Palace of the Grand Master in Rhodes, Greece

When we left the ship to explore Rhodes, we walked along a road that had the ocean on the right and the city wall on the left. 



It was a quiet day like if it was a holiday or something. We crossed the road and walked up to a cathedral that was in ruins. There were a lot of feral cats there and nothing else. We continued to explore the area and found a large square and a long cobblestone road that led to a large medieval castle.


The Palace of the Grand Master is where the administrative center of the Order of the Knights of Saint John were. It was built in the 7th century as a Byzantine citadel but in 1856, lightning strucked a gunpowder magazine and exploded. It killed many people and caused the upper floors of the palace to collapse. The lower floors survived but nothing on the upper floors did. It wasn't until 1937 and 1940, the upper floors were rebuilt without knowledge of historical significance or design. 


History buffs think the Colloso of Rhodes used to stand on top of a hill (to keep an eye on the harbor), possibly where the Palace of the Grand Masters is built. Before the palace was built, an ancient temple dedicated to Helios.


The mosaic floors are so intricate, it must have taken decades to install.




These benches on the right reminds me of the Doge's Palace in Venice. 


The ceiling is beautiful.


This room is huge, tall ceilings and beautiful arches.












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