Turkish Cemetery, Rhodes

The Turkish Cemetery is located right next door to the beautiful and ancient Murat Reis Mosque in Rhodes New Town. There are 378 Turkish tombs at the cemetery and wandering around admiring the ambiance of the mosque next door and the highly ornate and decorative tombs gives you some real insight into the Ottoman rule on the island for hundreds of years. One of the most important tombs at the site is that of Murat Reis, after whom the mosque is named. He was a famous Turkish naval commander and corsair under the Ottoman Empire. The cemetery dates from the 16th century around the same time that the mosque was constructed.

Many of the tombs are in a bad state of repair and require renovation or support to ensure that this important cultural site is maintained for future generations. Following World War II, famous author of the Bloomsbury set, Lawrence Durrell spent time living in a home within the Turkish Cemetery and his experiences of the island are recounted in Reflections on a Marine Venus. When touring the New Town, a visit to the Turkish Cemetery to indulge in some history as well as to escape the heat under the shady eucalyptus trees is highly recommended.