Ottoman Rhodes

Several mosques in Rhodes Town offer a reminder of Ottoman Rhodes, along with a delightful Muslim cemetery.

The Mosque of Suleiman in Rhodes TownThe Mosque of Suleiman in Rhodes Town

Ottoman buildings on Rhodes have tended to suffer neglect since the Turks were ousted from the island in 1912. However, sporadic refurbishment of Turkish buildings does take place, and the sizeable Muslim population on Rhodes ensures continuing use of several historic mosques in Rhodes Town.

Tzamí Souleïmán

There is no Turkish Quarter as such, but there are a number of splendid old mosques scattered throughout the Old Town. Finest of these is Tzamí Souleïmán, or Mosque of Suleiman, erected by the Turkish conqueror of Rhodes in 1522 as a thanksgiving for his triumph. Its rose-red walls and shallow dome dominate the top end of Sokratous.

Other Mosques

Other notable buildings are Tzamí Retset Pascha and the impressive Tzamí Sultan Mustafá. At the northern end of the New Town is Tzamí Tou Mourad Reïs, located within an engagingly unkempt and tree-shaded Muslim cemetery.

Our Pick of Greek Islands Guides

Rough-Guide-Greek-Islands-2022.png

Muslim Cemetery

The entrance courtyard has hokhláki (pebble mosaic) flooring and in one corner stands the little circular mausoleum of Mourad Reïs, a commander of the Turkish navy during the 1522 siege of Rhodes. The cemetery has its own little forest of slender gravestones; the male memorials crowned with turbans, the female memorials, simple blades of stone. There are a number of domed tombs, one containing the remains of a Shah of Persia.

Some Cool Rhodes Souvenirs

I-love-Rhodes-t-shirt.jpg

I Love Rhodes t-shirt

Rhodes-coffee-mug-zazzle.jpg

Rhodes Coffee Mug

Rhodes-coaster-zazzle.jpg

Rhodes Coasters

Rhodes-tank-top-zazzle.jpg

Rhodes Tank Top

Villa Cleobolus

At the northern end of the graveyard is the Villa Cleobolus, once home to the novelist Lawrence Durrell and now renovated as a small museum-cum-gallery. His book about Rhodes, Reflections on a Marine Venus, is well worth reading.

Other Rhodes pages

  • Rhodes festivals and events include those celebrated throughout Greece like Easter and Greek Independence Day, and others that are unique to the island.

    Rhodes Festivals and Events

    Rhodes festivals and events include those celebrated throughout Greece like Easter and Greek Independence Day, and others that are unique to the island.

  • This Southern Rhodes drive starts and ends in Lindos and takes in Gennadi, Kattavia, Monolithos and the chance to stop at several good beaches.

    Southern Rhodes Drive

    This Southern Rhodes drive starts and ends in Lindos and takes in Gennadi, Kattavia, Monolithos and the chance to stop at several good beaches.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to Rhodes food and drink including the Greek words for meze, meat dishes, and fish dishes, and a guide to the best Rhodes wine.

    Rhodes Food and Drink

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to Rhodes food and drink including the Greek words for meze, meat dishes, and fish dishes, and a guide to the best Rhodes wine.

  • Greece Travel Secrets’ guide to places to see in Southern Rhodes include Gennadi, Glystra, Pefkoi, Kiotari, Lardos, Moni Thari, Lindos, Kattavia and Prasonisi.

    Places to See in Southern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets’ guide to places to see in Southern Rhodes include Gennadi, Glystra, Pefkoi, Kiotari, Lardos, Moni Thari, Lindos, Kattavia and Prasonisi.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the Old Jewish Quarter, which you’ll see if you visit the Old Town of Rhodes.

    Rhodes Town Old Jewish Quarter

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the Old Jewish Quarter, which you’ll see if you visit the Old Town of Rhodes.

  • Rhodes weather is hot in summer and mild in winter, so read Greece Travel Secrets’ advice on the best time to visit Rhodes and why you should consider Lindos.

    Rhodes Weather

    Rhodes weather is hot in summer and mild in winter, so read Greece Travel Secrets’ advice on the best time to visit Rhodes and why you should consider Lindos.

  • Greece Travel Secrets' choice of the best beaches on Rhodes, an island known for its beautiful sandy beaches.

    Best Beaches on Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets' choice of the best beaches on Rhodes, an island known for its beautiful sandy beaches.

  • During Easter on Rhodes Greece Travel Secrets publisher Mike Gerrard travels from Lindos to Kattavia to visit a monastery and spend Easter with a Greek family.

    Easter on Rhodes

    During Easter on Rhodes Greece Travel Secrets publisher Mike Gerrard travels from Lindos to Kattavia to visit a monastery and spend Easter with a Greek family.

  • Travel advice, information on Rhodes in the Dodecanese, with ferries from Piraeus for Athens, Symi, Crete, Kos, Patmos, Santorini, and flights from Europe

    Rhodes

    Travel advice, information on Rhodes in the Dodecanese, with ferries from Piraeus for Athens, Symi, Crete, Kos, Patmos, Santorini, and flights from Europe

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Rhodes Town, including boutique and historic hotels in the Old Town and modern hotels in the New Town.

