Fortifications of Rhodes, Rhodes (must see)

The first and most defining feature of Rhodes’ Old Town is its system of fortified walls. Extending for roughly four kilometers, these massive defenses were designed to protect the city from invading powers and corsairs who controlled the Mediterranean and Aegean sea routes during the Middle Ages. Long considered among the strongest fortifications of their time, the walls ultimately fell to the Ottoman forces in 1522 after a prolonged siege.

Much of the fortification visible today reflects the extensive strengthening carried out by the Knights Hospitaller in the late 15th century, particularly in anticipation of the siege of 1480. Building on earlier Byzantine defenses, the Knights transformed the city into a highly sophisticated fortified complex. The walls were divided into distinct sectors, each maintained by one of the Order’s langues, or national divisions, a system that shaped both construction and defense strategies.

The circuit includes an intricate combination of curtain walls, bastions, towers, gates, and a broad defensive moat. Several gates survive, each differing in form and scale according to its function and period of construction. At certain times of day: at sunrise, or after dark when the walls are illuminated, the stonework takes on a dramatic presence that emphasizes both its scale and craftsmanship.

Sections of the fortifications are accessible to visitors, including portions of the ramparts and selected towers, offering insight into medieval military engineering and daily defensive life. Access points and ticketing vary depending on the area, and some sections are reached independently rather than through a single entrance.