Walking up “Odos Ippoton” (Street of Knights) you will see the Palace of the Grand Master which also functions as a Byzantine Museum. Opposite the palace and among the remains of various historical periods, you will also see the ruins of the Catholic church of St. John.
The Palace of the Grand Master was built at the place where the temple of the Sun God used to be. In the same place in the 7th century there used to be a Byzantine palace and then in the 14th century, the Knights of Saint John built the palace to be the residence of the Grand Master and an administrative center. It was destroyed in 1856 by a great explosion of gunpowder that was hidden in the basement of the Church of St. John.
The Palace of the Grand Master was reconstructed according to the original plans by the Italians in 1940. In 1988 it hosted the summit meeting of EEC and it occasionally hosts exhibitions and important cultural events.
Open hours
- Summer (1/4 - 31/10): 08.00-19.40 Tuesday - Sunday, Monday 09.00-15.40
- Winter (1/11 - 31/3): 08:30-15:00, closed on Mondays
Εισιτήρια
- general admission: 6 €
- Reduced fare ticket (for people over 65 years old who are European Union citizens): 3 €
- children less than 18 years old: free admission
