Medieval City of Rhodes
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How it came to be
Rhodes is the largest island of the Dodecanese. The Knights of St John, who had lost Acre, their last stronghold in Palestine, in 1291, took Rhodes in 1309 and held it until 1523. The medieval city lies within walls about 4 km long.
The upper town to the north was built entirely by the Knights. The order was divided into seven tongues by origin, each with its own inn, and the inns of Italy, France, Spain and Provence line the Street of the Knights. The Great Hospital was built between 1440 and 1489.
Sieges by the Sultan of Egypt in 1444 and by Mehmed II in 1480 failed, but in 1522 Suleiman took the city after about six months. Many churches then became mosques, and mosques and baths were added in the lower town. Major buildings were reconstructed during Italian rule after 1912. The city was inscribed in 1988.
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