Page 169 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

Must See
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STREET OF

THE KNIGHTS

ΟΔΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΠΠΟΤΩΝ
⌂ Ippoton 1-9 # Daily
The dramatically stone Street of the Knights, with nary
a tree in sight, runs from the harbour to the Palace of
the Grand Masters. It was the artery of the Old Town
during the Knights’ 200-year rule over Rhodes.
The medieval street is one of the most famous sights in
Rhodes Old Town, and is lined by the Inns of the Tongues, or
nationalities, of the Order of St John. Founded in the 11th
century, the Order of Hospitallers of the Knights of St John
guarded the Holy Sepulchre and tended Christian pilgrims in
Jerusalem. They became a military order after the First Crusade
(1096–9), but had to take refuge in Cyprus when Jerusalem fell
in 1291. They bought Rhodes from the Genoese pirate Admiral
Vignoli in 1306, but only conquered the town in 1309.
A Grand Master (p167) was elected for life to govern the
Order, which was divided into seven Tongues, or
nationalities: France, Italy, England, Germany,
Provence, Spain and Auvergne. Each Tongue
protected an area of city wall. Built in the 14th
century in Gothic style, the Inns that line the
Street of the Knights were used as meeting
places for the military order, particularly in
times of attack, when the Knights would
muster here. The site of the German Inn is
still unknown, but the others were largely
restored in the early 20th century.
The Knights did not just conquer
Rhodes, but many of the surrounding
islands. They fortified the Dodecanese with
around 30 castles, some of the best examples
of medieval military architecture in Greece.

A coat of arms on the exterior
of an Inn of the Tongues

THE SEIGE OF RHODES
The Ottoman Empire attacked Rhodes in 1522, after
an initial failed seige in 1480, when they were fought
off by Grand Master D’Aubusson (right). Led by Sultan
Süleyman the Magnificent with a force of 75,000
troops and over 300 ships, the Ottomans blockaded
the citadel over the course of six months. From a
garrison of 650 Knights, only 180 survived. They
negotiated a safe departure, and seven years later
found sanctuary on the island of Malta. Their final defeat
came in 1798, when Malta was annexed by Napoleon.

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