Culture of Kos Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Asklepion is, perhaps, one of the central attractions of the island. The ruins of the temple and the hospital, where the suffering people went, still look majestic. Often a person striving for healing fell asleep in the temple, and the next morning he told his dreams to a priest who, based on the content of the dream, prescribing a recipe. There were a lot of Asklepions around Greece, but it was here on the island of Kos, where the famous Hippocrates taught the young priests of Asklepion the science of healing. It can be said that all modern medicine has come from here.

A huge sycamore of Hippocrates is also connected to the name of the ancient scientist. According to one version, the ancient tree is a direct descendant of the very sycamore tree, under which the ancient healer lectured. According to the other version, this very sycamore tree is the same age as Hippocrates and is a living witness to his conversations with his pupils. Near Agora, you can find the altar of Dionysus. To date, little is left of the wine-making church – most of the stones from the walls were used by the Knights-Johannites to build their fortress, but the dimensions and layout of the rooms are still easily guessed. Casa Romana, another monument of ancient days, is an antique villa, completely restored today according to the drawings and testimonies of ancient scientists. The restored Roman amphitheater Oderon is also interesting.

The island has many monuments of different historical eras. The castle of the knights-Johannites is a living witness of the medieval history of Kos. Neratzia, as the knights called their offspring, defended the island from the raids of the Turkish pirates from the 14th to the 16th century, and was never taken. The tombs of the famous warriors, the altars of chapels, a stone bridge, and the remains of the fortifications – all this is available to any traveler for free. The view from the walls of the fortress to the island is just amazing. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Antimachia fortress is the proof of the short-lived dominion of the Venetians on the island. Built in the 13th century, later it was fortified with Johannites, and after the capture of the island by the Turks, it served as a refuge for the local residents until the 18th century. Almost all the fortifications here are concentrated on the north side. Inside those strong walls you can still find the ruins of several churches – St. Mary of Elemonitria, St. Nicholas church, which was built in the 16th century, and St. Praskovia, constructed in the 18th century. Several ancient basilicas and a windmill, which were built centuries ago, are preserved In the nearby village of Antimachia.

One of the central monuments of the Turkish domination on Kos is the mosque of Haji Hasan. It was built in the 18th century on the site of the Byzantine church of St. George according to all the canons of Muslim architecture of the time. The mosque continues to function, and it is forbidden to visit it during the service. Defterdar Mosque, built in 1725 and perfectly preserved to our days is also beautiful. The white walls of the religious building are decorated with a lot of decorative elements in Arabic style and attract the eye of every visitor of the market nearby.

While in the capital of the island, be sure to visit the archaeological museum of Kos. Here you will find a huge number of various artifacts, relating to both Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the New Age. The very building of the museum was built in neoclassical style during the reign of the Italians on the island in the distant 1935. On Kos, you can also find two folklore museums – in Antimachia and Kefalo village, the Maritime Museum in Kardamena and, of course, the Museum of Hippocrates. In your free time, take a walk along the Agora, an ancient square, which was discovered after the earthquake in 1933, on which the ruins of ancient buildings have survived to this day. The mountain Paleo Pili worth visiting, an abandoned Byzantine city, once the capital of the island, is also worth visiting.