Exploring Rhodes’ Religious Past

Follow a theology expert through medieval Rhodes and explore the mosques, synagogues and churches that reveal the city’s history and religious tolerance. After departing from the pier, you will soon pause for photos at Monte Smith, a hilltop named for a distinguished British admiral in the French Revolutionary Wars. From this spectacular vantage point, you will enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Rhodes, the Temple of Apollo and a stadium from the Hellenistic period built on the slopes of Monte Smith. You will then enter the medieval section of Rhodes through the St. Athanasios Gate, which leads to a treasure-trove of religious sites.

The theology expert guide will elaborate on how the various denominations peacefully coexisted side by side. You will see a mosque built during the 16th-century rule of Ibrahim Pasha, the oldest synagogue in Greece, and Catholic Church of Santa Maria, which features beautiful frescoes. Other religious highlights include the Orthodox church of St. Fanourios. It is easy to differentiate the different architectural styles within the latter, as the ruling Ottomans and Italians made several additions over the centuries. The Church of St. Fanourios still functions as the parish church. Following your immersion into the diverse religions that have been practiced in Rhodes, you will pause for a snack at a café before returning to the pier.