Rhodes Old Town

The decision to purchase optionals on the island of Rhodes is, of course, your choice, but my friend who took this cruise did not recommend spending money on any of them. He said that the town of Rhodes offers so much that he preferred using the time to explore it on his own.

So I’m going to provide you with some of the highlights of Rhodes Town so you can make a more informed decision. Rhodes Town is divided into Rhodes Old Town and Rhodes New Town. The more picturesque and interesting parts appear to be in Old Town.

Occupied for over 2,400 years, The Knights of St. John arrived in 1309 and built their citadel over the ancient remains. The Knights medieval citadel, dominated by the towers of the Palace of the Grand Masters, forms the center of Old Town. New Town lies beyond the city walls.

Of the medieval walls’ 11 gates, Koskinou (St. John’s) gate has the best view of the city’s defenses. It leads into the Bourg quarter which has an impressive clock tower. The defensive walls date from 1330 and are 40 feet thick and 2.5 miles long.

The Palace of the Grand Masters is one of the highlights of Old Town. Built in the 14th century it features some priceless mosaics, including the famous Gorgon Medusa Chamber. The central courtyard is paved with geometric tiles.

The palace’s main gate is an imposing structure built with twin horseshoe-shaped towers with swallowtail turrets. The palace is also home to two permanent museum exhibits of Medieval Rhodes and Ancient Rhodes. It is open Tuesday through Sunday; we’ll be visiting on Wednesday.

One of Rhodes Old Town’s most famous sites is the medieval Street of Knights that leads from the harbor to the palace. Also called Odos Ippoton, it is lined with the Inns of the Tongues, or nationalities, of the Order of St. John. The inns were used as meeting places for the knights.

Founded in the 11th century by merchants from Amalfi, the Order of the Hopsitallers of the Knights of St. John guarded the Holy Sepulcher and tended Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem. When Jerusalem fell in 1291, they took refuge in Cyprus and then bought Rhodes in 1306.

A Grand Master was elected for life to govern the order which was divided into seven Tongues, or nationalities: France, Italy, England, Germany, Provence, Spain, and Auvergne. Each Tongue then protected an area of the city wall known as a Curtain.

Great pictures on this site! Here are a couple of videos to give you an idea of a walking tour of Rhodes Town. This video shows a lot of the inside of the Grand Palace.