History of Rhodes

The union of the three city-states

Before Rhodes city existed, Lindos, Kamiros and Ialysos were separate city-states, each with its own political system. Their union brought them together, with a new capital on the island’s northern tip. That is the key to understanding 408 BC: existing communities joined together, rather than settlers arriving on an empty island.

The new city’s harbour gave it a strong position for sea trade and naval activity. Rhodes developed into an important trading and cultural centre, attracting merchants, scholars and travellers. Its foundation was a turning point in how the island was organised.

If you want to connect these names with somewhere you can visit, explore Ancient Kamiros. It helps you look beyond Rhodes Town and understand that the island’s history also belongs to its older cities.

The new city's Hippodamian plan

Rhodes city followed the Hippodamian system of town planning. In plain English, this means a planned grid, with streets crossing at right angles to form regular blocks. Think of an organised street layout rather than lanes developing little by little.

The name describes the planning system; it is not a reason to credit Hippodamus personally with designing Rhodes. The important point is that the new capital had a deliberate layout from the start.

For a connection with the ancient city, I’d start with the Acropolis of Rhodes at Monte Smith. It suits you if you want to understand Rhodes beyond its medieval walls. Keep the two periods separate: the city founded in 408 BC came long before the Knights and the Old Town buildings you see today.

Rhodes after the city's foundation

By the Hellenistic period, Rhodes city was already established. Its harbour supported trade, naval power and connections across the eastern Mediterranean.

This was the world of rival kingdoms that followed Alexander the Great. Rhodes successfully resisted the siege of Demetrius Poliorcetes in 305–304 BC, defending its independence against a powerful opponent.

The useful thread to remember is trade, wealth and political pressure. This chapter of Rhodes history comes before the Roman period, and long before the medieval city of the Knights.

Historical images and the ancient city

The Colossus often dominates pictures of ancient Rhodes, but an imaginative illustration cannot show you how the city actually looked. Keep that distinction in mind when using historical artwork to picture the harbour and streets.

Image caption: An imaginative illustration of the Colossus of Rhodes, not a reconstruction of ancient Rhodes.

For a connection with the ancient city, I’d choose the Acropolis of Rhodes at Monte Smith. Its ancient remains and sea views give you a landscape to explore beyond the illustration.

Keep the wider timeline in mind as you plan: ancient Rhodes and medieval Rhodes belong to different chapters. Use the Rhodes Island Guide to fit historical stops into the rest of your holiday.

• Social-image description: An imaginative depiction of the Colossus of Rhodes; this artwork is not a reconstruction of the ancient city.

Rhodes under Roman rule

Under Roman rule, Rhodes remained a centre of education and trade, keeping more independence than many other regions. Romans valued its schools of philosophy, navigation and rhetoric—the art of persuasive speaking.

Trade continued to support the island, while new buildings and public works added to the city. Early Christian communities also appeared during this period, before Christianity became central to Byzantine life.

If you want more than a walk past ruins, I'd combine sightseeing with a museum visit. Explore the museums in Rhodes to choose where to look more closely at the island’s different historical periods.

Byzantine Rhodes and its walls

After the Roman Empire divided, Rhodes became part of its eastern half, known as the Byzantine Empire. Churches and monastic traditions developed, while fortifications helped defend the island and the eastern Aegean.

Pirate attacks threatened coastal communities, and many settlements moved inland for safety. Defence therefore shaped more than the capital: it also influenced where people lived across the island.

The key connection with the medieval city is its walls. Much of the Old Town’s early defensive layout took shape during the late Byzantine period. The Knights later enlarged those existing defences rather than starting with an unfortified city.

Keep that earlier layer in mind when you explore Rhodes Old Town. Its familiar medieval appearance belongs to a longer story, with Byzantine foundations beneath the Knights’ later changes.

The Knights Hospitaller arrive in 1309

The Knights Hospitaller, Knights of Saint John and Knights of Rhodes all refer to the same order here. They settled in 1309, taking over a city that already had Byzantine fortifications.

Their arrival marked a major change in the city’s role and appearance. Rhodes became a key stronghold against the Ottoman Empire, and strengthening its defences became central to the Knights’ work.

Expanding the Byzantine defences

The Knights did not build the fortified city from nothing. They expanded the existing Byzantine walls and added substantial defensive works, including towers and gates.

Think of these features as parts of one defensive system, not simply impressive stone landmarks. The walls enclosed the city, while its towers and gateways helped protect it and control entry.

