Palace of the Grand Masters (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
From 1309 to 1523, Rhodes was occupied by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who had lost their last stronghold in Palestine in 1291. Transformed into a fortified city, it withstood a number of attacks, until its fall in 1522, after a six-month siege carried out by Suleyman II.
Rhodes fortifications (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The city is located within a 4 km-long wall. It is divided into the Upper Town, which lies to the north, and the Lower Town, in the south-southwest. Originally separated from the Lower Town by a fortified wall, the Upper Town, or Collachium, was entirely built by the Knights.
D'Amboise Gate (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
Partially erected on Byzantine foundations from the city’s previous historical period, the ramparts of the medieval city were constantly maintained and remodelled between the 14th and 16th centuries, under the Grand Masters of the Knights of St John.
Street of the Knights (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The famous and well-preserved Odós Ippotón (Street of the Knights) is the principal east-west axis of the Upper Town, and one of the finest testimonies to urbanism in the Middle Ages.
Street of the Knights (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The street was lined with the seats, or inns, of the seven “tongues” into which the Order was organised, in other words, the countries/regions from which the Knights came. As the Grand Masters were predominantly French, the Inn of France was the largest and most impressive.
Medieval City of Rhodes (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
At the highest point of Odós Ippotón is located the Palace of the Grand Masters, or the Kastello, which served as the administrative centre of the Order of the Knights of Saint John, and was also the residence of the Grand Master.
Palace of the Grand Masters (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The gate of the palace, with its heavy wooden door and two enormous towers, is one of the most characteristic images of Rhodes. It was one of the first buildings to be built by the Knights and was completed in 1346.
Courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Master (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The Palace of the Grand Master is probably the most significant monument of the medieval history of Rhodes and its occupation by the Knights. Today it houses a museum which offers valuable insights into the city’s history, from its founding until the Ottoman Conquest in 1522.
The Great Hospital (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
At the opposite end of Odós Ippotón to the Palace lies the Great Hospital, which was built in the 15th century to replace an earlier hospice. A unique gothic masterpiece, the hospital now houses the Archaeological Museum, with many artefacts from the long history of the island.
Palace of the Grand Masters at the background and roofs of the Great Hospital (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The Upper Town of the medieval city of Rhodes, with the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital and the Street of the Knights, is one of the most beautiful urban ensembles of the Middle Ages.
City of Rhodes (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The Lower Town is almost as dense with monuments as the Upper Town. In 1522, with a population of 5,000, it had many churches, some of Byzantine construction. Other buildings which were added over the years include the Court of Commerce and the Archbishop’s Palace.
Mosque of Soliman (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The Ottoman era, from 1523 up to 1912, saw the construction of many new Islamic buildings and monuments, such as mosques and baths. Most of the existing churches were converted into mosques, although the architectural features of the buildings were, for the most part, preserved.
Entrance of the Mandraki Harbour (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
Mandraki is the main harbour of Rhodes, where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. A depiction of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, the statue was completed in 280 BC but collapsed during an earthquake only 54 years later. Today, the harbour is instead home to two deer statues.
Saint Nicholas Fortress, Mandraki Harbour (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
At the entrance to the harbour stands the imposing fortress of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas). It played a key role in the defence of the city against continued attacks by the Ottomans, with repairs, reinforcements and expansions being made to the original structure.
Medieval City of Rhodes (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The fortifications of Rhodes, a “Frankish” town long considered to be impregnable, exerted an influence throughout the eastern Mediterranean basin at the end of the Middle Ages.
Street of the Medieval City (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
As one of the most beautiful urban ensembles of the Middle Ages, the Medieval City of Rhodes was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
Palace of the Grand Masters (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
It is an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble which illustrates the significant period of history in which a military/hospital order founded during the Crusades survived in the eastern Mediterranean area in a context characterised by an obsessive fear of siege.
Mandraki Harbour (1988) by Medieval City of RhodesUNESCO World Heritage
The fact that this city is located on an island in the Aegean Sea, that it was on the site of an ancient Greek city, and that it commands a port formerly embellished by the Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only adds to its interest.
This exhibit was created by the Aegean Islands Tourism Board:
www.aegeanislands.gr
More on the Medieval City of Rhodes and World Heritage: whc.unesco.org/en/list/493/
Photos: Aegean Islands, Dimitris Vetsikas, Matthias Lemm, HUNTER16, Burkhard Mucke, Georg Karl Ell, Mstyslav Chernov, Manfred Richter
