Murat Reis Mosque, Rhodes

Just north of the National Theatre, the distinctive bulbous-topped minaret of the Murad Reis Mosque, one of the island's oldest, stands prominently. Built shortly after the Ottoman conquest in 1523, the mosque was constructed on the site of the former Saint Anthony's Church, next to the cemetery of the Knights. Its ornate minaret has long been a local landmark from which the call to prayer has resonated for centuries. Although the façade was renovated in 2008, it has retained its historical charm.

Visitors can glimpse through the wrought-iron railings to see the exquisitely carved (albeit somewhat neglected) headstones in the old cemetery, which is one of the few areas that the Italians did not alter during their extensive remodeling of the island.

The mosque is closely tied to its historical figure, Murad Reis, one of Suleiman the Magnificent's most successful naval commanders, who died during the 1522 siege of Rhodes. He is entombed within the circular mausoleum, a site that sailors have visited for centuries seeking blessings for good fortune at sea. Interestingly, in his later years, Murad Reis was relieved of his naval command by the Ottoman Sultan due to what was considered his overly sarcastic poetry.

The city's Muslim Cemetery is conveniently located nearby.