The medieval castles of Rhodes
The Old Town is a six-gated medieval city enclosed within a castle. It is actually a fully developed medieval city still encircled by walls. Some of the oldest and best-preserved castles in the world are there. They developed mostly from 1309 and 1522, when the knights of the Order of Saint John had control of the island.
The castle bearing the same name is located close to the community of Monolithos. It is positioned atop a sizable, steep rock that rises just a short distance from the coast and provides breathtaking views. Built in the 14th century by the Knights of the Order of St. John to regulate the maritime route and defend the locals from pirate attacks.
At the location of the former beacon tower, the castle of Asclepeion was erected in 1479 by Grand Master Pierre d’Aubusson. The rectangular bastions and two sturdy towers of the castle were used by the Knights, and earlier, by the Byzantines, to defend the citizens of the adjacent villages.