Photo: Georg Karl Ell · CC BY-SA 4.0 · editedMedieval City
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Julian Lupyan · CC0 · edited
Why go
- The fortress wall, over four kilometres long down to the harbour, has eight sections, each given to knights of one tongue.
- St. George's Bastion on the western land side of the wall, built between 1421 and 1431.
- The bazaar around the Süleyman mosque in Chora, the trading centre in the south of the old town.
- La Juderia, the quarter in the east of the old town where Jews lived in their own district.
Opening hours
Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
Don't miss
- Grand Master's PalaceAlso called Kastello, the palace stands at the highest point of the old town and measures 80 by 75 metres. Two exhibitions inside cover daily life in antiquity and the medieval period.Kleobulos Square, in the Kollakio districtWork began about 1350; rebuilt 1937–1940
- Knights' StreetA street about 200 metres long, lined with the inns of the tongues, where the knightly national groups lodged.Kollakio district, ending at Kleobulos Square
- Archaeological MuseumThe former large knights' hospital now houses the archaeological museum.Museums Square1440–1489
- Kahal Shalom SynagogueMost likely built in 1577, it is one of the oldest synagogues in the country. The Jewish Museum of Rhodes is housed inside the synagogue complex.Inside the old townMost likely 1577
- Eleftherias GateAlso called the Freedom Gate.Entrance into the fortified town1924
Tips for your visit
- Inside the walls you find narrow paved alleys, medieval houses, religious buildings and small squares.
- In the north lies the Kollakio district, the knights' residential and administrative area. The south is Chora, the trading centre.
- Architecture from several eras blends into one urban mosaic, so buildings from different centuries stand side by side.
Interesting facts2
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Ancient mosaic floors from the island of Kos were laid in the rebuilt palace.
Mittelalterliche Stadt von Rhodos - Wikipedia -
Its fortifications influenced the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Middle Ages.
Mittelalterliche Stadt von Rhodos - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
The city was founded as the joint capital of Ialysos, Kameiros and Lindos. It lost its independence in 164 BC but stayed a centre of learning, science and the arts. The Hospitallers took the island in 1306 and the city fell after a long siege in 1309. They moved their headquarters into the city and built it into a fortress, with a wall over four kilometres long. The palace was rebuilt in 1937–1940 and restored again in 1988, the year UNESCO listed the old town.
- 515An earthquake hits. The old town probably grows up around the citadel with no set plan.
- 1309The Hospitallers take the city after a long siege and build it into a fortress.
- 1350Work begins on the grand master's palace, on the site of an imperial governor's castle.
- 1523The knights give up the city and island after months of siege.
- 1523–1912Mosques, minarets and hammams are added. Buildings from this period survive beside the medieval ones.
Show all
- 1856A gunpowder store explodes and destroys the grand master's palace.
- 1912–1943Restorations aim to preserve and highlight the medieval character of the town.
Accessibility
- Cars inside the old town The narrow cobbled lanes can only be reached on foot, or by residents on motorbikes.
Sources: Medieval City of Rhodes - Wikipedia · Mittelalterliche Stadt von Rhodos - Wikipedia · Μεσαιωνική πόλη της Ρόδου - Wikipedia · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Phone
- +306947331819
Questions and answers
Is Medieval City open 24 hours a day?
Yes. Medieval City is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Can you drive a car into Medieval City?
No. The narrow cobbled lanes can only be reached on foot, or by residents on motorbikes.
Where is Medieval City located?
Medieval City is the walled old town of Rhodes Town, on the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese. Its fortress wall reaches down to the harbour.
Is Medieval City a museum or a living town?
It is a living town, not a museum complex. People still live inside the walls, among the medieval houses, lanes and small squares.
How long is the fortress wall around Medieval City?
The fortress wall is over four kilometres long. The knights built bastions, gates and moats along with it.
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