A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, the Old Town of Rhodes transports you on a unique journey through time.
There are places that make you feel as if you are stepping into a time machine and losing yourself in history. Castles and walls, labyrinths of cobbled lanes, palaces and churches move you with their endurance through time and sweep you into a different journey. One such place is the Medieval City of Rhodes, a «vibrant» UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest and best-preserved medieval cities in Europe.
In the Old Town of Rhodes, visitors will undoubtedly enjoy one of the most fascinating strolls the island has to offer. A wander here is enough to see the colorful mosaic of traces left behind by the successive conquerors of the island. From the moment you pass through one of its gates, you will feel as if you are walking through a cinematic set that fires the imagination. But do not expect to find deserted streets and ruins. Get ready for a wonderful meander through narrow shopping lanes that buzz with life and through quiet, atmospheric alleys, in an old town that is home to around 6,000 residents.
In the footsteps of the knights
The old city was built by the Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Knights of the Order of St John, who held the island from 1309 to 1522. Their order settled in the Byzantine town, which was built around the ancient Acropolis With the arrival of the Hospitallers, Rhodes became the great center of their realm. The order gained a prominent position in the eastern Mediterranean and at the same time prestige, wealth and renown. The mighty walls of the city withstood even the siege of Mehmed II the Conqueror, in 1480. However, in December 1522, after a six month siege, the forces of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent compelled the Knights Hospitaller to abandon Rhodes.
Even today, the atmosphere in the lanes of the city so strongly evokes the medieval era that, walking along the cobbled Street of the Knights, you have the feeling you will glimpse a knight on horseback right beside you. On the Street of the Knights, one of the best-preserved medieval streets, stand the lodgings of the different nationalities that made up the Order of the Knights of St John. At the end of the street, the Hospital of the Knights today houses the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes. Opposite stands the Church of Our Lady of the Castle, which dates from the 11th century AD.
The Street of the Knights is the main road from the harbor to the Palace of the Grand Master, the most imposing building in the old city. The palace was originally a Byzantine fortress built in the late 7th century AD and, in the early 14th century, it was transformed by the Knights of St John into the residence of the Grand Master as well as the administrative center of the order. Its halls host exhibitions and cultural events take place.
From Ippokratous Square which lies beside the Sea Gate, two of the most central streets of the Old Town begin: Aristotelous Street, which leads east to the Square of the Jewish Martyrs, and Sokratous Street, the bustling street of the old market, lined with shops. At the top of Sokratous Street towers the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent. Where Sokratous Street meets Orfeos Street stands the clock tower, built by Fethi Pasha in 1857.
Every narrow lane of the medieval city leads to some attraction. It is a truly vibrant city, filled with imposing buildings, atmospheric restaurants, cafes, bars and shops, blending yesterday and today in a unique way.
