A Guide to the Architecture of Rhodes Town
Rhodes has been a tourist destination for over 2,000 years. Some ancient visitors attempted (usually unsuccessfully) to wrap their arms around the thumb of the Colossus after it collapsed in the harbor; others helped themselves to the free pieces of bronze littering the town. Since then the island has seen knights and sultans come and go, hosting emperors and refugees alike.
We spent several days exploring the historic center and its many layers, from ancient Greek and Roman to medieval Gothic, classical Ottoman, and early modern Italian. Virtually everything lies within walking distance, with most monuments packed into the walled Old Town. All sites are marked on our Google map.
The Colossus of Rhodes and Other Ancient Wonders: Temple of Aphrodite and Roman Ruins
Architecture of Medieval Rhodes: Archaeological Museum and Gardens, Street of the Knights, Palace of the Grand Master, Medieval Walls and Moat
Exploring the Old Town: Dorieos Square, Ottoman Architecture in Rhodes Town, Medieval Clock Tower, Virgin Mary of the Burgh
Mandraki Harbor and Rhodes’ New Town
Orientation
The medieval quarter fans out in a walled crescent from the Tourist Port, where most ferries arrive. Larger ships dock at the adjacent commercial harbor. Visitors from other parts of the island will likely begin at the bus station by the Nea Agora market building, just north of the old walls and next to the historic Mandraki Harbor. The latter stretches along the New Town laid out a century ago when the Italians occupied Rhodes. The ancient Acropolis is a 30-minute hike uphill, southwest of the medieval town.
Our Google map shows the eight gates into the walled Old Town, the entirety of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The busiest areas cluster near the water where a steady stream of ferry passengers coalesces around the Gate of the Virgin and the ruined St Mary of the Burgh. The throng of pedestrian traffic continues to the Marine Gate and Hippocrates Square, then turns inland along shopping street Sokratous. Some visitors follow the shoreline a short distance further to Arnaldo Gate, where the Archaeological Museum marks the entrance to the legendary Street of the Knights. Further up, Liberty Gate provides access to Mandraki Harbor where the crowds are considerably thinner.
The Colossus of Rhodes and Other Ancient Wonders
The Golden Age of Rhodes lasted from roughly the first to the fourth centuries BCE. During this period a man named Chares of Lindos erected a giant statue Helios, the Titan god of the sun. Sheathed in bronze plates, its height of 30 meters (about 10 stories) earned it the nickname the Colossus of Rhodes.
Left: Marten van Heemskerck’s 16th-century engraving of the Colossus of Rhodes. Right: the deer statues stand where the statue’s feet supposedly rested.
Unfortunately the Colossus stood for just 56 years before an earthquake snapped it at the knees in 226 BCE. The body fell onto the town, where it continued to attract visitors. Over time the supply of bronze scraps dwindled, and Arab invaders finally sold off the remains – allegedly to a Jewish merchant who needed 900 camels to get it all back to Edessa. Somewhere along the way the statue became known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Strangely enough, no one has been able to determine exactly where the Colossus stood. Legend says its legs straddled the port, right where two bronze deer on pedestals watch over the entrance to Mandraki Harbor. Although the spot is impossible from an engineering perspective, it’s a nice way to visualize the enormous scale. According to some old engravings (and Google Maps) the statue stood nearby, where the round Fortress of St. Nicholas now squats. Many historians now think that the Colossus looked down on the harbor from further inland, by the temple sites discovered near the Palace of the Grand Master or all the way up on the Acropolis.
Temple of Aphrodite and Roman Ruins
Remnants from the Hellenistic city survive within the medieval walls. Just below Mandraki Harbor, pieces of the Temple of Aphrodite and a large set of Roman ruins mix with later buildings. While most of the latter have been heavily restored, the ancient sites have literally gone to seed; crayon-colored wildflowers sprout between foundation stone and stubs of columns.
The Architecture of Medieval Rhodes
For those who associate medieval architecture with towering cathedrals in northern climates, Rhodes can be an eye-opener. In fact, Gothic architecture first developed when Crusaders and other Europeans encountered pointed arches and vaulting in the Middle East. In Rhodes, the Knights Hospitaller continued using these forms for practical reasons long after their contemporaries back home moved on.
Heavy stone walls not only defended residents but also insulated them from the scorching sun. The builders cut openings according to need rather than artistic composition and added little by way of ornament. In some places, they appear to have been making things up as they went along, especially when supporting the stairways.
Archaeological Museum and gardens
Along with raiding Muslim ships and territories, the Knights Hospitaller provided – as their name implies – medical care. Their flagship hospice, known as the Great Ward after its spacious hall for patients, now forms the core of the Archaeological Museum. With the colonnaded courtyards and garden terraces at the back, this was perhaps our favorite place in the Old Town.
Ancient Romans began a tradition of shipping art from the island’s Golden Age back to Europe. The most famous work by a Rhodian artist, the Nike of Samothrace, is in France’s Louvre. The Archaeological Museum still houses enough sculptures to remind us of Rhodes’ accomplishments and influence.
Along with ancient pottery, the site also holds a renowned collection of floor mosaics. Some of the best are outside, including a series made from colored pebbles instead of tiles. Dating from the fourth to the first century BCE, they depict mythological figures and creatures. The Archaeological Museum extends into a garden area established in the Ottoman era, which includes ancient lion statues, fountains, and a fish pond.
See the museum website for visiting information.
Street of the Knights
The Order of St. John, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, was founded during the Crusades. As Europeans lost territory in the Holy Land, the order seized Rhodes from the Byzantines and moved its headquarters there in 1309. Within the fortified town, the knights concentrated on the stretch between the Grand Master’s palace and the main hospice. Known as the Street of the Knights, this cobblestone thoroughfare held a string of inns where members of various languages could gather.
