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Rhodes Island

• Rhodes Town
• Discover Rhodes Town
• Villages of Rhodes
• Beaches of Rhodes
• History of Rhodes

Discover Rhodes town

A mosaic of Ancient, Byzantine , medieval and Ottoman monuments, the medieval town of Rhodes has been declared a World's Cultural Heritage monument by UNESCO and will surely monopolize your walks around the island.

• Palace of the Grand Masters
• Knights' Street
• Knights' Hospital
• The Turkish Quarter
• The Jewish Quarter
• Mosque of Suleiman
• The Rhodes Gates
• Harbour

Palace of the Grand Masters

A fortress within a fortress, this was the seat of the 19 Grand Masters, the nerve centre of the Collachium, or Knights' Quarter, and the last refuge for the population in times of danger. The most imposing building in the castle is the Palace of the Grand Mater, built on the site of a Byzantine fort of the 7th century. During the period of the Turkish rule it was abandoned and in 1856 was almost destroyed by the explosion of a powder keg.
It was then rebuilt by the Italians in a style that did not always comply with the original Provencal Gothic Architecture that recalled the Papal Palace in Avignon. However the building has kept its noble, impressive bearing
It is open on weekdays from 8 am- 7pmm, Saturday & Sundays 8.30 – 3pm



Knights' Street

One of the old town's most famous sights, the medieval Street od the Knights ( in Greek Odos Ippoton) is situated between the harbor and the Palace of the Grand Masters. It is lined by the Inns of the Tongues, or nationalities, of the Order of St John. Begun in the 14th century in Gothic style, the Inns were used as meeting placed for the Knights.
The jewel of the Knights' Street is considered to be the French Inn, the largest and most beautiful of all.
The Inn of the Tongue of Spain is one of the few buildings from the first period, and you will note the greater austerity of its facade

Knights' Hospital (Archeological Museum)

You enter this magnificent building thought the central courtyard surrounded by arcades. It is flanked by a vaulted hallway, the setting for a marble lion, a paleio Christian mosaic and various sarcophagi. More info click here

The Turkish Quarter

The atmosphere becomes more oriental in the western part of the Old Town of Rhodes, where countless lively stalls hark back to the times of the old bazaar, each square has a fountain and the alleys are lines with vaulted houses whose facades are set off by beautiful rows of arched. Furthermore, most of the Byzantine churches have been converted into mosques, their tapering minarets rising above the roofs.

 


The Jewish Quarter

There is the same oriental atmosphere in the south eastern part of the old town, in the shopping streets of the working class Jewish Quarter. Odos Aristotelous, in particular, is the preserve of coppersmiths, whose stalls are sometimes set up beneath the pretty arches of the Gothich houses.
The street leads into the Square of the Jewish Martyrs (Platia Evreon Martiron) domincated by the Archibishop's Palace, a fine 15 BC building. The square, which is very close to the synagogue, has been named in the memory of the 2000 Jews deported from Rhodes

Mosque of Suleiman

The pink mosque was built in 1522 to commemorate the Sultan's victory over the Knights'. Rebuilt in 1808, using material from the original mosque, it remains one of Rhodes town's main landmarks. Its suburb, but unsafe, minaret had to be removed in 1989 and the once-mightily mosque is now crumbling. It is sadly closed to the public. The Suleiman Mosque marks the beginning of Odos Sokratous.

The Rhodes Gates

The old town of Rhodes has eleven main gates. Whichever one you enter by you will deind yourdelf caught up in the mediaeval magic of the town
Let us introduce you to all eleven gates (in counter-clockwise order):

1. Marine Gate ( Thalassini Pyli ) or Harbour Gate (Pyli Limaniou)
2. Museum Gate (Pyli Mouseiou)
3. Arnaldou Gate
4. Tarsana Gate
5. Gate of Freedom (Pyli Elefterias)
6. D'Amboise Gate
7. Aghiou Athnasiou Gate
8. Aghiou Ioannou or Koskinou Gate
9. Akantias Gatre
10. Panagia Gate
11. Aghia Aikaterini Gate

Harbor

The Commercial Harbor (Emborio) opens out a t the foot of the walls, protected ti the right by the long ferry dock and to the left by a smaller port packed with fishing boats. To the north, separated by a long jetty also line with windmills, is Mandraki yachting harbor, an anchorage for pleasure craft, caciques, yachts and boats for excursions and scuba diving

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