These defences faced real attacks: the Knights repelled an Ottoman siege in 1480. That history gives the walls more meaning when you walk beside them. Their scale served a military purpose, not just the grand appearance that draws travellers today.

Understanding the medieval city

The Knights gave Rhodes much of its strong medieval character, but Old Town contains several historical layers. Earlier Byzantine work, later Ottoman additions and Italian-era restoration all contribute to what survives.

The Medieval City of Rhodes became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is also still lived in, so you are exploring a neighbourhood as well as a historic fortified city.

I’d make time for the streets as well as the major monuments. Stone lanes, arches and courtyards help you understand the city beyond individual buildings. For walking and sightseeing details, explore Rhodes Old Town.

This is a rewarding stop if you enjoy understanding history through the streets around you. If you prefer a focused visit, choose a short walk rather than trying to cover every lane. You can fit it into your wider holiday using the Rhodes Island Guide.

The Order's administrative centre

The Palace of the Grand Master served as the administrative centre of the Order of the Knights of Saint John. These were the Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Knights of St. John. Think of the palace as the centre of their organisation, not simply an impressive fortress.

That role helps explain a side of the Knights that their walls and towers cannot show alone. Defence was only part of their story: the Order also needed an administration. Looking at the palace with that in mind makes it more than a backdrop for photographs.

Inside, the first floor contains mosaic floors from monuments elsewhere on Rhodes and a collection of medieval furniture. For tickets, opening hours, exhibition availability and detailed access advice, see the Palace of the Grand Master.

Inns organised by language

The Street of the Knights housed inns for the Order’s language groups, known as “langues”. These buildings make an important point: the Knights were not one uniform national group. Their organisation brought together members with different languages.

Read the street as part of that organisation, rather than simply a row of medieval buildings. The separate inns show the language-based groups; the palace represents their shared administrative centre. This contrast helps you understand how the Order was structured.

This pairing particularly suits you if you want to understand the Knights beyond their battles and fortifications. If you mainly want a relaxed Old Town wander, keep the distinction in mind without planning a detailed interior visit. You can fit both landmarks into a wider day using the Rhodes Town planning advice.

Capitulation to Suleiman in 1522

The surrender of Rhodes in 1522 marked the change from rule by the Knights Hospitaller to Ottoman government. The Knights left the island, and Rhodes became part of the Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman rule lasted until 1912. That long period matters when you explore the city: its history did not stop with the Knights.

Rhodes after the Knights

The Ottomans kept much of the existing medieval city while adding buildings for worship, bathing and everyday life. Rather than replacing the Knights’ city entirely, they added another layer to it.

The Greek Orthodox community remained active, maintaining churches and traditions during Ottoman rule. Rhodes developed a mix of Byzantine, Gothic and Ottoman influences that you can still see in Old Town.

My suggestion: explore beyond the Knights’ main landmarks when you plan your walk through Rhodes Old Town. Look at the houses, balconies and smaller streets as well as the fortifications. This is still a lived-in city, not simply a medieval monument.

For the wider cultural picture, explore Rhodes’ folklore and local traditions alongside its buildings. The island’s story includes the communities who continued living here through each change of rule.

• Mosques added new places of worship to the city.
• Hammams, or public baths, and fountains became part of the urban setting.
• Wooden balconies and new residential quarters changed the appearance of its streets.

Italian occupation and the changing city

Italy took control of Rhodes in 1912 during the Italo-Turkish War. The occupation brought new administrative buildings, paved roads, an expanded Mandraki harbour and tourism infrastructure. Restoration work also changed how parts of the medieval city looked.

Around Mandraki and the New Town, you can still see Italian-era buildings with Art Deco and Neoclassical influences. These streets help explain why Rhodes looks different from many other Greek islands. The Italian legacy is not confined to monuments: it also shaped the city beyond the walls.

My suggestion: combine the palace with a walk around Mandraki rather than keeping your whole visit inside the Old Town. You’ll see both sides of this period—restoration of older landmarks and construction of newer buildings. For fitting that walk into your holiday, explore the Rhodes Town planning advice.

The palace restoration in the 1930s

The Palace of the Grand Master served as the administrative centre of the Order of the Knights of Saint John. That medieval role is separate from the restoration carried out during Italian occupation in the 1930s. Keeping those two periods apart makes the building much easier to understand.

What you see today is neither an untouched medieval palace nor an entirely modern building without medieval history. Its present appearance reflects later restoration as well as its earlier role. A visit therefore connects you with both the Knights’ rule and the Italian period.

