The Greek island of Rhodes is the 4th largest. Due to its location, he managed to collect an excellent collection of memos of human activity. What is especially pleasing, many of them are in good condition. Getting to the island through the port of Mandraki, at the entrance to which, according to legend, the Colossus of Rhodes stood, is a great idea!
The main city of the island of Rhodes looks great from the sea. In the port, on a long pier, there are 3 windmills. According to legend, at the time of the Knights Hospitaller there were 14 of them.
The main use of mills is grinding grain coming from the port. They provided the needs of the island in flour.
Fort Saint Nicholas
At the end of the pier with mills rises Fort St. Nicholas, built in the middle of the 15th century. There was a lighthouse and an advanced post for the defense of the city. Behind the Fort is, perhaps, the most famous place of the island of Rhodes - the harbor of Mandraki, where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. This place is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world. The colossus, 36 meters high, was a statue of the Sun God Helios. The legs of the Colossus stood on different sides of the harbor, and in order to get to the port, the ship had to pass under them.
The statue stood for 50 years and was destroyed by an earthquake around 226 BC. e. Local residents did not risk touching the wreckage, fearing the wrath of the gods for about 800 years. However, they were eventually sold for scrap. Now, columns with sculptures of a deer and a doe, modern symbols of Rhodes, are installed at this place.
The pearl of the island of Rhodes is the Old Town, closed in the 14th-15th centuries from all sides by fortress walls, and inhabited in the 20th century by souvenir merchants. The fortress was built by the Knights Hospitaller, and in the 15th century was considered the most impregnable Christian citadel.
Gates
From the harbor side of Mandraki, you can enter the city through the Liberty Gate or St. Paul's Gate. The second option is especially popular, because right outside the gate you can look at the Nailak tower, or rather, what is left of it. Take a beautiful shot between the turrets on the sea, and leave the castle to walk along the embankment and go back through the beautiful and pretentious Sea Gate.
On the right side of the Sea Gate, 200 meters, Hippoton Street begins, where the knights once lived. On the walls of houses here you can find a variety of coats of arms, chimeras and statues. At the end of the street is an impressive castle - it was the main residence of the Order of the Hospitallers, the Palace of the Grand Masters. Opposite the castle, on the next street, there is a clock tower built in the 19th century on the site of an older tower destroyed by an accidental explosion. The entrance is paid, but it is worth a visit for the beautiful panoramic view of the city.
Hippocrates Square
Next to the clock tower is Socrates Street, a busy shopping street. At the other end of the street is Hippocrates Square, which has nothing to do with Hippocrates, unlike the neighboring island of Kos. On Hippocrates Square there is a municipal library Castellania. At first glance, it may seem that the building is partially destroyed or not completed, but no, a staircase without a balustrade is a local architectural solution typical of the 14th century. Also on Hippocrates Square is the Sindriani Fountain. In the center of the ancient Byzantine foundation rises a Turkish turret topped with a bronze figure of an owl.
From Hippocrates Square along Aristotle Street you can go to a shady square, where locals offer to take pictures with a colorful parrot. In addition, the building of the admiralty of the knights is located here, which, judging by historical research, may turn out to be the residence of a Greek Orthodox bishop. Further down the street are the picturesque ruins of the 14th century church of Saint Marie du Bourg. Opposite the church, there is an exit from the Old City, which leads to the ferry port, from where you can reach the Turkish city of Marmaris in just 40 minutes.
Rhodes is a great place for history buffs.
It is difficult to cover all the delights of this wonderful place in 1 day. Worth staying here for at least a few days.