Mosque of Murad Reis & Cemetery

On the edge of the new town just past the Mandraki is the mosque of Murad Reis and the Turkish cemetery. The cemetery is a very charming area with its shady eucalyptus trees and run down feel. The famous admiral, or some would say pirate, head of the ships in Sulyeman the Magnificent's navy is buried in this little corner of Rhodes.

On the edge of the cemetery is a small unprepossessing building called The Villa Cleobus, where Lawrence Durrell wrote 'Reflections on a Marine Venus'.

Sulyeman Mosque

A walk up Socrates street in the Old Town is something every visitor will do. But we suggest you look beyond the tourist shops and trappings, and look at the buildings themselves. There is a great deal of Turkish influence in many of the buildings, an unused mosque half way up is very pretty with a marble fountain next to it set on the wall. The Turkish coffee shop is still as wonderful as ever with its old door and windows. As you look towards the top of the street you see Suleyman Mosque aka the Red Mosque-for obvious reasons!

Castles

Rhodes has several castles around the island, but non that compare to the Palace of the Grand Master within Rhodes old town walls.

Ancient Kamiros

On the north-western side of Rhodes lies the ancient Dorian city of Kamiros. Along with Iaylssos, and Lindos these three rich cities formed the city state of Rhodes. The city was destroyed by earthquakes in 226BC and by a second one in 142BC.
The site is extremely large, set into the hillside with sweeping views over the sea. Today it is more or less foundations that remain but it is an attractive site to visit.

Acropolis of Lindos

One thing the ancient Greeks knew how to do, was pick the best sites for their temples, and the Acropolis at Lindos is no exception!
On the pinnacle of the hill sits the partly restored Temple of Athena Lindia from around 300BC.
This position overlooking the beautiful bay of Lindos was a natural choice for a castle, and the fortified walls have been used successively over the years by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusader Knights and finally the Ottomans. The walls are still very impressive, although out of several towers only one remains.

Acropolis & Stadium

Up above the town on Monte Smith is the Acropolis and Stadium. This is also the disputed site for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world. There is no concrete evidence of where the Colossus actually stood but romantically it is featured in drawings straddling the entrance to Mandraki harbour, and believe it or not, much to their disappointment, tourists still make the pilgrimage to see it!

The Old Town & Moat

The Old Town of Rhodes still holds a great deal of charm, and was rightfully selected as a World Heritage site. Within the walls there are numerous streets and squares to explore and discover ancient ruins, churches, mosques, to view a way of life and maybe get a glimpse into garden courtyards.

Turtle Watching

It is such a pleasure to sit at one of the harbourside cafes and watch the giant Turtles swim by.
They have been back in the area for several years now and it still amazing to see them swim by right in the harbour.
How many there are is unsure but numbers are growing.

Walking in Kastellorizo

The Island has several good walks, mainly up into the mountains, which is well worth the trek.
From the top of the whitewashed steps it is possible to walk towards the radio towers and then over to the Acropolis and back down the airport road into the village.
Alternatively head in the opposite direction towards the Mandraki and cross the high plateau known as Avlonia then back down the secret steps {difficult to find} or convenient goat track down to the Mandraki.

A very handy little book called Capture Kastelorizo by Marina Pitsonis has several good walks mapped out around the island.

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