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When you approach the walls of Medieval Old Town of Rhodes you are about to enter the oldest inhabited medieval city in Europe. It’s a thrill to behold. Best to know one thing from the start about the Old Town of Rhodes: It’s not laid out on a grid – not even close.
In the Medieval – Old – Town of Rhodes one may for sure enjoy one of the most interesting walks on the island. Do not let the “medieval” mislead you: rather than a ruined, deserted setting, you will be pleasantly surprised to wander through an intricate network of busy little commercial streets delightfully alternating with quiet alleys, in what is a very much alive town consistently dwelt in over the last two thousand years! No wonder, therefore, that for some time now, the Medieval Quarter of Rhodes – the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe – forms part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage network!
This is a bustling neighborhood of some 6000 people, who live and work in the same buildings in which the Knights of St. John dwelt, six centuries ago. An emotion certain to remain forever alive on one’s memory!
Medieval buildings, mosques, traditional fountains, oriental motifs, Byzantine and Gothic churches, shops and cafeterias are scattered throughout the Old Town of Rhodes, all blending together to create a unique and picturesque whole. There are roughly 200 streets or alleys – some of them bearing no name! Getting “lost” here is not a defeat; it’s an opportunity. Whenever you feel the need to find your bearings, you may ask for “Sokratous” street, which is the closest the Medieval City comes to having a main street.
The highlights – what to see in the Old Town of Rhodes
The Palace of the Grand Master, reinstated by the Italians in 1940 after almost a century of abandonment (the building had been destroyed as a result of an explosion in a forgotten powder store in its basement, in 1856), stands out because of its imposing entrance and exquisitely well-preserved towers and battlements. The interiors of the buildings, decorated with priceless ornamental objects, are equally impressive.
The Archaeological Museum is housed in the Gothic building of the Great Hospital of the Knights and preserves masterpieces of art on Rhodes, finds from ancient lalysos and Kamiros and mosaic paintings from the city of Rhodes.
The Knight’s Street, the imposing street that leads to the Palace of the Grand Master, keeps alive the accommodations of the “language” of the Order of Knights.
It is worth visiting the Panagia tou Kastrou, the Panagia tou Bourgkou, the clocktower, the synagogue and the mosques of the Suleyman and Recep Pasha.
The medieval city of Rhodes is one of the few remaining medieval cities in the world that is still inhabited and alive.
Rhodes offers two distinct realms within a city the Old Town and the New Town. While the Old Town provides you with a flavour left behind by the ruins and medieval buildings reminiscent of the St. John Knights and Byzantine Empire and adorned by a maze of cobbled alleys, the New Town is a hub of modern resorts with stunning beaches speaking volumes of the influx of the upscale tourists in Rhodes.
Old Town witnesses a significant exodus of tourists during peak seasons, mostly consisting of day-trippers and passengers from the moored cruise liners. If you are looking to escape from the possible madding crowd, try to visit here during autumn.
Let us find what Old Town in Rhodes has to provide to the tourists here and find out how to make the most of your visit here in Old Town.
The Old Town of Rhodes is home to around six thousand inhabitants and is surrounded by medieval walls on all sides. You can enter from these gates:
Gate of St. Catherine (Agia Ekaterini, opposite Tourist Port),
Gate of Virgin Mary (Panagia Gate)
Marine Gate
Arnaldou Gate
Arsenal Gate
Gate of the Apostle Paul,
Gate of Liberty (Eleftherias Gate)
Gate d’Amboise and St. Anthony Gate
Gate of Agios Athanassios
Gate of St. John (Agios Ioannis Gate), (Kokkini Porta)
Acandia Gate
Although it has been modernised to quite some extent now with the presence of cafes, bars and upscale shops to cater to the tourists, the essence of its pronounced medieval presence is quite evident in the architecture of some of the buildings, monuments and the ruins present in the Old Town, connected by a maze of cobbled streets.
It is famous for being the last refuge of the Christian Knights who were defeated by the Ottoman Turks. Although the guards fell after a siege mounted by the Ottomans, the Knights defended the city well, and hence a safe passage was provided to the resident Christians who refused to live under Turkish authority.
The city can be divided majorly into three distinct parts- the northern part named Collachio which contains the ancient Acropolis (does not exist nowadays) and the palace of the Grand Master, and the southern part includes the Borgo where the commoners lived.
The Jewish Quarter is the final section which is mostly residential and is not as developed as the above two parts when it comes to commerce and tourism.
Borgo is a residential area as well but has a sufficient number of bars, cafes and shops meant for the tourists who arrive here.
Places to visit in Rhodes Old Town
Near the gate of Liberty you can find the remnants of the 3rd-century Greek temple dedicated to the Greek God of love, Aphrodite. You can also visit the Archaeological museum nearby, which contains some fascinating relics from the bygone era.
Find yourself lost in the essence of the medieval era with the streets that connect the building of this town, famously known as the Street of the Knights. It is lined with essential buildings of historical importance dating back to the 16th century and restored to their original glory till date.
Visit the Palace of the Grandmaster, which is a beautiful piece of architecture and one of the most significant buildings in all of the Dodecanese cluster of islands.
You can also catch a bird’s eye view of the city from the top of the Clock Tower as well.
