Rhodes Medieval Town Documentary 🇬🇷 Greece

The island of Rhodes is situated at the crossroads of two major sea routes in the Mediterranean Sea, from the Aegean Sea to the coast of the Middle East and from Cyprus to Egypt. The town of Rhodes, one of the most beautiful and best preserved of Europe's medieval cities, began to take shape in the last quarter of the 7th century upon the remains of a splendid Hellenistic city. Throughout its long history, the different people who settled on Rhodes left their mark on every aspect of the island's culture. The old town is encircled by strong medieval walls, a typical example of the techniques of fortification of the 14th and 15th centuries. 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. This medieval-era city presents a significant departure from its counterparts on the European mainland. Built on an island just off the coast of Turkey, on the side of an ancient Greek city, its port was once dominated by a statue of the Colossus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Thanks to its location at Rhodes' northern tip and the small population of the rest of the island, the city had few gates. St. Paul's Gate gave access to the Mandraki, a small harbour, mainly used by the navy of the Knights of St. John. The Church of the Annunciation is located in the new city of Rhodes, north of the harbour. Together with splendid Venetian architecture, imposing buildings, towers and palaces from the times of the Knights of St. John embellish the old town and surrounding countryside, transporting the visitor back to the Middle Ages. Of the many impressive mosques in the old town, the Suleiman Mosque is truly noteworthy. The present-day building was constructed in the 19th century, on the side of an older one, which tradition says was erected by the town's conqueror, Suleiman the Magnificent. Above the city walls of the old town of Rhodes rises the clock tower, built after the devastating earthquake of 1851. At the centre of stands the modest Castellania fountain, famed by the old Shadravan Mosque on the west and the Palace of the Castellan on the east. The palace dates from 1597 and was originally a commercial centre. The ground floor was used for transactions between traders and the upper floor for the court where their disputes were tried. Rhodes was influenced by the various cultures of the steady stream of foreigners who came to stay on the island, each of which left its mark in its own way, whether culturally, historically or spiritually. Shown here, the ruins of the 14th century Church of the Virgin of the Burg. The streets of Rhodes, as in most medieval towns, are narrow and winding, though many of them follow the axes of Hellenistic roads. Walking down its paved streets, admiring the imposing knightly buildings, the walls with their dry moat and bastions, the Byzantine churches and mosques, the squares, gardens and courtyards of houses, the visitor feels that time has stopped, while at the same time discovering that this unique town is still living, full of surprises. From the first years after the fall of the Byzantine fortress and the establishment of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, there is evidence of a constant endeavor to improve the older fortifications and extend them. The source for the great amounts of construction material necessary to add to the walls were the ruins of monumental Hellenistic buildings. The ruins of the ancient Temple of Venus date back to the 3rd century BC. The popular municipal art gallery of Rhodes is also located on Simi Square. Its collection includes some impressive works by many of Greece's most prominent contemporary artists. Simi Square offers an exciting opportunity to explore the medieval town of Rhodes. From 1309 to 1523, Rhodes was occupied by the knightly order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who had lost their last stronghold in Palestine, Saint John of Acre, in 1291. They proceeded to transform the island capital into a fortified city, able to withstand sieges as terrible as those led by the Sultan of Egypt. An anachronistic vestige of the Crusades, Rhodes finally fell in 1522 after a six-month siege carried out by Suleiman II, leading forces that were said to number 100,000 men. The medieval town is surrounded by a wall 4 kilometers long. The Archaeological Museum is located in the old town of Rhodes. It is housed in a medieval building constructed by the Hospital of the Knights, in the Palace of the Grand Master. The construction of this building began in 1440 by Grand Master de L'Astique, and was completed in 1498 by Grand Master du Bosson. The building, together with the rest of the medieval town of Rhodes, was renovated in the early 20th century by the Italian occupiers. The large square courtyard is surrounded with a two-story colonnade