Join Thor and me as we revisit the Medieval walled city and the harbor of Rhodos Old Town, still bustling after 2500 years of rich history.
NOTE: Since our recent trip to Greece to research more settings for my novel-in-progress, THE ARIADNE DISCONNECT, Thor and I knew we had to return to this magical region. My first entry in this new blog series posted here on Saturday, 10/20/2018. It gives an overview of our rambles from Athens to seven islands in the Dodecanese and Cyclades groups, ending our ferry-hopping pilgrimage on the anciently sacred island of Delos.
The island of Rhodos has been inhabited since Neolithic times, with significant history for at least 2400 years. Since the island lies on major traditional shipping routes connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, its culture and architecture have been a fusion of influences from those regions. Rhodos Town was established around 408 BC in the Classical Greece era, with ruins of temples within the Medieval walls and outside on an acropolis. The Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue reputed to stand 100-130 feet tall and one of the wonders of the ancient world, was erected near the harbor to celebrate Rhodian victory over the Macedonians in 305 BC. (It was made from the melted weapons of the besiegers.) It almost certainly did not straddle the harbor entrance, as portrayed in popular images, and sadly was toppled by an earthquake in 227 BC. Apparently it took 900 camels eventually to cart away the scattered remnants of the statue, which were melted down to make coins.
The entrance to the harbor today (top photo) is guarded by the town’s signature stag and doe atop high columns. Antique windmills used to catch the sea breezes:
After the Romans conquered the island, Rhodes became part of the Byzantine Empire and continued as an important trading center. Eventually the Knights of St. John, Crusaders who had guarded the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, bought the island from a Genoese pirate and relocated to the site of the current town. They built the massive walls with fortifications and held the island from 1306 to 1522, when the Ottoman Turks seized control. Venetians later had their day, so the town today features buildings with these many influences. Mosques and churches share the space.
Old Town is surrounded by moats and 2.5 miles of Medieval walls, some of the best-preserved in the world. Eleven gates pierce the thick stone walls.
The moats now have paths and greenery, along with old cannon balls still ready to repel invaders:
One of the major attractions is the Palace of the Grand Master, the fortress-within-a-fortress that was the last defense of the Knights before they fell to the Turks. It was badly damaged, but was restored by the Fascist Italians who controlled the island in the early 1900s.
The Italians took many beautiful Hellenistic mosaics from the nearby island of Kos to decorate the palace floors, including the famous Medusa mosaic. The mythical Gorgon had hair of snakes, and even a glimpse of her would turn a person to stone.
Also in the palace is a life-size marble reproduction of the stunning Laocoon sculpture now in the Vatican, where Thor and I saw it a few years ago. The original was created by three Rhodian sculptors in the 1st century B.C.
Next week we’ll continue our ramble along the Old Town cobbled lanes, as well as sites along the harbor.
If you’d like more details and photos of Rhodos Old Town, see blog posts of my previous trip posted Nov. 11 & 18 and Dec. 2, 2017
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Cafe is available in print and ebook: The Ariadne Connection. It’s a near-future thriller set in the Greek islands. “Technology triggers a deadly new plague. Can a healer find the cure?” The novel has received the Chanticleer Global Thriller Grand Prize and the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. Sara has recently returned from another research trip in Greece and is back at work on the sequel, The Ariadne Disconnect. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
The Laocoon is my favorite sculpture of all time. Sara forgot to mention the incredible deal I got from a street vendor in Rhodes Town; a Rolex watch with a yellow plastic band for five euros.
Yes, I also love the amazing Laocoon. Seeing it in person takes your breath away. Thor didn’t tell you about the meltdown I had at the Vatican when our guide ushered off the premises before I got to see that statue (the original from Rhodes). Thor said, “take a deep breath, then took me for beer and pizza, and then we bought more tickets to get back in and see the amazing collections the “guide” had steered us away from! And, yes, the yellow plastic Rolex from Rhodes was amazing — lasted the whole trip until Thor tried to reset the time back home…
Thor added this comment on the Book View Cafe copy, but it didn’t make it to this copy:
“Sara’s meltdowns are usually remedied by food and some liquid. I am a father after all and know my way around meltdowns. And yes, when I got home and tried to change the time on my watch the stem came out. I guess even Rolex makes a lemon now and then.”