What Is The Archaeological Museum Of Rhodes?

The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is found in the Medieval City of Rhodes. It is housed in the monumental structure that use to be the Hospital of the Knights of Saint John.

The Hospital of the Knights of Saint John is one of the most important Medieval buildings and consists of a large interior courtyard surrounded by a two-storey colonnade. The museums display a rich and interesting collection from the Hellenistic period to the Early Christian times. It also hosts an interesting selection of tombs from the Geometric, Archaic and Classical period.

Rhodes is one of the beautiful islands in Greece, globally famous for its cultural and historical background through the ages. The island flourished during the Mycenaean period according to the plethora of findings from the ancient cemeteries of Ialyssos and Kamiros. Rhodes was ruled by the Knights and became extremely powerful. It has medieval castles and strong fortresses.

Many cultural events take place at the museum during the summer.

History

The building of the Hospital of the Knights was started in 1440 by Grand Master de Lastic. It was only completed between 1476 and 1503 when the Grand Master d’Aubusson oversaw the project. It took more than 40 years to complete.

It was originally built over the remains of a Roman building and built along similar lines to Byzantine hostelries. It is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece.

During the Ottoman era it was first used as a hospital then as a barracks. It was restored by the Italian administration between 1913 – 1918. After the Island was incorporated with Greece it was used to house the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes. It exhibits archaeological finding from different parts of Rhodes and the surrounding islands.

Interest For Today

Housed in a medieval building, the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes displays artifacts excavated from Rhodes and nearby islands, such as vases, tomb groups, figurines, funeral slaps dating from Geometric and Roman time to the Hellenistic period, and mosaic floors.

The entrance opens into a courtyard, surrounded by a galleried upper story accessed by an outside stairway. Stone fragments and stacks of cannonballs, relics from various sieges, lie on the ground.

One of the important items in the museum is the Head of Helios, dating to the 2^nd half of the 2^nd century BC. It featured in 2011 on the album cover of Floral Shoppe by Macintosh Plus, and subsequently became famous for its association with the Vaporwave movement.

One of the most famous works kept at the museum is the marble Statue of the Crouching Aphrodite bathing from the 1^st century BC. It was created by the sculptor Doidalsas.

The museum houses artefacts from various historical periods. Some of the most interesting and important exhibits to see include:

• Numerous Rhodian vessels which were used as wine jugs
• A collection of Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman sculpture
• The pottery items dating from prehistoric times found in caves on the islands of Kos and Kalymnos
• Two archaic kouroi from Kamiros, dated 550 – 530 BC
• Mycenaean jewellery and pottery found in tombs in Ialyssos on Rhodes
• The sculpted body and head of a kouros, which is Greek for boy/man, found at Kamiros around the 6^th Century BC
• A collection of female statues from the Hellenistic period
• Burial finds that include vases, figurines, jewellery, metal artefacts from the cemeteries of Ialyssos and Kamiros and represents the Geometric to Classical periods, 9^th to 4^th centuries BC
• Mosaic floors of the Hellenistic and Early Christian period
• Grave stele of Krito and Timarista with two standing female figures, dating to 420 – 410 BC
• Funerary slabs from the Knights’ period, between 1309 – 1522
• Pyxis of the Fikellura type, dated to 550 – 530 BC, one of the most distinct groups of the archaic eastern Greek and Ionian ware
• Kylix of the Vroulia type, dated to the 6^th century BC as well as another distinct group of pottery named after the ancient settlement of Vroulia on Rhodes, where this ware was firstly found.
• Grave stele of Kalliarista that portrays the dead Kalliarista, seated, while her servant, standing, holds a pyxis with her cosmetics. The stele has a pedimented capping resting on pilasters and dated to ca. 350 BC
• Laconian hydria, portraying a battle between two heroes, dated to the 6th century BC

Hours of Business

• Winter: 1 November – 31 March Wednesday to Monday from 08:00 – 15:00.

Tuesday: closed

Prehistoric and Epigraphic Collection: closed

• Summer: 1 April – 31 October daily from 08:00 – 20:00

Epigraphic Collection and Prehistoric Exhibition: Daily from 09:00 – 17:00

Small display of archaic pithoi: Monday to Friday 12:00 – 13:00

Holidays

• 1 January: closed
• 6 January: 08:30 – 15:00
• Shrove Monday: 08:30 – 15:00
• 25 March: closed
• Good Friday: 08:00 – 19:00
• Holy Saturday: 08:00 – 19:00
• 1 May: closed
• Easter Sunday: closed
• Easter Monday: 08:00 – 19:00
• Holy Spirit Day: 08:00 – 19:00
• 15 August: 08:00 – 19:00
• 28 October: 08:00 – 19:00
• 25 December: closed
• 26 December: closed

Tickets

• Full: €6, Reduced: €3
• Special ticket package: Full: €10, Reduced: €5

Combined ticket is also valid for the Palace of the Grand Master, Decorative Arts Collection and Our Lady of the Castle.

Free admission days

• 6 March (in memory of Melina Mercouri)
• 18 April (International Monuments Day)
• 18 May (International Museums Day)
• The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
• National Holidays

Contact information

• Address: Street of the Knights, Megalou Alexandrou Square, Rhodes 851 00 (Prefecture of Dodekanissa)
• Coordination: 36°26′41.28″N, 28°13′37.56″E
• Telephone: +30 22413 65200, +30 22413 65257
• Fax: +30 22410 21954
• Email: efadod@culture.gr

How To Get There

The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is found in the old town, in the Street of the Knights in Museum square. If you docked in the harbour and are visiting the site from your cruise ship it is about a 10 – 15-minute walk from the dock. You need no transportation to reach it as it is within a pedestrian area of the Rhodes Old town.

You cannot miss it as it is noticeable by the numerous arches on the front of its building, which used to be the Hospital of the Order of the Knights of St John.