This morning we were up early to catch the ferry to Rhodes. Like Santorini, the marina in Rhodes is first come, first serve, and the anchorages are not good. We figured we were better off leaving Kosmos safely in Kos than to risk having to anchor her in an anchorage infamous for its poor holding.

The ferry over was a fast catamaran, similar to the one we had taken to Santorini. It was a quick two hour trip, and a smooth ride. We were dropped off at the main town on the island, the city of Rhodes. The imposing fortress walls of the old city of Rhodes loomed in front of us, similar to the walls in Kos. We walked from the bay to one of the city gates. Christi felt like we had walked into a history book. It is a true medieval city, different than anything we have ever been to before, with gothic buildings made of stone block and stone block roads.

Rhodes is strategically located in the southeast corner of the Aegean. The Rhoda is a pink hibiscus flower native to the island of Rhodes. Both the flower and the island are named after a nymph that is, according to Greek Mythology, the mother of the island. Rhodes has been inhabited since Neolithic times. In the 16th century BC the Minoans settled on the island, followed in the 15th century by a Greek group called the Achaeans. Like Kos, in the 11th century BC Dorian Greeks invaded and settled, followed by a Persian conquest in the 6th century, with freedom from the Persians emerging when the Persians lost the Greco-Persian wars.

In 408 BC the city of Rhodes was built according to the Hippodamus urban plan. Rhodes built the biggest navy in the Aegean and the island became a principal Mediterranean trading center. It was Rhodes that introduced international maritime law, and the laws established by Rhodes lasted well into the Byzantine era. Upon Alexander the Great’s death, Rhodes came under Egyptian control and thrived even more, becoming a maritime, commercial and cultural center. It was known for its good schools, and many affluent Roman families sent their children to school there. Cicero, Pompey and Julius Caesar were all educated in Rhodes. In 304 BC, the Rhodians built the Colossus of Rhodes, a 31 meter high statue (roughly 93 feet tall) of the sun god Helios. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 BC.

In the 1st century AD, St. Paul (author of several books of the new testament bible) brought Christianity to Rhodes, making the church in Rhodes one of the earliest in Christendom. Rhodes continued to flourish until the Byzantine period and was referred to as the most beautiful and civilized of all the Greek cities. In the Byzantine period, Rhodes suffered many attacks from invaders, including Goths and assorted Muslim groups.

The Knights Hospitalier took Rhodes in 1309 (our history sources conflict about whether it was an amicable or forcible takeover) and rebuilt the city into a model of the European medieval ideal. The Ottomans conquered the island in 1522. In 1912, the Italians got control away from the Turks. In 1947, Rhodes officially became a part of modern day Greece.

We decided to head over to the “Knights Quarter” first, the section with the most historical sites. We went to the archeological museum, housed in a medieval hospital built in 1489. The Knights Hopitaliers began as a hospital in Jerusalem to attend to sick/injured Europeans making the pilgrimage to the holy land. It was soon evident that the hospital needed military protection, and somewhere the along the lines the hospital, religion, and military all melded into one order. The Catholic Church charged the Knights with the duty to protect and care for the Holy Land once the Crusades (war between Christians and Muslims over control of Palestine/Israel and surrounding territory) began. The Knights never lost their focus on military care, even after they moved to Rhodes.

The hospital building looks more like a fortress. It is rectangular with a courtyard in the center. At the time, the gothic style of architecture was popular, and it is reflected in the design of this building. Most of the doorways are arches, and many of the ceilings are vaulted and incredibly high.

Most of the rooms are quite small and hold exhibits of relics found in excavations around the island. Most of the items on exhibit are pottery, with a few pieces of jewelry and some tools and weapons scattered throughout. These artifacts are from the pre-medieval eras. After touring what seemed like dozens of these small chambers, we came to an incredibly large room that holds a display of medieval grandiose marble tombstones with ornate carvings, along with one sarcophagus (coffin). From there we moved to another fairly large area that houses sculptures from the Classical and Roman eras. Most of the pieces within the museum are well preserved and it is a nice collection.

All along the outer walkways are these round little pedestals that almost looked like a bench for one. They turned out to be funeral accoutrements. Good thing we never got tired and sat down! Out on the courtyard, there are a couple displays of canon balls, though no canons. We considered sticking a ball in one of our pockets as a souvenir, but were worried security would notice the bulge.

Just to clarify, we were kidding about taking the ball. We’d never steal an artifact. Anyway, from the museum we headed over to the”¦ To be continued”¦

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