Rhodes - The island of the Knights

Rhodes - The island of the Knights 

Trip to Rhodes was quite short, we stayed there only for half of day but enough to see the most beautiful parts of town. 

A little about Rhodes

Rhodes is  located in Aegean Sea and one of the largest of the Dodecanese islands. The city is popular around the world for its Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the rules of Cyprus. This impressive giant statue was demolished during an earthquake, although parts of it were preserved, it was never rebuilt. 

Outside the Old City 

The Three Windmills at Mandraki Harbour Rhodes

These medieval windmills were used to ground the grain that came from commercial ships docking in the harbor. It is believed that once were 13-14 windmills, but most of them has disintegrated over time. 

The fort of St Nicholas Rhodes

The fort of St Nicholas is situated at the ens of Mandraki harbour. It was built by the knights of St John in the 15th century. 

The deer Dama-Dama

 The deer Dama-Dama is a unique species that lives only in Rhodes. There are many legends how this deer was brought to the island. Some says they have been in Rhodes from ancient times, in the 6th century BC. One says that deers were brought to Rhodes by the Crusaders in the medieval times in order to protect their camps from the snakes, supposedly their horns produces smell that makes the snakes to turn away.  You will found 2 statues (male & female), standing at the Mandraki harbor. 

How to get there

By air: Rhodes international airport "Diagoras" is located 14km away from Rhodes city centre. From the airport you can choose taxi or bus. 

By boat: Rhodes harbour is located in city centre. There is a daily connection from Piraeus port in Athens to Rhodes. There will be a few stops in between. But the trip is long, last almost 12 hours. 

From Kos and Patmos, you can arrive by ferry as well as from Crete and Santorini. It's a popular destination for cruise ships. 

The Old Town of Rhodes

The medieval city is located within a 4km long wall. It is really impressive and you will be pleasantly surprised to wander through this old city. You will be completely lost and find yourself in time of knights. We were lucky to find almost empty streets, not full of tourist as usual. The oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe forms part of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage network. 

The street of Knights 

The main road that crosses medieval town is called the Street of Knights. It is very well preserved and starts from Archaeological museum and ends at the palace of the Grand Master. 

Things to do and see in Rhodes 

Rhodes town has many influences. You will see spread around the town buildings from the Italian, Ottoman, Byzantine and Hellenistic period. 
Once you enter in the city trough Liberty Gate you will find yourself on Symi Square. 

The temple of Aphrodite

Ruins of ancient  temple of Aphrodite are located on Symi Sqare in front of the Eleftherias Gate. It dates from the third century BC. 

The Suleiman Mosque

 It was the first mosque constructed in Rhodes and it was named after Sultan Suleiman to commemorate his conquest of the island. 

The Palace of the Grand Master 

The Palace of the Grand Master, also knows as Kastello, is considered one of the most important monuments.The palace was originally built in the late 7th century as a Byzantine citadel. We haven't entered inside just passed by the palace. 

The medieval city of Rhodes is one of the few remaining medieval cities in the world that is still inhabited and alive. 


Photos: My city preset "Monte"  & "Blue". Edited in Lightroom 
Camera: Canon 
Info about Rhodes history - wikipedia