and arched loggias. From the inner courtyard, a staircase leads up to the infirmary on the upper floor. Today, the Archaeological Museum contains findings from excavations all over the island, as well as some of the smaller islands of the Dodecanese. Visitors can see a collection of vases, figurines, small objects, and tomb groups that were found on Ialios and Cameros and date from the ancient Greek period through the Roman era. The museum is also home to mosaic floors from Hellenistic times and funerary slabs of the Knights. Originally separated from the town by a fortified wall, the high town, or colloquium, was entirely built by the Knights Hospitallers, who, following the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, became the strongest military order in all of Christendom. The order was organized into seven tongues, each having its own seat or inn. The inns of the Tongues of Italy, France, Spain, and Provence line both sides of the principal east-west axis, the so-called Street of the Knights, which remains one of the finest testimonies to Gothic urbanism. In 1309, the Hospitallers acquired the island of Rhodes. The Grand Master of the order, who was elected for life, declared Rhodes an independent state and began minting coins and exercising other rights of sovereignty. When the Knights of the Temple were dispersed, some surviving Templars joined the ranks at Rhodes. The Knights were now more warrior than Hospitaller, though they remained a monastic brotherhood. Their activities included naval warfare, they armed ships and set off after Muslim pirates, and took revenge on Turkish merchants with piracy of their own. The Street of the Knights stretches from the new hospital, Archaeological Museum, to the Palace of the Grand Master. The Palace of the Grand Master dominates with its spherical towers and sharply arched gate. Built by the Knights of St. John in the 14th century, the palace served as an order citadel. The palace was first built by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem on the site of a 7th-century Byzantine fortress. After its dereliction during the Turkish occupation, it was largely destroyed by the explosion of the powder magazine in 1856. Restoration of the palace, including significant alterations, was carried out between 1937 and 1940 under the supervision of the Italian architect Vittorio Mesturino. At that time, the building was adorned with murals by Pietro Gaudenzi and Felice Vellam. The ramparts of the medieval city, partially erected on the foundations of the Byzantine enclosure, were constantly maintained and remodeled between the 14th and 16th centuries under the Grand Masters Giovanni Battista d'Orsini, Piero do Buson, Emery d'Amboise, and Fabrizio da Caretto. After the 1480 siege of Rhodes, the order gained such fame that it received many donations, which it used to substantially improve the town fortifications. St. George's Bastion was one of the most impressive additions. The Tower of Spain is circular and exceeds the height of the walls. It is surrounded by a four-sided battlement, with the coat of arms of the Grand Master Lestique incorporated in its side as a decorative feature. One of the most spectacular characteristics of the fortifications of Rhodes is the very large moat surrounding the walls. To ensure the enemy could not easily fill it, the ground on the opposite side was contained by a massive wall, which was difficult to dismantle. In the moat itself, the knights built low casemates, projecting from the walls from which cannons and guns could be fired. Surrounded by fortified walls, St. Athanasius' Gate was built near St. Mary's Tower, though it was closed by the Grand Master Dobussan in 1501. The outer St. John's Gate was built by Grand Master Dobussan to protect the previous fortifications built by Grand Masters Flouvien, Méli, and Zacosta. During the 1480 siege of Rhodes, the Ottomans managed to breach the walls in their southeastern section. They then launched an assault which was fought with cold steel. It was the final episode of the siege. The Ottoman losses were so high that the siege was lifted. Grand Master Fabrizio da Carretto gave his name to the huge round bastion that was built on the site of the breach. With its magical backdrop created by the battlements and towers of the curtain walls, the Melina Mercury Theater, in the dry mode of the medieval city, is used each summer to host concerts, as well as theatrical and dance performances. In their final form, the city walls provide an important example of military architecture. Extending approximately four kilometers, the walls are at times more than 12 meters thick. UNESCO has declared the upper town of Rhodes one of the most beautiful urban ensembles of the Gothic period and inscribed it on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1988.