What to See at the Palace of the Grand Master
The fortified gate and courtyard, the grand halls, the ancient mosaics from Kos and the two exhibitions on ancient and medieval Rhodes — a concierge guide to the castle of the Knights.
The Palace of the Grand Master gathers the fortified heart of the Knights' city, some of the finest ancient mosaics you can walk across, and two exhibitions on the whole history of Rhodes under one roof. The must-see features are the monumental twin-towered gate and courtyard, the grand vaulted halls of the upper floor, the ancient mosaic floors brought from the island of Kos, and the two permanent exhibitions on ancient Rhodes and on medieval and early-Christian Rhodes. Outside the gate, the Street of the Knights is a highlight in itself. This guide walks you through the key features of the palace and what to prioritise on a first visit.
What are the must-see features of the Palace of the Grand Master?
The must-see features of the Palace of the Grand Master begin at the entrance, with its massive walls and twin round towers — the unmistakable face of a fortress built to command the highest ground of the walled city. Passing through the gate, you reach the broad inner courtyard, once ringed by ancient statues, from which the palace opens out. From here the great sights are the grand vaulted halls of the upper floor, the ancient mosaic floors that run through them, and the two permanent exhibitions on ancient and medieval Rhodes. Together these make the palace three visits in one: a medieval castle, a showcase of classical mosaic art, and a museum of the island's history. Walking them in a cool early hourly slot, before the cruise groups arrive, is the essential experience.
Beyond the headline features, the palace rewards a slower look. The scale of the building — long vaulted corridors, wide staircases, more than 150 rooms — conveys the wealth and authority of the Order at its height, and the reconstructed state rooms are furnished with sculpture and antiquities that repay attention. It is easy to hurry across the mosaic floors, so it is worth looking down as often as up. Our concierge recommendation is to take in the gate and courtyard, then the grand halls with their Kos mosaics, then the two exhibitions, allowing about one to one and a half hours for the whole palace — and to leave time afterwards for the Street of the Knights and the medieval city outside, which are free to explore.
What are the fortress gate and the grand halls?
Seen from outside, the Palace of the Grand Master is emphatically a fortress: heavy curtain walls, a battlemented outline and a monumental entrance flanked by two great round towers, designed to hold the highest ground of the walled city as its last redoubt. The gate is one of the most photographed sights in Rhodes, and passing beneath it into the broad rectangular courtyard is a dramatic introduction to the palace. The courtyard, once lined with ancient statues, is the hub from which the ground-floor rooms and the staircases to the upper floor open out, and it gives an immediate sense of the building's scale and military purpose.
The grand halls of the upper floor are the architectural showpieces. Rebuilt in the 1930s in a rich, historicising style, they are lofty, cool and dignified, with heavy timber ceilings, carved fireplaces and antique furnishings set against bare stone, and some are named for their function or decoration. The sequence of state chambers conveys the grandeur of a great medieval and Renaissance residence, even where the detail is a later reconstruction, and their enclosed, shaded calm is a striking contrast to the busy streets outside. Our concierge recommendation is to move through the halls unhurried, taking in the ceilings, fireplaces and furnishings — and remembering to look down at the extraordinary floors, where the palace's ancient mosaics are laid.
What are the mosaics from Kos?
One of the palace's greatest treasures lies underfoot: the ancient mosaic floors that run through many of the grand halls. These are intricate figured and geometric panels in coloured stone, depicting sea creatures, mythological figures, birds and elaborate patterns — superb examples of classical mosaic craftsmanship. Remarkably, they were not made for the palace, nor even for Rhodes: they were lifted from Hellenistic and Roman houses and buildings on the neighbouring island of Kos and brought over during the Italian reconstruction of the palace in the 1930s, to give the restored halls floors worthy of their grandeur.
