Birdsong and wind whistle through my hair as I wander through the Temple ruins, imagining the dramas that unfolded here. The panoramic sweep of turquoise bays and the maze of the old town create an unforgettable view. Fortification walls built by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Knights of St. John layer the cliff edge, giving the complex the feel of a citadel suspended between sky and sea. Alone at the summit, the stillness is so compelling that if I had a tent, I would be tempted to stay the night.
Back in Rhodes, my journey moves forward in time to the medieval age with a tour of the Palace of the Grand Master, home to the Knights of the Order of St. John from 1309 to 1522.
Margarita Tsoullou, our amiable guide who grew up in Psinthos with 11 siblings, leads us along the mostly empty Knight’s Street, lined with imposing stone inns that once housed knights from across Europe.
“Rhodes is the land of culture, liberty and democracy,” she says.
Our walk ends up at the medieval palace, surrounded by thick stone walls, towers and a commanding gate. Inside, the courtyard opens to warm light, ringed with elegant arcades that blend military precision and Renaissance refinement.
Now a museum, the site reveals Rhodes’ turbulent history under Byzantine, Crusader, Ottoman, and Italian rule, with the Italians occupying the island from 1912 to 1943.
“I’m from Rhodes, but I don’t know if I’m Greek, Roman, Persian, Ottoman Turk or Italian,” says Tsoullou. “We are such a mixed island, a real crossroads of crusaders, merchants and sultans mixed together like a moussaka.”
A trained pharmacist, Tsoullou became a tour guide to share her passion for Greek history, culture, and mythology. “In Greece, there is something for everyone.”
