Rhodes City Maps

Rhodes (also called Rhodes Town) is the capital of the island of Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands. The city has a population of approximately 55,000 and is divided between the ancient medieval old town and the modern new town. Rhodes has been continuously inhabited since ancient times and served as a major naval and commercial center in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Medieval Old Town of Rhodes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, representing one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The fortifications were built and expanded by the Knights of Saint John (Knights Hospitaller) who ruled Rhodes from 1309 to 1522. The massive walls, approximately 4 kilometers in circumference, feature towers, gates, and a moat. The Palace of the Grand Master, built in the 14th century and restored by Italians in the 1930s, served as the headquarters of the Knights and contains over 150 rooms.

The Street of the Knights (Odos Ippoton) is one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe, lined with inns (lodges) of the various "tongues" or national chapters of the Knights. The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, housed in the 15th-century Hospital of the Knights, displays sculptures, pottery, and the famous Aphrodite of Rhodes marble statue. The ancient Acropolis of Rhodes, located on Monte Smith hill, contains ruins of temples dedicated to Apollo, Athena, and Zeus, along with a restored Hellenistic stadium and theater.

The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was a giant bronze statue of the sun god Helios erected around 280 BCE at the harbor entrance. The statue, approximately 33 meters tall, stood for only 56 years before being destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BCE. The modern harbor area, Mandraki, features three bronze deer statues where the Colossus may have stood. Italian occupation from 1912 to 1943 influenced the new town's architecture, visible in public buildings along the waterfront.