The Jewish Quarter, an enclave of narrow lanes in the Old Town’s southeast corner, centres on Plateia Evreon Martyron (Square of the Jewish Martyrs). Now all too quiet and dilapidated, it was home a century ago to a population of 5500. Half fled in the 1930s, while 1673 Jews were deported to Auschwitz in 1944; only 151 survived. The Jewish Museum of Rhodes, entered via the 1577 Kahal Shalom Synagogue – the oldest synagogue in Greece – tells the full story.
© Creatikon Studio/Shutterstock
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.3 MILES
A short, steep-stepped footpath climbs the rocky 116m-high headland above the village to reach Lindos’ beautifully preserved Acropolis. First fortified in…
0.2 MILES
A weathered, sun-kissed stone lion, visible from the street, invites visitors into the magnificent 15th-century Knights' Hospital that holds Rhodes’…
18.67 MILES
Cradled in a natural hillside amphitheatre 1km up from the sea, the remarkably complete ruins of ancient Kamiros stand 34km southwest of Rhodes Town…
0.28 MILES
Essentially an occupying army, the Knights of St John transformed the northern segment of the Old Town during the 14th and 15th centuries, to create what…
0.37 MILES
From the outside, this magnificent castle-like palace looks much as it did when erected by the 14th-century Knights Hospitaller. During the 19th century,…
0.26 MILES
Austere and somewhat forbidding, the Street of the Knights (Ippoton) was home from the 14th century to the Knights Hospitaller who ruled Rhodes. The…
0.24 MILES
The Old Town’s central commercial and residential district, south of the Street of the Knights, is known as the Hora. Having acquired its current…
11.81 MILES
The so-called Valley of the Butterflies, 7km up from the west coast, and 32km southwest of Rhodes Town, is a major day-trip destination for package…
Nearby Rhodes Town attractions
0.07 MILES
This modern city gate, opened in 1955, connects the Old Town with the harbour.
0.08 MILES
Built in 1577, and featuring a fine black-and-white pebble-mosaic floor, Kahal Shalom Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Greece. A commemorative plaque…
0.09 MILES
The Jewish presence on Rhodes dates back to the 2nd century BC, while a 13th-century influx of Jewish refugees from Spain resulted in the creation of a…
0.1 MILES
The oldest mosque on Rhodes, built soon after the Ottomans arrived in the 16th century; it's not open to visitors.
0.12 MILES
This imposing pedestrian gateway makes a dramatic point of entry for arriving ferry passengers. If you use the Old Town as a base for some island hopping,…
0.16 MILES
Also known as the Windmills Gate, St Catherine’s Gate provided access to the windmills on the waterfront.
0.19 MILES
At the southeast corner of the Old Town, this is one of the few city gates you can drive through, with parking to the right inside.
0.2 MILES
A weathered, sun-kissed stone lion, visible from the street, invites visitors into the magnificent 15th-century Knights' Hospital that holds Rhodes’…