Tabakaria, Halepa - Chania | 10 June 2015
35°31'12"N 24°2'16"E
“Tabakaria” is the Greek word for “Tanneries” (leather processing factories) and takes the name from the factories that once operated here. The tannery factories played an important role in the local economy in the past and they dominated most of the coastal area of Halepa in Chania. There are still some in operation, but their number has considerably shrunk over the years. The buildings that once housed the tanneries are left in the area almost intact for various reasons, the main being the legislation that does not allow for external facades to be altered. Only time has been allowed to leave its marks on the buildings and has turned them into backdrops and canvases for the local photographers. The area holds a mystic sense of bygone times and although many of the buildings which worked as tanneries now look like ruins, there is surely more than meets the eye. Walking around Tabakaria feels like a journey back in time with a true nostalgic charm.