This makes the palace especially interesting if you enjoy seeing how historic buildings change over time. If you expect every room to survive exactly as the Knights left it, adjust that expectation before entering. Find admission details, seasonal hours and exhibition information on the Palace of the Grand Master visitor page.

Reading the palace interiors

The first floor contains mosaic floors brought from monuments on the island and a collection of medieval furniture. These are worth looking at separately from the restored rooms around them. An object’s age and origin are not necessarily the same as those of its current setting.

For a clearer visit, keep three things in mind as you walk through the interiors. This helps you appreciate what is there without imagining every display as an unchanged room used by the Knights.

• Medieval purpose: the palace was the Order’s administrative centre, not simply a grand residence.
• Restored setting: the 1930s work is part of the building’s history and its appearance today.
• Displayed collections: the first-floor mosaics come from monuments on Rhodes, alongside a collection of medieval furniture.

Rhodes joins Greece in 1948

The union of 1948 remains a celebrated turning point in local history. It marks Rhodes becoming part of the modern Greek state, not the beginning of Greek culture on the island. Greek communities, Orthodox churches and local traditions had continued through earlier periods of foreign rule.

In the decades that followed, tourism became a major part of island life, alongside the protection of historic places. Today, Rhodes is a Greek island where earlier rulers’ buildings remain part of the everyday streetscape. Joining Greece added a new chapter without erasing the older ones.

UNESCO recognition in 1988

The Medieval City of Rhodes became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. That recognition applies to the Medieval City, commonly called the Old Town—not the whole island.

Its importance goes beyond a single palace or street. The walls, inns, churches, mosques and homes preserve several periods of the city’s history together. You can plan a walk through these layers with what to see in Rhodes Old Town.

The Old Town is also still lived in. Give yourself time to notice the streets between the main sights, rather than making your visit only a list of monuments.

History beyond the monuments

Rhodes’ story continues in its communities, religious life and local traditions. If you want more than dates and buildings, I’d leave room for village life alongside the major sights. Use the Rhodes Island Guide to fit both into your holiday.

Explore Rhodes folklore and local traditions for that living side of the island. Legends belong to its storytelling culture, rather than the timeline of historical events. They help you understand how people remember and celebrate Rhodes, beyond what survives in stone.

Choose ancient sites or medieval streets

For the Knights of Rhodes, start with the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master. The street’s inns were organised by language, while the palace was the Order’s administrative centre. Remember that the palace you see today also reflects restoration during Italian rule in the 1930s.

If ancient remains interest you more than medieval buildings, choose the Acropolis of Rhodes at Monte Smith. Its ancient stadium and sea views make it a good alternative to an Old Town walk. For statues, inscriptions and smaller objects, consider the Archaeological Museum among the museums in Rhodes.

• Medieval streets: best if you want to explore historic buildings, gates and walls on foot.
• Ancient sites: better if temples, ruins and the island’s early cities are your main interest.
• Museum collections: a useful choice if you prefer objects and displays to walking between scattered ruins.

Keep a short visit focused

With limited time, I’d stay in the Medieval City rather than squeeze Lindos and Kamiros into the same outing. Make the Street of the Knights and palace your main stops, then leave room to wander. The Old Town walking suggestions can help you choose what to add.

Suleymaniye Mosque and the Roloi Clock Tower add other landmarks to your walk. If you would rather continue towards the waterfront, choose Mandraki for its Italian-era buildings, windmills and views of St. Nicholas Fortress.

If you want help arranging your historical visits, explore the Rhodes Booking Marketplace. Choose your main historical interest first, so the help you arrange matches the visit you actually want.

Explore more of the island

Give Lindos Acropolis or Ancient Kamiros a separate outing rather than adding both to a short city visit. Lindos, Kamiros and Ialysos were the three city-states whose union preceded the founding of Rhodes city. Ancient Ialysos is another option if that earlier island history interests you.

I'd compare car rental prices and local deals if you want to explore several historical places beyond the city. If you prefer not to organise the transport yourself, compare historical day trips by their actual stops and inclusions.

Use the Rhodes Island Guide to fit these outings around the rest of your holiday. Keep detailed admission and access planning with each attraction, rather than building your whole route around a long list of names.

Arrange your arrival and personal help

If you prefer to arrange your arrival before you fly, you can book Rhodes airport transfers. Keep that journey separate from your sightseeing plans, especially when your arrival day leaves little time to explore.

If you'd rather discuss your plans directly, contact G.E.S Travel on WhatsApp. Mention where you are staying, how much time you have and which historical places matter most to you.