As Crete fashions itself the home of the first great European culture (the Minoans), Rhodes argues it is the oldest, continuously inhabited medieval European city. That’s a lot to unpack, but it is (1) ancient, (2) continuous for twenty-four centuries, and (3) medieval in charm. Rhodes was of course famous in antiquity for the Colossus, a Statue of Liberty-sized personification of the Sun God Helios which was either (1) astride the harbor, (2) next to the harbor, or (3) nowhere near the harbor. The statue had a reflective bronze shell, but no one knows exactly what it looked like. It was so tremendous that it was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, even though it only stood for fifty-four years!
Yes, it collapsed in an earthquake not long after completion, and the locals consulted an oracle who told them not to rebuild it. The ruin itself became an ancient tourist attraction for eight hundred years, until an Arab Muslim army took the island in 653 AD and–not liking graven images–carved it up for coins and bullets.
Rhodes’ second shot at fame was during the Crusader era, when it became an important island fortress/rest-stop on the pilgrim path to the Holy Land. The Knights Hospitaller fortified the city, managed it, and held it for over two hundred years, until they were ejected by Suleiman the Great and landed back in Malta. During this formative period the knights built castles and redoubts around the island and greatly fortified the main city and port. These structures largely remain to the present day, giving the old town of Rhodes its distinctly medieval charm.
Outside ramparts 
Inner ramparts
However, the most striking single complex, the Palace of the Grand Master (of the Order of the Hospitallers) is a reconstruction, but a strikingly well-done one at that. Under Ottoman rule, the palace was used as a prison and storehouse, and gradually collapsed due to neglect. When the Italian government of Benito Mussolini was given administrative control of the island in the 1930s, they carefully restored the palace to its original state, and even imported a series of masterful floor mosaics from the nearby island of Kos to adorn it. While the movement of antiquities is generally frowned upon, this move saved the mosaics and gave future generations the ability to see two amazing attractions at the same time.
Grand exterior 
grand entrance 
saving the mosaics 
The Master’s chambers
The old city does have a few too many touristy shops, but even those cannot diminish the charm of the winding stone streets, the complex mesh of styles, the breastworks and cannons and enormous walls. Turning a corner, you’ll spot an intact Basilica from the Byzantine era, or the Mosque of Suleiman the Great, the original Knight’s Order Hospital (now the Archaeological museum), or the quintessential Knight’s street, where the different nationalities of the Hospitallers kept separate national “inns” where they soldiers could stay and gather together with countrymen.
The original “hospital” 
The mosque 
England’s albergue 
just our hotel entrance
Way back when, why such reverence for the Sun God in Rhodes? Over three hundred days of complete sunshine a year, usually only interrupted by a few, brief rain showers at any time! Regardless of when you visit, you’ll enjoy great weather without the crowds normally associated with a tourist hot-spot, as Rhodes is still a small town that doesn’t attract (as many) of the jet-setters (Santorini), beach lovers (Mykonos), or those interested in antiquities (Knossos). The island of Rhodes has much more to offer, but with only three days, we limited ourselves to the old city this visit.
Rhodes was probably our favorite stop, and clearly merits more time!