    Where to Stay in Rhodes Town

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Rhodes Town, including boutique and historic hotels in the Old Town and modern hotels in the New Town.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Northern Rhodes with hotels and apartments in Faliraki and elsewhere from 5-star luxury to family-friendly.

    Where to Stay in Northern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Northern Rhodes with hotels and apartments in Faliraki and elsewhere from 5-star luxury to family-friendly.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends its choice of where to eat in Southern Rhodes, including restaurants and tavernas in Lindos, Gennadi, Pefki and Monolithos.

    Where to Eat in Southern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends its choice of where to eat in Southern Rhodes, including restaurants and tavernas in Lindos, Gennadi, Pefki and Monolithos.

  • If you’re wondering what to do on Rhodes then our suggested highlights include Rhodes Old Town, Lindos, Kameiros, and a visit to Symi.

    What to Do on Rhodes

    If you’re wondering what to do on Rhodes then our suggested highlights include Rhodes Old Town, Lindos, Kameiros, and a visit to Symi.

  • This walk through the Old Town of Rhodes takes you through this World Heritage Site and along the main streets and past the city walls, palaces and mosques.

    A Walk in the Old Town of Rhodes

    This walk through the Old Town of Rhodes takes you through this World Heritage Site and along the main streets and past the city walls, palaces and mosques.

  • The best Rhodes guidebook is undoubtedly the A-Z Travel Guide to Rhodes, including Symi, with a new revised and updated edition for 2022.

    Best Rhodes Guidebook

    The best Rhodes guidebook is undoubtedly the A-Z Travel Guide to Rhodes, including Symi, with a new revised and updated edition for 2022.

  • Mandraki Harbour is the main harbour of Rhodes Town for travellers and from here you can catch ferries to Piraeus, Symi, Kos, Kalymnos, Patmos, and to Turkey.

    Mandraki Harbour

    Mandraki Harbour is the main harbour of Rhodes Town for travellers and from here you can catch ferries to Piraeus, Symi, Kos, Kalymnos, Patmos, and to Turkey.

  • Lindos is one of the main attractions on the Greek island of Rhodes, with its Acropolis, other ancient sites, beaches and historic captain’s houses.

    Lindos

    Lindos is one of the main attractions on the Greek island of Rhodes, with its Acropolis, other ancient sites, beaches and historic captain’s houses.

  • Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Rhodes, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Best Time to Visit Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Rhodes, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Rhodes Town with fine-dining restaurants and inexpensive tavernas in the Old Town and the New Town.

    Where to Eat in Rhodes Town

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Rhodes Town with fine-dining restaurants and inexpensive tavernas in the Old Town and the New Town.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Northern Rhodes, including fish restaurants and roadside tavernas in Faliraki, Ixia, Kamiros and Charaki.

    Where to Eat in Northern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Northern Rhodes, including fish restaurants and roadside tavernas in Faliraki, Ixia, Kamiros and Charaki.

  • Rhodes Town museums include an archaeological museum, Byzantine museum, a museum of decorative arts, and exceptional collections of modern Greek art.

    Rhodes Town Museums

    Rhodes Town museums include an archaeological museum, Byzantine museum, a museum of decorative arts, and exceptional collections of modern Greek art.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

  1. History of Thessaloniki

    Alexander-the-Great-statue-Thessaloniki.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets outlines the history of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, from its origins through Roman times and the Ottoman period through to today.

    Read More

  2. Gastronomos Awards 2024: Celebrating the Best Artisans of Cycladic Gastronomy

    The highly anticipated list of award-winning producers was presented in the capital of the Cyclades, Syros, by Gastronomos, Greece’s top culinary magazine, published by the newspaper Kathimerini.

    Read More

  3. The Odysseas Elytis Museum Opens in Plaka

    A new cultural landmark in Athens celebrates the life, work, and legacy of Nobel laureate Odysseas Elytis.

    Read More

  4. Autumn Escapes: Discover the Timeless Charm of Ioannina

    Spend two days in Ioannina, the historic capital of the Epirus region, which is more beautiful in the autumn than any other city in Greece

    Read More

  5. Gastronomic Tours: The Delicious New Trend for Visitors to Athens

    “Souvlaki. And baklava. And that round bread with sesame seeds. Koulouri! These are a few things I definitely want to try while I’m in Athens,” Grace says as we head from Syntagma Square toward Monast…

    Read More

  6. Lesvos: A Birdwatcher’s Paradise Full of Rare Species

    Standing at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Lesvos is a haven for rare bird species, drawing birdwatchers from around the globe.

    Read More

  7. Why Lipsi is the New Darling of the Travel World

    This hidden gem of the Aegean is ranked among the world’s top exotic destinations.

    Read More

  8. 5+1 Must-Visit Byzantine Churches in Downtown Athens

    Hidden amidst the modern streets of Athens are stunning examples of ecclesiastical architecture from a period often overlooked in favor of the city’s ancient monuments.

    Read More

  9. Zakynthos’ Navagio Beach Viewing Platform Safety Overhaul Funding Approved

    The green light was given for significant safety and aesthetic improvements to the famous Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach viewing platform on Zakynthos, following the approval of a €500,000 budget by the Mi…

    Read More

  10. Athens Airport Passenger Traffic Soars Over 21 Million in January-August

    Athens International Airport (AIA) set a new record during January-August, welcoming 21,260,634 travelers, a 13.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Based on data of the airport, du…

    Read More