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

Kos will please its guests with an abundance of unique historical monuments; fans of exciting excursions would certainly enjoy spending time here. Lots of interesting attractions are located near the seafront and in the port area; the most striking historical monument is considered Nerantzia castle. The strong fortification was built in the second half of the 15th century. As part of building materials stones and marble from the territory of an ancient city were used; the castle still survives in its original form. At the gate of the fortress you can see beautiful antique arms and statues. Many ancient monuments and sculptures has preserved in the courtyard. There are several viewing platforms on fortification walls, from which opens a beautiful view of the island.

Another important attraction is Agora, a historical region where ruins of buildings of different eras have preserved. Here you can see the surviving fragments of ancient Greek temples, ruins of prehistoric forums and beautiful mosaics, as well as fragments of the Christian basilica built in the 5th century. Agora is not the only monument of ancient times; visitors should definitely see the ruins on the Grigoriu street.

The ruins of Mycenaean buildings, 17 fully restored columns, prehistoric burial, Roman baths and residential buildings - these are just a few interesting objects that can be seen in this area. The greatest interest tourists show to mosaics depicting complex patterns and mythological scenes. Scientists managed to recover even the Casa Romana - a Roman house, built in the Pompeian style. This large-scale building includes 26 rooms with beautiful marble and hand-painted decoration. It is also worth to look into the patio, which is decorated with graceful statues. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Archeologists continue to work on the island in these days. All who want to may see their findings in museums. The Archaeological Museum located in Elevterias district has assembled a fine collection of artifacts. Here are statues of gods dating to the 4th century BC and ritual objects, as well as jewelry and articles of precious metals. The best place for hiking is seafront, where visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sea or take a ride on a yacht along the coast.

The most famous historical monument of Kos is the Tree of Hippocrates where the great healer taught future physicians. It is located in the island's capital, attracting the attention of all tourists who want to touch the history and those who love atmospheric places - and it is exactly like that. No less remarkable and atmospheric is a landmark associated with another great healer, Asclepius. This is about the Asclepeion (Ασκληπιείο). Physicians from all over the world come to this place to take the Hippocratic Oath. This is the first "healing temple", and locals believe one can receive a blessing from the Father of Medicine by visiting it.

When it comes to museums, the outstanding one is the Archaeological Museum (Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Κω) where most of the artifacts found during excavations on the island are collected. Kardamena has the Folklore Museum demonstrating the local life and telling about the island's traditional crafts, and where great attention is paid to the music of Kos. This is one of those places where one can deeply feel the local culture and admire its multifacetedness. In Kefalos, it's possible to find a house in which the typical centuries-old interior and exterior have been preserved. It is worth noting that a tour of the house museum is quite exciting. Here you can learn everything - how one or another household item was used, which traditional crafts local people mastered, what they preferred to eat for lunch.

Another important site in Kefalos is the ruins of the Basilica of Agios Stefanos (Βασιλική του Αγίου Στεφάνου), which lie right on the seashore. Here you can discover wonderful mosaic floors peeking through the crushed stone (covering the Basilica for better preservation of the religious monument), as well as masterfully made columns. The construction dates back to the 5th century, once it was a grandiose structure towering over the city as if its defender. In the village of Antimachia, you can find the beautiful Agion Apostolon Church (Εκκλησία Αγίου Αποστόλου). The shrine built in the traditional Greek Orthodox style features admirable interior decoration with a beautiful altar, frescoes, and chandeliers.

Not far from Kardamena, one can find another magnificent monument of history - namely, the Castle Of Antimachia (Κάστρο Αντιμάχεια). Built back in the Dark Ages, its size wasn't so impressive until the 14th century. After reconstruction by Hospitallers in 1493 (as evidenced by the coat of arms of Grand Master d'Aubusson hanging here), the castle acquired its grandeur but lost its value in the 19th century and then was abandoned. Inside the building, one can find two churches: Agia Paraskevi (Αγία Παρασκευή) and Agios Ioanos (γιος Ιωάννης). By the way, if you climb the tower of the fortress, you'll have a chance to admire the stunning views of Kardamena beach. In the village of the same name is a traditional mill famous for being very well preserved since medieval times.