Kos

A short distance from the Turkish coast, this island, after Rhodes, is the second largest in the Dodecanese. Kos was the birthplace of two very important figures of antiquity: the famous painter Apelles and the philosopher Hippocrates, who was the first to consider medicine a science based on a rational method.

The island is famous for the fertility of its lands and for the flourishing tourism due to its exceptionally mild climate, the beautiful beaches, the riches of its archaeological sites but also for the social life and night entertainment it can offer.

Kos is characterized by a narrow and elongated shape with mountain reliefs concentrated in the eastern part which culminate with Mount Dikeo, whose height reaches 846 meters, while in the southern area you can admire the volcanic cone of Latra.

This island was definitively united to Greece in 1948, before this event it had a rather eventful history in the past: initially populated by the Achaeans, subsequently colonized by the Dorians and later, due to its rich trades, it was the cause of dispute first between the Persians and the Athenians and then between the Macedonians and Rome.

In the Middle Ages, after a brief Genoese lordship, it was ceded in 1306 to the Knights of Rhodes who occupied it until 1522 when it was conquered by the Turkish empire until 1912 when it became an Italian possession.

The capital of the island is the lively Kos, very popular especially by the inhabitants of northern Europe who come here in search of social life and entertainment.

In Platia Tou Platanou it is said, as tradition dictates, that in the shade of a plane tree Hippocrates gave lessons to his disciples; near this very ancient tree there is a beautiful Turkish fountain in the shape of a temple, while to the south of the square is the Mosque of the Loggia, from here a raised passage can be reached to the Castle of the Knights.

Definitely to see in Kos are: the Port District which from the aforementioned square extends up to Platia Elepherias where there are some remains of the ancient walls, parts of towers and gates of the walled city of the Knights which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1933; the Platia Elefherias where you can admire some buildings of Italian construction such as the Regency Palace built on the designs of the architect Florestano Di Fausto, and like the Defterdar Mosque and theArcheologiko Moussio, the archaeological museum which collects interesting finds from the Roman era.

Not to be missed by Leoforos Grigoriou is a visit to the beautiful Roman Villa from the 3rd century AD. came to light in 1933 thanks to the discovery of some Italian archaeologists and partially restored; next to the Villa are the excavations of the Central Baths while further to the right are the remains of an ancient temple and an altar of Dionysius dating back to the 2nd century BC; continuing through the excavation area, there is an archaeological area of ​​ancient houses from where a paved road branches off with the remains of an early Christian basilica on the left and further on the remains of the Ginnasio Xistò of which 17 Corinthian columns of the original 80 remain standing, while on the right is the Nymphaeum which was probably to be an elegant public bath.

Opposite the excavations of the Roman city is the Odeion, still well preserved today, an ancient Roman theater with nine marble steps, discovered in 1929.

Information:

Castle of the Knights

Hours: 8.00-14.30

Archeologiko Moussio

Hours: 8.00-14.00, closed on Mondays

Roman villa

Hours: 8.00-14.00, closed on Mondays

Around Kos, about 4 km away, not to be missed is a visit to the Asklipiìo, the sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, son of Apollo, who learned the art of medicine from the centaur Chiron; from this beautiful temple you can admire a fantastic panorama of the nearby islands and the coast of Turkey.

A little further away at about 40 km from Kos, one reaches Zipari where the ruins of the Basilica of San Paolo are found, another church of early Christian origin, while near Andimahia and overlooking the coast, rises the Kastro, a fortress of the Knights of Rhodes, restored after the earthquake of 1493; not far from here, in Pilio, there is a fortress of Byzantine origin inside which there is a beautiful frescoed church from the same historical period; finally to see the small village of Kefalos, characterized by the presence of windmills.

If you have time, the little one is definitely worth a visit island of Nisyros, of volcanic origin, always south of Kos, where the small inhabited center is the port of Mandraki dominated by the Castle of the Knights of Rhodes dating back to 1315 and the church of Panagia Spiliani, the central nucleus of an ancient monastery, built inside a natural cave; just outside Mandraki on a hill you can visit the remains of the ancient acropolis.

Sanctuary of Asclepius

Hours: from 8.00 to sunset, Saturday and Sunday 8.00-14.00, closed on Monday.