The basic history of the Knights of St John: They were formed to aid pilgrims arriving in the Holy Land - initially they operated a hospital in Jerusalem. At the start of the First Crusade in 1099, they became a military order. When the Crusaders lost the Holy Land, the Knights conquered Rhodes in 1309, so as to continue the conflict with the Muslims. They fought off Muslim sieges in 1444 and 1480, but surrendered the island after an epic siege in 1522 and moved to Malta. They were victorious in another epic siege by the Muslims in 1565. This marked the end of the Muslim advance west in the Mediterranean. The Knights of St John eventually transformed into the St John's Ambulance in modern times.
The Old Town walls, dating from 1330, are 4km long and up to 12m thick. There are 11 gates into the city. Below is a pic of part of the walls and of Gail at the Amboise Gate (or Grand Masters Gate).
The Palace of the Grand Master is a fortress within a fortress and dominates the medieval citadel. It was the nerve centre of the Knights' administration on the island, and the last refuge for the population in times of danger. See pics below of the Palace exterior and some of its towers.
The Palace is build around a marble tiled courtyard. Its rooms have some priceless mosiacs from sites on the island of Kos, and houses exhibitions about ancient and medieval Rhodes. The pics below show a Hellenistic mosiac of the mythical Medusa, and the Chamber with Colonnades.
One of the town's most famous sites is the medieval Street of the Knights, which goes from the Palace of the Grand Masters down to the harbour. It is lined with the Inns of the Tongues (or nationalities) of the Order of St John, each with its coat of arms set in the wall. The Knights would muster in this street in times of attack. See pic of Don in this street and the coat of arms of the Inn of France.
The squares and streets of the Old Town are lined with restaurants and shops selling leather goods, linens and other souvenirs. See pic of Gail at the medieval fountain on Hippocrates Square, and a street of shops.
The Marine Gate with its twin towers is the main entrance into the Old Town from the harbour, which these days is full of boats and usually a large cruise ship or two.
In ancient times, Rhodes was famous for having one of the Seven Wonders of the World at its harbour - the Colossus of Rhodes (a huge statue of Helios the sun god).
We took a bus south to Lindos for a day. It is a popular tourist destination, with its little white houses, Crusader castle and acropolis dramatically overlooking the sea. The narrow cobbled streets of Lindos village are full of tavernas, restaurants and shops selling ceramics, linen and lacework and other souvenirs. The pics below show a linen shop, ceramics and the restaurant where we had lunch.
Walking along the winding lanes, you see the traditional Lindian doorways, like these examples below.
The acropolis at Lindos is perched 125m above the village. On it are the ruins of the 4th century BC Temple of Lindian Athena, one of the most sacred sites in the ancient world. In the 13th century AD, the Knights of St John built battlements much higher than the original walls. The pics below are a view of the acropolis and Gail among the ancient ruins.
On the way up to the acropolis, you get a great view over the roof tops of the village and also of lovely Lindos Bay.
Also on the path up to the acropolis are a number of women selling the lace for which Lindos is renowned. Their lovely tablecloths etc are laid out on the rocks and dirt, as in the pic below.
Traffic is banned in the village and donkeys carry people up to the acropolis. We decided to walk instead.
St Paul's Bay at Lindos is where the apostle landed in AD 43, bringing Christianity to Rhodes. It is an almost enclosed cove with azure waters and a white chapel dedicated to St Paul.
Next update will start on Ireland.
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