The Grandmaster Palace German

September 30, 2024

The Grandmaster Palace German

Hello dear community,
on the way back to the old town we were treated to some really beautiful music by an old man with a guitar, which stayed with us for a long time. And then suddenly it was there, the highlight, the Grand Master's Palace.

The Grand Master's Palace in Rhodes Town is, as you can see in the pictures, an impressive building and one of the city's landmarks. It was once the residence of the Grand Masters of the Order of St. John, who ruled the island of Rhodes for several centuries. Construction of the palace began in the 14th century and was built in the Gothic style. It served as the seat of the order and was the center of political and religious life on the island. After the Ottomans conquered Rhodes in 1522, the palace was converted into a barracks and later a prison. In the 19th century, the building gradually fell into disrepair. It was not until the 20th century that extensive restoration work began to restore the palace to its original splendor. And it really was an excellent success.

The palace is an impressive example of Gothic architecture and impresses with its mighty walls, large courtyards and numerous rooms. It tells the story of the Knights of St. John on Rhodes and reflects the eventful history of the island. The various courtyards are an architectural highlight and offer a quiet oasis in the middle of the lively old town. There are numerous rooms to visit, including the chapel, the armory and the living quarters of the grand masters. Guided tours are also offered where you can learn more about the history of the palace, but we paid the "normal" entrance fee (€20) and set off to explore the palace ourselves.

We did pass many exhibits on our tour, such as amphoras, knights' armor, and paintings. But the most impressive thing was simply the rooms and their design. Countless floor mosaics, magnificent chandeliers, huge banquet halls, fantastic vaulted ceilings, and large statues wherever you looked. I don't think there is such art anymore these days, and I'm glad that so much of it has been preserved. The view from the upper floors also lived up to its promise. A great panoramic view of the city's other landmarks and the busy alleyways.

The Grand Master's Palace is a must for every visitor to Rhodes. It is a place where you can immerse yourself in history and truly feel the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. With our tour of the palace, our visit to Rhodes town was slowly coming to an end and we slowly walked towards our bus stop from the old town back to the port. But the day had a little surprise in store for us. More about that in my next post.

Best regards and see you soon Your
Al

Hello dear community,
on the way back to the old town, an old man with a guitar treated us to some really beautiful music that echoed with us for a long time. And then suddenly it was there, the highlight, the Grand Master's Palace.

The Grand Master's Palace in Rhodes Town is, as you can see in the pictures, an impressive building and one of the city's landmarks. It was once the residence of the Grand Masters of the Order of St. John, who ruled the island of Rhodes for several centuries. Construction of the palace began in the 14th century and was built in the Gothic style. It served as the seat of the order and was the center of political and religious life on the island. After the Ottomans conquered Rhodes in 1522, the palace was converted into a barracks and later a prison. In the 19th century, the building fell into disrepair. It was not until the 20th century that extensive restoration work began to restore the palace to its original splendor. And it really has been done brilliantly.

On our tour we also passed many exhibits such as amphoras, knight's armor and paintings. But the most impressive thing was simply the rooms and their design. Countless floor mosaics, magnificent chandeliers, huge banqueting halls, fantastic vaulted ceilings and large statues wherever you looked. I think that such art no longer exists today and I am glad that so much of it has been preserved. The view from the upper floors also kept its promise. A great panoramic view of the other landmarks of the city and the busy streets.

The Grand Master's Palace is a must for every visitor to Rhodes. It is a place where you can immerse yourself in history and truly feel the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. With our tour of the palace, our visit to Rhodes town was slowly coming to an end and we slowly walked towards our bus stop from the old town back to the harbor. But the day had a little surprise in store for us. But more about that in my next post.

Best wishes and see you soon Your
Al