The medieval city We enter the medieval city through the Gate of Freedom , which is near the New Market. In the first square we come upon, Simis Sq., we find sparse remains of the Temple of Aphrodite. On the left is the Municipal Art Gallery , which contains works by Greek artists. Very near this is the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Inn of Auvergne, the hostel, that is, where in the time of the Knights, those who spoke one of their eight ‘tongues’, in this case that of Auvergne, were accommodated. A little further on is the beginning of the famous Street of the Knights , which, in spite of the restoration of its buildings, you feel that remained unattached by the passage of the 500 years since it was first built (14th century). The Gothic order predominates. The Inns of the various ‘Tongues’ stand in arrow, with impressive arched doorways, their emblems carved above these. You are now in the Collachium, the quarter of the Knights, and you climb the hill tin the direction of the Palace of the Grand master, the Castello, as it is now called. On your right, first is the Inn of Italy and then the Inn of France, the largest of them all. Still on the right, the next is the Inn of Province, while on the left is the Inn of Spain. In front of the Castello is the Loggia of St. John. The Palace of the Grand Master, the most imposing building of medieval Rhodes, is at the end of the Street of the Knights. It was built in the 14th century, but was demolished by the explosion of gunpowder which the Turks had stored in its basement in 1856. It was restored in 1939, during the Italian occupation. In this restoration, every effort was made to follow its original design faithfully. The Palace was intended as a residence for the Italian King Vittorio Emmanuele II or for Mussolini. If you follow Orfeos St. from the Castello in southerly direction, you can visit the clock - tower and mosque of Suleyman, before coming to Socrates St., the street with the most and commercial activity. At some points this street resembles an oriental bazaar. If you go down Socrates St. to the end, you come to Ippokratous Square, one of the most attraction in Rhodes. It contains the Court of Commerce, a fine early 15th century building. From here, Aristotle’s St., on one side of which is the city wall, brings you to the attractive Square of the Jewish Martyrs, which gas three bronze sea-horses in its center. if you continue to follow the walls in an easterly direction, you come to the church of St. Pateleimon (15th century) and the ruined church of Our Lady of Victory, which was built after the lifting of the Turkish siege in 1480. If you emerge from St. Catherine’s Gate, near St. Pantaleimon, you are in front of the commercial harbor, where large vessels anchor. You return to Ippokratous Square, still following the walls, and going along Ermou St., you come to Museum Square. This contains the Inn of England. The Archaeological Museum is housed in the restored building of the 15th century Hospital of the Knights.
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