The Palace of the Grand Master

The Palace of the Grand Master

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights or Castello is standing proud in the northwestern part of the medieval city of Rhodes at the highest point of the castle and is probably the most important monument of the period of the knights. It creates feelings of awe to every visitor that comes and believe me there are many of them every year. At the point where is now built the palace, was standing the Acropolis of Ancient Rhodes and after that the Byzantium Acropolis of the 7th century.

But in the 14th century Rhodes was conquered by the Knights of St. Ioannis order. They were the ones that decided to rebuilt the Acropolis but not as it was but as a palace that except from the administrative center of the Knights and home to the Grand Master was going also to be headquarters of the ruling social and intellectual class of Rhodes.

When the island was conquered by the Ottomans, they used the half-destroyed (by the siege)palace as a prison. The final blow was struck in 1856 when after an explosion of ammunition (that was stored in the basement) the palace was totally destroyed.

When in 1912, Rhodes came to the Kingdom of Italy, the Italians rebuilt the palace in the period 1937-1940 under the supervision of the Italian commander of the Dodecanese de Vekki, giving it a medieval look and making it the office relevant of Italian commander of the island and summer residence of King Victor Emmanuel the Third and later Benito Mussolini, whose name is still a huge slab near the entrance. Unfortunately the construction altered many areas of the original palace, but still the effect is so impressive!

As it comes to the form that the palace has today, paying the little price ticket of 6 euros you can see everything inside. In the halls of the floor, the visitor can admire the mosaic floors that Italians brought mostly from secular and ecclesiastical buildings of the island in order to decorate the palace. Apart from the impressive mosaic, there are also columns and capitals, medieval furniture, mirrors, tables, kirostates and other items that complement the decor of the imposing edifice. A part of the ground floor of the palace, house a permanent exhibition entitled "The Rhodes from early times until the occupation by the Turks (1522). This includes several findings of excavations carried out in the Medieval City (pottery, sculptures detached wall paintings, icons, miniature works, etc.)

Don't you lose any chance to see this marvelous building closely. And if you have many days to pass in Rhodes you could pay a 10-euro ticket that opens the door to many sightseeings and museums in the ancient town...!!! So.. Have a great-''knight''-time!!!

The Aquarium of the town of Rhodes.

 The Aquarium of the town of Rhodes.
For our friends who love sea life and would love to be lost in a blue magic world for a little time the perfect place to be is the Aquarium in Rhodes! By the time you got there two statues of mermaids are there to welcome you and prepare you to feel the spirit of the sea creatures. Go down the stairs and enjoy yourself.

The building was constructed during the Italian domination of the island, in the years 1934-1936. From 1937 it was called «Reale Instituto di Ricerche Biologiche di Rodi», which means “Royal Research Institute of (Marine) Biology of Rhodes”. Since 1963 works as Aquarium - Museum called Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes operates as a standard research unit in the Mediterranean, and conducts research projects covering the full spectrum of Oceanography in the region of the Dodecanese. The building has been listed by the Greek State as historic building with conservation status.

Apart from research unit Aquarium serves as a showroom as in its purposes include the preservation and promotion of stuffed and live exhibits of marine Mediterranean area. Specificaly there are 28 tanks with living organisms. They all have

adequate filters and monitoring system that check physical and chemical parameters of water.

The nearly 200,000 visitors a year can admire in the basement of the building, the wealth of marine life. In the three rooms of the aquarium you can see anthozoa, molluscs, gastropods, crabs, sea urchins, cephalopods and marine turtles and great is the atmosphere created by the interior decoration, stone walls and low lighting. Extra interest is the collection housed on the ground floor and includes stuffed Aquarium marine mammals and large fish, shellfish, corals, and oceanographic instruments. There's also a very interesting video you can watch in the first room that contrasts characteristics of people(lazyness, naughtness) with scenes from the life of fish. Maybe this way it makes as feel as we really are. Equal to every other organism that walks (or swims) on earth and get us think less selfish.

The Aquarium of Rhodes is open daily from April 1 - October 31: 9:00 to 20:30 and from November 1 - March 31: 9:00 to 16:30. The general price of the tickt is about 5 euros.

 Aquarium

The Acropolis of Lindos- Goddess Athena church

The Acropolis of Lindos

There's no way you get to Rhodes and not go to see the ''alternative'' Acropolis in Lindos. By the time you arrive at the top of the hill Acropolis stands so proud, you'll feel that ancient breeze take your mind away.

The Acropolis of Lindos is located on the southeastern side of Rhodes 55 klm away from the town, on the first foothill Marmari and includes the ruins of a temple of Athena of Lindos, the Acropolis' castle and the relief of "Triimiolias'. Especially the temple that we are gonna talk about today is said to exist since the 4th BC century. The temple of Athena Lindos, is an oblong tetrastyle amphiprostyle church. Initially at the position of the church there was only one altar, and later built a simple nave. And then in the 6th century they built the temple of Kleovoulos which destroyed by fire in the 4th BC. According to archaeologists, it was gold and ivory statue of the goddess, like the Parthenon in Athens, not preserved today.

Bellow are some pictures that will transfer you only a littlle from the magic, till i come back to write about the acropolis castle.. Enjoy your journey.......

The Acropolis of Lindos

Smells already summer in Rhodes...

Smells already summer in Rhodes.

Rhodes is one of the biggest islands in greece. It is said to be the island of Knights because of it's history and has developed a strong civilization over the years. As we know from history the island Rhodes has been the capital of the medieval aristocracy.




The Medieval Town of Rhodes is the result of different architectures belonging to various historic eras, predominantly those of the Knights of St. John. As a result of the large variety of different people who settled on the island there are many impressive and magnificent monuments that are worth visiting. Let's start our journey to a magic destination. The island of Rhodes!!!

I Hope the photos below are going to make you look forward for the articles of the monuments and give you a taste of rhodes. Every island in greece one way or another is full of sun, and wonderfull smell of the sea breeze mixed with a saltness tha will never leave from your lips once you taste it...

Smells already summer in Rhodes