The Old Town of Rethymnon is one of the most well-preserved Renaissance cities in Greece, combining the oriental aspect of the Ottoman domination with the Renaissance Venetian architecture, and also the rich history of the city keeping up with its modern tourist development. After the conquest of Crete by the Venetians in 1204, the construction of the city of Rethymno is based on the Venetian architecture. Initially, Venetian craftsmen were used, and later the Cretan “muraris”, who were first trained by the Venetians, took their place.

The period of Ottoman rule, left its own architectural features. Kiosks (sachnisia) were added at the buildings, at the doors symbols of the Muslim faith (alem) and inscriptions, the Venetian monasteries were turned into mosques with minarets, while fountains and baths were built giving the city a new character. Scattered in the narrow streets of the city, many residences are preserved as exceptional examples of Turkish architecture. Its typical feature is the extendeduse of wood. The way of construction in the years of the Turkish conquest, 1646-1898, changes and the good-chiseledstone of the Venetians gives its place to the wooden skeleton filled with small size stones, without any treatment, and mud (bagdati). The wall is then painted with rich plaster. Due to these particular features, the old town was designated in 1967 as Historic Conservation Monument, and in 1985 as Traditional Settlement.