Suleyman Mosque

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Mosque of Süleyman

Rhodes Town


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.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Rhodes Town attractions

1. Muslim Library

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…

3. Roloi Clock Tower

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…

4. Hora

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…

5. Inn of Spain

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 …

6. Inn of Provence

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…

7. Mustafa Mosque

0.09 MILES

This towering mosque, facing the Old Town's Great Hammam (Turkish baths), was completed in 1765.

8. Great Hammam

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…