Rhodes

 

On Wednesday, we woke up to find ourselves in Rhodes, Greece.  Rhodes has been famous since antiquity as the site of Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.  The Colossus was a bronze statue of the Greek God, Helios, that stood as the tallest tower in the ancient world (about the size of the Statue of Liberty) from 280-226 BC.  Even after its collapse in an earthquake, the remains lay on the ground for over 800 years and were so impressive that people travelled from all over the world to see them.  

The Colossus stood where the water is now (right side of photo).

The island of Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and its historical capital. The city of Rhodes (on the island) is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Walls surround the city, and Old Town Rhodes is accessed via eleven gates.  The dichotomy of this photo is striking to me, with modern roads/cars on one side of the wall, and preserved medieval structures on the other side:

 These 14th century medieval windmills line the harbor and were used for grinding grains.  Historical records show that there may have been as many as 18 windmills, but only 3 restored structures remain standing:

City gate (and entry to the Jewish Quarter of medieval Rhodes).

Cobblestones line the streets of Rhodes.  The cobblestones were placed so that the path is less slippery when it rains:

We began with a walking tour of Old Town Rhodes, which contains numerous cafes and piazzas:

There are quiet, residential alleys that lie just off the bustling piazzas, and these were quite charming and beautiful:

Arches line the streets of Old Town and are architecturally sound to withstand earthquakes.  They've stood the test of time and have allowed many of the buildings that they support to remain standing for centuries.  

There are numerous Byzantine-era mosques and sabils (communal fountains) throughout the city, and our tour guide shared that Rhodes is a crossroads for Muslim Christian, and Jewish culture (due to its geographical location, historical significance in the Crusades, and later Ottoman occupations).  Today, these cultures coexist peacefully, but this has not always been the case:

Sabils were built outside mosques in the Ottomon Empire to provide drinking water to travelers and enable ritual purification before prayer.

Muslim Mosque.

Memorial commemorating the 1604 Jewish residents of Rhodes who were killed during the Holocaust.  

Ruins of 14th century Roman Catholic Church (later converted by Ottomans into a mosque).

Old Town Rhodes is recognized by its bougainvillea-lined walls & streets:

This 7th century medieval clock tower (Roloi) is the highest point of Old Town Rhodes:

The below photo is the Mosque of Suleiman. It was the first mosque in Rhodes and was built to commemorate the Ottoman conquest of Rhodes in 1522.  It is named after Suleiman the Magnificent, who was the longest reining sultan of the Ottoman Empire.  Under his reign, the Ottoman Empire ruled over at least 25 million people:

Our next stop was the Kastello, also known as the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes.  This medieval castle was originally built in the 7th century as a Byzantine citadel. After Christians conquered Jerusalem in 1099 during the first crusade, they formed a medieval religious order called the Knights Hospitalier (dedicated to John the Baptist) to care for sick, poor, or injured Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land.  After a reconquest of Jerusalem by Islamic Forces, the headquarters was moved in Rhodes, and the Kastello became a citadel of the Knights Hospitalier.  They converted the fortress into an administrative center and palace of their Grand Master until 1522 when the island was captured by the Ottoman Empire.  The palace was then used as their command center and fortress.  In 1856, a massive explosion (caused by a gunpowder magazine that was struck by lightning) destroyed much of the palace, which has since been restored.  In the 20th century, the palace served as a holiday residence for Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III and for Benito Mussolini.  It was returned to the Greek State and now contains a museum and is open for tours.  24 of the 158 rooms are open to visitors and contain antique furniture, frescos, marble, and fine carpets, vases, and period decor.

The Kastello functioned as a palace, headquarters, and fortress for centuries.

Interior courtyard lined with statues.

One of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece.

Chapel inside Kastello/Grand Masters Palace

No railings on the sides of the stairs!

Mosaic floors in many of the halls/rooms.

Grand Reception Hall.

Medusa Mosaic in the Music Room.

This Murano glass and was brought from Venice to hang in the Kastello.

More Gothic arches.

Leaving the Grand Master's Palace, we walked down the Street of the Knights.  This popular street is lined with 15th century inns, representing the seven countries from which the Knights of the Order of St. John came.  These include England, Germany, Italy, France, Aragon, Provence, and Auvergne.  Each group, (or "tongue") had its own seat/inn, and the seven tongues were each responsible for guarding a specific area of the wall, and they successfully did this for over 200 years.  

Coat of Arms over the entrance of each Inn.

Next was the Hospital of the Knights, which is now an archaeological museum.  The first floor houses many artifacts which span centuries, while the second floor contains remains of the hospital, which was quite innovative for its time.  The Knights of St. John constructed the hospital in the 15th century and it housed hundreds of patients.  Many of the wounded were returning from fighting in the crusades, and the Hospitaliers were well known and respected for their use of sterilization and surgical techniques, quarantine practices, individual beds for patients, and an apothecary on site.  Much of this was learned from Arab medicine from the time spent in the Holy Lands: 

Patient Rooms line the Great Hall of the Sick.

Pillars are adorned with Coat of Arms of the Grand Master.

Winged Lion of St. Mark is a nod to Venice and marks a tombstone of a knight.

Isolation rooms for patients with infectious disease.

Mosaic Corridor (Hellenistic period).

Courtyard garden & cemetery on hospital grounds.

After several hours of sightseeing and historical tours, we were ready for break to refuel.  Once again, we lucked out with the best weather and sat outside to enjoy traditional Greek fare for an afternoon meal:

After our food stop, we wandered around Old Town for awhile longer and headed back to our ship.  On the way, we saw many young people at the beach/sunbathing.  We couldn't resist going down to the sand for a bit to feel the water:

Aegean Sea.

We loved our day in Rhodes and learned so much about this medieval city!