Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes Town , overlooking a small square, at the end of the famous Knights Street , is the most important museum on the island of Rhodes.

The Archaeological Museum of the island of Rhodes is located within a historic structure: the ancient hospital of San Giovanni, built in the 15th century by the Knights of San Giovanni, which deserves a separate visit due to its majesty and historical importance. In fact there are archaeological finds from different parts of the island of Rhodes and beyond.

The ancient building of the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes Town draws on Byzantine architecture, from the main entrance on the east side leads to the large inner courtyard, surrounded by a double loggia. At the center of the courtyard is a late-Hellenistic lion funeral sculpture, in front of an early Christian floor mosaic, originally belonging to the Arkasa basilica on the island of Karpathos. On the south side, a monumental staircase leads to the loggia on the upper floor, with a wooden beamed ceiling, which leads to most of the exhibition route.

The large hall on the east side was originally the main hospital ward of the structure, with large ogival arches in the center, which support the ceiling. The next 3 rooms are dedicated to Greek sculpture, with valuable finds from the Rhodian school, dating back to late Hellenism. Among these are the statues of Asclepius, Igiea and Aphrodite. There are also sculptures from archaic Greece and funerary reliefs from the classical and Hellenistic period, including the funerary stele of Krito and Timarista (mother and daughter), sculpted by a local artist influenced by the Parthenon reliefs.

The halls numbered from 1 to 15 house ceramic objects, the result of excavations carried out during the Italian mission, between 1912 and 1948 on the island of Rhodes. In particular the findings of the Ialisos region and the acropolis of ancient Camiro (Kamiros) with its necropolis. Among the numerous vases, the amphora from Fikellouron stands out, decorated with animal figures. There are also 8 jewels from the Mycenaean period and silver coins from the Hellenistic era.

An interesting finding from Ialisos, dated between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, consists of a series of three magnifying glasses made of rock crystal and set in decorated bronze frames. The lenses, of different dioptric power, are flat-convex and have a diameter of about 1.5 cm. It is perhaps the oldest known magnifying glasses. They were probably used for jewelery work and for engraving seals.

The island of Rhodes can amaze you not only with its enchanting beaches, but also with its ancient and fascinating history.


Timetables and prices

- winter: from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, except on Mondays (during winter)
- summer: from 8:00 to 19:40 from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 15:40 on Monday.

Entrance fee: € 8 / free under 18 years / Over 65 years 50% discount