Archaeological Museum of Rhodes

In the enchanting Medieval Town of Rhodes, on the famous Street of the Knights, is the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes.

A medieval Gothic building with Renaissance elements begun in 1440 on the ruins of a Roman building by Grand Master De Lastic. It was completed in 1489 by Grand Master D’Aubusson to house the Hospital of the Knights. Its first floor was used by the knights of St. John for the care of the sick, while the ground floor was the kitchen, stables and storerooms.

The first exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes dates back to 1914 during the Italian occupation. Its purpose was to gather the ancient objects that were scattered in Rhodes and the surrounding islands and were in danger of being lost. The excavations carried out on the island of Rhodes and the rest of the Dodecanese brought to light a rich collection from the Mycenaean, Geometric, Classical and Hellenistic periods.

Jewels, vases, small objects from the burial ensembles of Ialysia and Kamiros, sculptures and Rhodian coins are the main exhibits of the Museum’s permanent collection. Also on display are the emblems of the Knights, the plaques of the Knights, relief tombstones and the sarcophagus where Grand Master Cordegon was buried.

In the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, in the Late Hellenistic period, a sitting lion with a bull’s head at its feet dominates. In front of it is exposed a mosaic floor from the early Christian basilica of Arkasa Karpathos. Also, a second mosaic from Arkasa Karpathos adorns the inner courtyard of the Museum. The rich collection of exhibits of the Archaeological Museum aims to highlight and understand the long history of the island. 

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