Gates and Walls Tour (Self Guided), Rhodes

Owing to its geographical location, as a gateway to the Aegean Sea, Rhodes has always had a vantage position on trade routes between the West and the East – well protected against both foreign invaders and corsairs sailing the Mediterranean waters. The early defense system of Rhodes dates back as far as the 4th century BC.

Starting the Middle Ages – the year 1309, when the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John captured the island, these fortifications took the shape of a crescent, enhanced by the knights using the existing Byzantine walls.

The medieval walled city of Rhodes has been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1988. All together, this huge complex covers a distance of four kilometers and includes 11 gates, some of which are open to the public. Among the key highlights here are:

Eleftherias (Liberty) Gate – one of the Old Town's main entrances, built and named by the Italians in 1924 after “liberating” the island from the Ottoman rule in WWI.

Temple of Aphrodite – reminder of the splendors of ancient Greece; built in the 3rd century BC.

Tarsanas (Arsenal) Gate – the former passage through which the knights brought their weaponry into the citadel.

Arnaldo Gate – provides access to the former hospital of Saint John, now home to the Archaeological Museum.

Marine Gate – one of the medieval strongholds, situated near to the water; hence the name.

St. Anthony's Gate – aka the Saint Francis Gate; named after the nearby Saint Francis Church.

D'Amboise Gate – an imposing structure adjacent to The Palace Of The Grand Masters.

To explore these and other historic gates, towers and walls of one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe in more detail, take this self-guided walk.