It's the height of summer, and Coronavirus is severely limiting my travel options, so I figured I might as well skip to a review of a site I visited last fall that many in Europe will have the opportunity to see at the 2020 World Heritage Meetup in September: The Medieval City of Rhodes.

Before my visit, I was aware of a couple facets of Rhodian history. First, this was the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the World -- the Colossus of Rhodes. This statue to the Greek sun god Helios was demolished long ago, and its exact location has been lost through the ages. Still, I walked out to the entrance to the old city harbor to imagine what it must have been like to see such a statue on an approach by sea. Indeed -- even without the statue, the medieval walls and the Palace of the Grand Master in the heart of Rhodes are rather spectacular to see from the water.

Second, and more important to its status as a World Heritage Site, Rhodes for two centuries was home to the medieval Knights Hospitalier, also known as the Order of Saint John, dedicated to caring for pilgrims en route to Jeruslem and the Holy Land. This aspect of Rhodes was what my friend I was traveling with was most interested in exploring, so after we attended an early Sunday morning service at a Greek Orthodox church, we set to exploring the vast city walls and gates. We visited Rhodes in November, so much of the city was empty of tourists, and we passed only locals and stray dogs as we wandered through alleys and narrow streets. Of the many gates of the city we encountered, the Gate of Saint John and the multi-layered ramparts of the Gate of Saint Anthanasios, through which the Ottomans entered the city in the early 16th century, impressed me the most.

In addition to the city walls and gates built and/or modified by the Knights Hopsitalier, two major sites within the medieval city remain as a testament to their heritage: The Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights. The Palace was rather empty when we first arrived, but quickly accumulated other tourists avoiding a passing rain shower. Still, the rooms were largely empty, which left plenty of space to admire the intricate Byzantine-era mosaics on display. A museum within the palace also provided a good overview of the rich history of this city and island that for many years stood as a crossroads in the Mediterranean for travelers going to and from the Holy Land. Near the end of the walk through the palace were some simple rooms used to house sick and recovering pilgrims, part of the mission of the Knights Hospitalier, as well as displays highlighting the present-day history of the Knights, who moved on to Malta after the Ottomans conquered Rhodes.

Outside the palace, the Street of the Knights slopes down to the harbor. At the end of the street is a former medieval hospital, while on either side of this street are former hostels for the different langues of the Knights -- divisions of the order based on languages spoken, to include the Langues of France, Italy, and Spain. Each of these langues were responsible for defending specific sections of the fortress walls, and some of the city's embankments, or terreplains, were named after the langues who defended them.

Overall, the city of Rhodes was a relaxing and enjoyable site to explore, and I loved the mixture of Ottoman, medieval, and Byzantine architecture on display. Although the weather was a bit rainy when I visited, as I understand it, this is generally a sun-kissed corner of the Mediterranean, and hopefully it will be good weather for all who attend the meetup in September.

Logistics: The Medieval City of Rhodes is quite easy to navigate on foot, and there are plenty of small side streets to explore.