued the repairs and used the fortress exclusively as a prison for Cretan rebels.
1700- Another smaller tower, also known as Mikros Koules (small fortress), was built on the eastern side of the port, in the place where the Marina Cafe is today. Mikros Koules was demolished in 1936 for the construction of the new port in Heraklion.
1719- Part of the northwest side of the Koules collapsed but was repaired again.
1830-1840 The Egyptians dominated Crete and built a lighthouse on the northeast side of the fortress, which was destroyed in World War II.
1959- Repairs began on the fort.
1972-1975- Koules fortress was turned into a visitable monument. Today, its museum exhibits findings from the wrecks of the flagship La Theresse, which sank on 24/07/1669 during the Cretan War, and from the Minoan wrecks found on Dia Island. Also, the place is used for art exhibitions, theater performances and various cultural events.
(More articles about Crete on www.gomega.gr)
