Kastelli-Kissamos
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Kissamos Κίσσαμος |
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Kissamos
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 Kissamos
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Location within the region
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| Coordinates: 35°29′N 23°39′E / 35.483°N 23.650°ECoordinates: 35°29′N 23°39′E / 35.483°N 23.650°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Crete |
| Regional unit | Chania |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andreas Varouchakis |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 341.0 km2 (131.7 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 149.0 km2 (57.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Municipality | 10,790 |
| • Municipality density | 32/km2 (82/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 7,579 |
| • Municipal unit density | 51/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 4,275 (2011) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 734 00 |
| Area code(s) | 28220 |
| Vehicle registration | ΧΝ, XB |
| Website | Kissamos Website |
Kissamos (Greek: Κίσσαμος) is a town and municipality, multiple (former) bishopric and Latin titular see in the west of the island of Crete, Greece. It is part of the Chania regional unit and of the former Kissamos Province which covers the northwest corner of the island. The city of Kissamos is also known as Kastelli Kissamou and often known simply as Kastelli after the Venetian castle that was there. It is now a port and fishing harbour, with a regular ferry from the Peloponnese via Kythira. A town museum is located in the old Venetian governor's palace and there have been important archaeological finds in the town, including fine mosaics, dating from the Roman city of Kisamos (Κίσαμος, Latinized as Cisamus). The head town of the municipality (Δήμος Κισσάμου) is Kastelli-Kissamos itself.
Strabo said that ancient Cisamus was dependent on Aptera and was its naval arsenal. The Peutinger Table distinguishes two port towns in Crete called Cisamus, Modern Kissamos (at 35°29′38″N 23°39′25″E) is much further west than where Aptera is now placed (at 35°27′46″N 24°8′31″E). It was excluded already by Pashley in 1837 as being, of the two ancient maritime Cretan cities named Kisamos, the one associated with Aptera. In the past, when the port of Aptera was thought to be present-day Kissamos, some supposed Aptera to be identical with Polyrrhenia, and Kissamos to be the port of Polyrrhenia. However, Strabo and other ancient sources say that Polyrrhenia's port was at Phalasarna on the west coast.
Ancient Cisamus became a Christian bishopric, a suffragan of the metropolitan see of Gortyna, the capital of the Roman province of Crete. Only two of its first-millennium bishops are named in extant contemporary documents: Theopemptus (according to 18th-century Lequien), Nicetas (according to 20th-century Janin) at the Trullan Council in 692, and Leo at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.
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