The medieval city of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, developed without specific urban planning around the fortress-acropolis of Rhodes City, probably after the earthquake of 515. The fortress was divided into two distinct urban forms, Kollakio to the north and Chora to the south. In Kollakio there is the well-known Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master or Castello, the Hospital which has been converted into a museum, the temples of the Order and other important buildings. In Chora there is the Turkish bazaar around the Suleiman Mosque, the old market and other buildings of tourist interest.

According to the brief description on the official UNESCO website, the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes by purchase for two centuries, from 1309 to 1523, transforming the city into a powerful fortress, due to the particular fluidity and extensive conflicts of the era. Later the city was successively under Turkish and Italian occupation. It is considered one of the oldest active medieval cities and a meeting point of many cultures.