The Agora — Hania's covered municipal market — was built in 1911 in the shape of a cross, modelled on the great covered markets of southern France. The four wings of the cross converge in a central domed hall; the stalls line the corridors selling meat, fish, vegetables, cheeses, olive oil, Cretan herbs, honey, wine, and raki. It is the best food market in western Crete and one of the finest in Greece.
The market is a working food market as well as a tourist attraction, which means it is at its most lively and well-stocked in the mornings from Tuesday to Saturday. The best products to buy here are Cretan extra-virgin olive oil (look for the local PDO designation), thyme honey from the White Mountains, the dried herbs (rigani, thyme, sage) used in Cretan cooking, and locally-produced cheeses (graviera, mizithra, anthotyros). The market is open all day but many stalls close after lunch.