The Italians restored the street and its buildings with a fairly heavy hand, stripping away anything that didn’t fit the Latin Christian knights’ story. The effect is picturesque, if a bit severe. Most of the inns now house government embassies and exhibitions rather than shops and cafés – and since there’s very little foliage or shade, visitors generally don’t linger for long.
Palace of the Grand Master
The administrative center for the Order of St. John was largely destroyed in 1856, when lightning struck a gunpowder magazine and caused a massive explosion. The Fascists rebuilt the Palace as a summer home for their own grand master Mussolini, who never actually visited. As a result, the interior feels more staged than organic, although the antiquities brought in from neighboring islands make an impressive museum.
See the palace website for visiting information.
Medieval Walls and Moat
As Europeans gradually lost interest in the Holy Land, the Knights Hospitaller lost funding. With limited resources, the Order cleverly capitalized on competition between its members’ ‘tongues’: each group maintained honor through upkeep of a specific portion of the defenses, as indicated on this map.
When the Knights began expanding the fortifications of Rhodes in 1309, they used the legendary Land Walls of Constantinople as a model – with one major modification. The Order flooded the open ditch between the ramparts ringing the town. Today the moat has been drained, but the sunken loop makes an evocative walk. There’s just enough grass and palm trees to qualify as a park, but the massive walls steal the scene. They look pretty much the same as they did in 1522, when the third Ottoman siege finally ended the knights’ occupation of the island. Semi-abandoned tunnels lead under the city or into open-air ruins. Several kilometers of pathway extend all the way around town, with just three access points to the world above. We’ve marked them on our map, but be warned that they aren’t always easy to spot.
From the courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Master, one can access the one-kilometer stretch of the ramparts open to the public. Unfortunately it’s only open for three hours mid-day, currently from noon to 3 p.m. – hopefully someone will realize that sunset walks are not only more appealing but also safer in high summer temperatures. For those visiting during milder weather, the views are unforgettable. The walk costs a few euros and ends near St. John’s Gate.
Exploring the Old Town
The best way to escape the crowds is to explore the back streets of the Old Town. Back in 408 BCE, the newly-established city adopted a cutting-edge urban plan designed to embody a more rational society. Here the original grid layout often seems to have been forgotten; Roman ruins mix with Byzantine bricks, while stray Ottoman details accent medieval masonry and modern signage rounds it all off.
Every direction competes for attention: cavernous depths between each cobblestone require constant vigilance, but it’s easy to get distracted by the resident clans of felines. Overhead, arches cross the street at random intervals: it’s unclear if they’re supporting the walls to either side, or if the walls are supporting the arches.
Dorieos Square
Towards the back of the crescent, the tiny Church of Saint Fanourios holds some medieval frescoes just discernible in the dim light. Around the corner on Omirou lies the entrance to the serene Parodos Dorieos.
Huge banyan trees create an ideal spot to relax over drinks or a meal. The restaurants looked like they could accommodate a busload or two, but the square was quiet whenever we passed by. To the side, the decaying Recep Pasha Mosque hints at its origins when Ottoman architecture was hitting its peak elegance.
Ottoman Architecture in Rhodes Town
The Hafiz Ahmed Agha Library
After conquering the island in 1522, the Ottomans largely preserved its historic architecture. Besides converting most of the churches to mosques, they added baths and embellished houses with screened balconies. Much of their work was systematically erased by the Fascists a century ago, and only one mosque is still in use.
Rhodes’ most prominent Ottoman building is the Suleymaniye Mosque, which has retained its traditional striped arches and dome throughout multiple restorations. (The interior is normally closed, unfortunately.) Other works include the former mosque of Mehmet Agha on Sokratous street and the Hafiz Ahmed Agha Library. The latter contains a small garden and can be visited for a small fee. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in summer. For winter hours we recommend contacting the website.
Medieval Clock Tower
Strictly speaking, this tower isn’t medieval: the original seventh-century version was destroyed along with much of the adjacent Grand Masters Palace in 1856. The reconstructed version includes some Baroque flourishes and even some decorative stone cannonballs. 53 narrow steps – congested but not claustrophobic – lead up to a minuscule viewing area with 360 degree views of the town. A €5 ticket covers entry to the tower plus a drink in the lower terrace area. Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in summer; winter hours were unavailable at the time of writing.
Virgin Mary of the Burgh
One of the most popular sights in Rhodes isn’t in the guidebooks. But nearly every visitor passes by the ruined cathedral of Virgin Mary of the Burgh at some point, and no one can resist a photo. The remaining walls form a sketch of the original 14th century structure, wide open to the Mediterranean sun. At one end three apses, complete with Gothic arches and star-shaped vaulting, create an arresting tableau.
It’s all rather mysterious: there’s no information on site and it’s difficult to find anything more elsewhere. Many sources confuse the Virgin Mary of the Burgh (Panagia tou Bourgou) with Our Lady of the Castle (Panagia tou Kastrou), the church by the Archaeological Museum.
The cathedral was likely built around the time the Knights Hospitaller arrived on the island and was probably bombed during World War II.
Mandraki Harbor and Rhodes’ New Town
The waterfront around Rhodes’ most historic harbor sets a range of architecture against the blue sea. Medieval structures spill outside the fortified walls in the form of windmills and churches. The New Town shoreline continues with an eclectic dose of Italian buildings.
We weren’t sure what to make of the Palazzo del Governo, a modern copy of the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Architect Florestano di Fausto showed more openness to non-European influences than most of his colonial contemporaries, especially in the domed white Nea Agora (market). His master plan also preserved a small but lovely mosque and cemetery.
Further Reading
For information on getting to Rhodes, see our guide to ferries between Rhodes and Turkey.