Of the Seven Wonders of the World, only the Giza Pyramids in Egypt remain, the others all lost in antiquity more than two millennia ago. I, like presumably most people, don't give those other six much thought (could you even tell me where the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was located?). But today, one of those ancient monuments is firmly front of mind.
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![The Lindos Acropolis. Picture Shutterstock The Lindos Acropolis. Picture Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/968470e3-1ff1-4158-b610-3811f24aacff.jpg/r0_18_1000_580_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Arriving into Rhodes by cruise, I wonder (bad pun intended) how different it would feel if the famed Colossus of Rhodes was still standing here. Thirty-five metres high, the enormous bronze statue representing the sun god Helios loomed over the water, greeting those who once sailed into this Ancient Greek port. Built in 282 BC, it was toppled by an earthquake only 56 years later, just its legend left to greet this sailor/cruiser.
Rhodes, the island, is only 17 kilometres off the coast of Turkey and is almost the easternmost part of Greece. While it's not one of the most popular islands for Australians, who tend to focus more on the Cyclades islands like Paros, Mykonos, and Santorini, there's a lot of tourism in Rhodes from sun-seeking northern Europeans. They tend to focus on the beaches - but I think it's the historic part of Rhodes Town that is the real highlight.
Past the thick fortified walls and deep into the heritage zone of the island's capital city, I soon forget about the Colossus of Rhodes because it's another colossal site that grabs my attention - the Palace of the Grand Master. This imposing fortress was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers who ruled here from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Through the interior of the palace, I climb the enormous stone staircase, explore grand reception halls, and study all the details in the lavishly decorated apartments.
![The Palace of the Grand Master. Picture Shutterstock The Palace of the Grand Master. Picture Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/f76fe8d1-114b-4d96-a041-6427e0e5d42c.jpg/r4_0_995_557_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Throughout much of history, Rhodes Town has been at the crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In particular, its position along important sea routes made it a focus for different civilisations vying for power in the Mediterranean Sea. From the Greeks to the Romans, the Byzantines to the Ottomans, so many cultures had periods of influence on the island of Rhodes and on the town itself. But none left more of a mark than the Knights Hospitallers, who settled here in the 14th century.
It was that era that has defined what you see today in the historic centre, considered to be one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The Knights Hospitallers expanded Rhodes, constructing a new area known as the high town, where you'll find not just the Palace of the Grand Master but also a fascinating archaeological museum housed in what was once a large medieval hospital, as well as a boulevard called the Street of the Knights. Here, where the different divisions of knights once had their inns, you can stroll along the cobblestones and feel transported back to the Middle Ages, surrounded by high brick walls of Gothic urbanism, metal gates, and protruding lanterns.
![The Street of the Knights. Picture Shutterstock The Street of the Knights. Picture Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/60b5b420-b0e2-44ce-afbd-8440b81dd4d3.jpg/r0_27_1000_589_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In the area known as the low town, with a layout surviving from the earliest years, I find myself disoriented in a warren of smaller alleyways, stumbling upon shops with displays of ceramics, lanterns, and carpets - a reminder of the proximity of influences from Turkish bazaars. I find ruins of churches, some from as early as the Byzantine Empire, and even, after a few twists and turns through the maze, I discover quiet shaded squares with neighbourhood tavernas set around a fountain. It's nice to know that right in the historic centre of Rhodes, it's still possible to get away from the tourist hordes.
The low town area is where you'll also find the Jewish Quarter, settled by Sephardic Jews who arrived from Spain in the 16th century. There were once six synagogues but just one, the Kahal Shalom Synagogue, remains and is worth seeing. As is Suleyman Mosque, built in 1522 to celebrate the Ottoman conquest of Rhodes and the expulsion of the Knights Hospitallers. With its minaret rising above most of the surrounding buildings, it's a good example of how the architecture has constantly evolved through the town's history, including the addition of Islamic styles.
![Hippocrates fountain at the Rhodes old town main square. Picture Shutterstock Hippocrates fountain at the Rhodes old town main square. Picture Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/93ad3105-26d2-433f-a374-95e238e27797.jpg/r0_53_1000_615_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Eventually, after hours of exploration (even though it's a relatively small area), I reach the walls that separate the old town from the new town. Partially built on Byzantine foundations, these huge fortifications were continuously expanded during the Middle Ages. Some of them are up to 12 metres thick with massive gates accessed by bridges over the now-dry moat. If you were to enter from this side of the historic centre, rather than through the narrower walls on the harbour side, you would be in no doubt about the grandeur of this great medieval power.
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But let's not forget there were other powers here before the Knights Hospitallers. The other most important historical site worth visiting on Rhodes is the Lindos Acropolis, about 50 kilometres from the city. Founded as early as the 10th century BC, the natural coastal citadel has sweeping views of the water from the remnants of various empires that have occupied it, from the marble and limestone of the Ancient Greek temples to the commanding fortifications of the Ottomans.
At one point on the drive out to the Lindos Acropolis, I spot a replica of the Colossus of Rhodes outside a cocktail bar. About four metres tall, it's just a fraction the size of the original, yet it is still an impressive sight. But I realise it's the first time I've thought about that famous statue since arriving in the harbour. I've been distracted by too many other wonders.
You can see more things to do in Rhodes Town on Michael Turtle's Time Travel Turtle website.