Medieval City of Rhodes Historical Site

Address: Medieval City (Old Town), Rhodes 85100, Greece

Website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/493

The Medieval City of Rhodes is the walled old town of Rhodes city on the island of Rhodes, renowned for its extensive medieval fortifications and Gothic architecture. It served as the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller from the 14th century and retains much of its medieval street plan and buildings.

Key features include the Palace of the Grand Master, the Street of the Knights and the surrounding defensive walls and bastions that were constructed and improved from the medieval through the early modern periods. The compact town contains churches, inns, residential buildings and military structures concentrated within the walls.

The medieval city developed under the Knights Hospitaller and later experienced Ottoman rule and Italian-era conservation, each leaving architectural and urban traces. The historic centre’s preservation and layered history are the reasons for its UNESCO inscription.

The Medieval City sits on the northern tip of Rhodes island adjacent to the modern port and town waterfront, making it directly accessible from the harbour and the island’s main transport hubs.

• UNESCO status: The medieval town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site noted for its intact fortifications, Gothic and Byzantine buildings and street plan dating mainly to the 14th-16th centuries.
• Visitor logistics: The site is compact and walkable; the main gate and harbourfront are good starting points for a circuit of the town’s principal monuments.

What to See#

• Palace of the Grand Master: A fortified palace complex that served as the administrative and ceremonial centre for the Knights Hospitaller during the medieval period.
• Street of the Knights: A cobbled medieval street connecting the inns of the Knights with a number of Gothic buildings and administrative houses dating to the 14th century.
• Walls and Fortifications: A system of medieval walls, bastions and gates that encircle the old town and were strengthened during the Hospitaller period to protect the settlement.

The Medieval City of Rhodes is the walled Old Town in Rhodes Town and is reached on foot from the harbour area (Mandraki) and the modern town. Rhodes International (Diagoras) Airport is about a 20-25 minute drive to Rhodes Town (roughly 10-15 km) via the national road; ferries and cruise boats also arrive at Mandraki harbour next to the Old Town. Once in Rhodes Town you can walk into the medieval city from the quayside in a few minutes.

• Avoid midday, especially on cruise-ship days: early morning or after 5pm are far quieter for wandering the Old Town's main streets and ramparts.
• Enter from the harbor side (Mandraki) and walk inland along the harborside walls first; that approach gives a good introduction before the narrow, busier main streets get crowded.
• Turn off the main thoroughfares to explore the backstreets - the Jewish Quarter and small Ottoman-era sites are easy to miss but rewarding, with fewer visitors and more authentic atmosphere.