Rhodes Jewish Heritage Private Walking Tour
Discover an important chapter of Rhodes’ multicultural past on this private walking tour through the historic Jewish Quarter. Explore the UNESCO-listed Old Town while learning about the island’s once-thriving Jewish community. Visit the impressive Palace of the Grand Master, a remarkable medieval fortress built by the Knights of Rhodes. Continue to the Archaeological Museum, housed in the former medieval hospital of the Knights, where artifacts reveal centuries of island history.
Walk through the historic La Juderia district to reach the Kahal Kadosh Shalom Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Greece, and Jewish Martyrs Square, a memorial honoring the Jewish community lost during World War II. The tour concludes at the Jewish Museum of Rhodes, offering insight into traditions, culture, and daily life of the island’s Jewish residents through the centuries.
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Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes also known as The Kastello, is a castle that dates back to the medieval era and is located in the city of Rhodes, which is located on the Greek island of Rhodes. There aren't many other instances of Gothic architecture in Greece, but this building is one of them.
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Archaeological Museum of Rhodes
The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is housed in the medieval Hospital of the Knights of Rhodes. Grand Master d'Aubusson completed it in 1489. The building's internal courtyard comprises a two-story structure with a courtyard in the center.
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Kahal Shalom Synagogue
It is currently part of a larger complex that includes two yards, the ruins of a tiny house, a courtyard with a monument commemorating the synagogue's founding year of 1577, and a fountain, all of which go by the name "New Synagogue." Before WWII, the courtyard was home to a library.
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Jewish Martyrs Square
Due to its picturesque sea horse fountain, the Square of Jewish Martyrs is also known as Sea Horse Square. The 1,604 Rhodes Jews who were deported to Auschwitz are honored in a memorial in the square. The Holocaust saw the deaths of all except 151 Jews.
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Jewish Museum of Rhodes
The Jewish Museum of Rhodes was founded with the intention of documenting the history of the island's Jewish community. Many ketubbah, or marriage contracts, from between the years 1852 and 1891 are on display, as is a Jewish religious treatise written in the Ladini dialect.