The effect is a striking marriage of medieval architecture and ancient art. You walk through the fortress of the crusading Knights across floors that once graced the villas of Roman Kos, and the contrast between the castle above and the classical mosaics below is part of what makes the palace so memorable. The craftsmanship rewards slow, careful looking: the fine gradations of colour, the lively animals and the elaborate borders repay attention that hurried visitors miss. Our concierge recommendation is to look down as often as you look up in the halls, and to linger in the rooms where the finest panels survive — the mosaics are as much a highlight of the palace as its architecture, and easily overlooked precisely because they are beneath your feet.
What are the two exhibitions on ancient and medieval Rhodes?
The palace houses two important permanent exhibitions, both included in your ticket, which together tell the long story of Rhodes. One is devoted to ancient Rhodes, tracing the Greek and Roman history of an island that was among the most powerful and cultured of the ancient Aegean — famed for its harbour, its sculpture, and the lost Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Through statues, pottery, inscriptions, jewellery and everyday objects, it brings the classical island to life and connects the palace to the deep past that its Kos mosaics also evoke.
The second exhibition covers medieval and early-Christian Rhodes — the world of Byzantium, the early Church and, above all, the Knights of St John who built the palace. Here you can follow the transformation of the island under the Order: the raising of the walls and the palace, the life of the multinational brotherhood, and the art, arms and objects of the crusading age, as well as the early-Christian centuries that came before. Seeing this history displayed in the very building the Knights raised gives it immediate, tangible force. Our concierge recommendation is to give both exhibitions their due rather than rushing them — between the ancient and the medieval galleries, they turn a visit to a castle into a tour of the whole island's history.
What is the Street of the Knights outside the palace?
Although it lies outside the palace gate and is free to walk, the Street of the Knights is so bound up with a palace visit that it deserves a place on any list of what to see. This cobbled medieval street climbs in a straight line to the palace, and along it stand the auberges — the inns of the Order's national 'Tongues' of France, Italy, Spain, England, Provence, Auvergne and others — whose carved facades, doorways and coats of arms survive in exceptional condition. It is widely regarded as one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe, and walking up it is the classic prelude to the palace at its head.
Because the street is public and open at all times, you can enjoy it before or after your ticketed palace visit, and it is at its most atmospheric early in the morning or in the evening, when the cruise crowds have gone and the medieval facades stand almost as they did in the age of the Knights. Our concierge recommendation is to walk up the Street of the Knights slowly on your way to the palace, noting the inns and their heraldry, so the fortress arrives as the climax of a walk back in time — then, after the palace, to explore the wider walled Old Town around it, whose walls, gates, squares and lanes are all free to wander and complete the picture of the Knights' city.
Frequently asked
What are the main things to see at the Palace of the Grand Master?
The fortified twin-towered gate and inner courtyard; the grand vaulted halls of the upper floor with their timber ceilings and furnishings; the ancient mosaic floors brought from the island of Kos; and the two permanent exhibitions on ancient Rhodes and on medieval and early-Christian Rhodes.
What are the mosaics in the palace?
Superb ancient mosaic floors of coloured stone, depicting sea creatures, mythological figures and patterns, that run through many of the grand halls. They were brought from Hellenistic and Roman buildings on the island of Kos during the palace's 1930s reconstruction, so look down as well as up.
Are the two exhibitions included in my ticket?
Yes. Both permanent exhibitions inside the palace — one on ancient Rhodes, one on medieval and early-Christian Rhodes — are covered by your entry ticket, and together they span the island's whole history from antiquity to the age of the Knights.
Is the Street of the Knights part of the palace?
No — the Street of the Knights is a public medieval street outside the palace gate, free to walk at any time. It is the classic approach to the palace, lined with the old inns of the Order's Tongues, and a highlight in its own right.
How long do I need to see the palace?
Allow about one to one and a half hours for the gate and courtyard, the grand halls with their Kos mosaics, and the two exhibitions. Add more time to walk the Street of the Knights and the wider Old Town, which are free to explore.
Is the palace mostly indoors?
Yes. Apart from the courtyard, the palace is an indoor visit through cool, shaded halls, which makes it comfortable even in high summer — a contrast to the open-air archaeological sites of Greece. The sun-exposed part is the cobbled walk up through the Old Town.