Rhodes' Old Town bears many legacies from its Ottoman past. Many churches were converted to mosques during the Turkish era, and even more Muslim houses of worship were built from scratch, although most are now dilapidated. The most important is the pink-domed Mosque of Süleyman, beautifully located at the top of Sokratous. Built in 1522 to commemorate the Ottoman defeat of the knights, it was renovated in 1808, but sadly is not open to visitors.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.3 MILES
A short, steep-stepped footpath climbs the rocky 116m-high headland above the village to reach Lindos’ beautifully preserved Acropolis. First fortified in…
0.18 MILES
A weathered, sun-kissed stone lion, visible from the street, invites visitors into the magnificent 15th-century Knights' Hospital that holds Rhodes’…
18.43 MILES
Cradled in a natural hillside amphitheatre 1km up from the sea, the remarkably complete ruins of ancient Kamiros stand 34km southwest of Rhodes Town…
0.13 MILES
Essentially an occupying army, the Knights of St John transformed the northern segment of the Old Town during the 14th and 15th centuries, to create what…
0.12 MILES
From the outside, this magnificent castle-like palace looks much as it did when erected by the 14th-century Knights Hospitaller. During the 19th century,…
0.13 MILES
Austere and somewhat forbidding, the Street of the Knights (Ippoton) was home from the 14th century to the Knights Hospitaller who ruled Rhodes. The…
0.08 MILES
The Old Town’s central commercial and residential district, south of the Street of the Knights, is known as the Hora. Having acquired its current…
11.63 MILES
The so-called Valley of the Butterflies, 7km up from the west coast, and 32km southwest of Rhodes Town, is a major day-trip destination for package…
Nearby Rhodes Town attractions
0.02 MILES
This peaceful little library, founded in 1793, sits in an inviting little garden courtyard opposite the Mosque of Süleyman. Visitors can only enter the…
2. Modern Greek Art Museum – Old Almshouse
0.02 MILES
In a prime location at the upper end of the Old Town, this small adjunct to the four-part Modern Greek Art Museum is easily mistaken for the entrance to…
0.02 MILES
Commanding the highest point in the Old Town, this sturdy clocktower offers a tremendous panorama. Dating originally from the 7th century, it was damaged…
0.08 MILES
The Old Town’s central commercial and residential district, south of the Street of the Knights, is known as the Hora. Having acquired its current…
0.09 MILES
Halfway up the Street of the Knights, the Inn of Spain is the largest inn of all. Its two connected wings were built under Grand Master Antoine Fluvian …
0.09 MILES
Four coats of arms on the Inn of Provence form the shape of a cross. After Rhodes fell to the Ottomans, the building became a hammam (Turkish bath), while…
0.09 MILES
This towering mosque, facing the Old Town's Great Hammam (Turkish baths), was completed in 1765.
0.09 MILES
Behind its plain exterior, this 500-year-old Ottoman bathhouse is spectacular, with a finely wrought star-pierced ceiling that allows light to radiate…