Date updated: August 29, 2026
The Palace of the Grand Master is an imposing structure with some beautiful mosaic tile floors, among other things. I don’t know why I didn’t come here the first time I was on Rhodes.
The Palace of the Grand Master (of the Order of the Knights of Saint John) was built in the 14th century by the Knights and served as the residence of the leader of the Order and an administrative center. The interior was restored by the Italians during the Italian occupation in the 1930s. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ground floor has exhibitions on ancient and medieval Rhodes. The upper floor — where most of these photos were taken — has mosaic floors moved from the island of Kos and medieval furnishings. Official tickets can be purchased from the Hellenic Heritage site. You need to choose a timeslot.
The palace entrance is awe inspiring. Walk by it, even if you don’t go inside.
From the modern chairs in the courtyard it looks like they hold performances there.
The ground floor had a museum. The impressive entrance stairs provide a taste of what’s to follow.
Some of the floor mosaics are huge. The statues are varied by age and theme.
I don’t know the significance of the this relief on the wall but it looks cool.
There is a variety of mosaics and they’re incredibly detailed.
The ceilings are also in a variety of styles and patterns too.
The seating was beautiful, if not exactly comfortable looking.
Trunks were the other type of furniture in the first series of grand rooms.
Graceful arches in the larger rooms.
We also saw beautiful chandeliers in different sizes and styles.
We saw several examples of onyx windows. Not as practical as glass, but more beautiful.
As you move into the smaller rooms you see more modern tile and painted details on the walls, along with more furniture.
You’ll need to zoom in to see the detail on the painted trim around the door.
This table is giving me inspiration for redoing our kitchen table.
Most rooms have seats or shelves (we’re not sure which) built into the deep window nooks. And we think that room bottom right was the dentist’s waiting room or something.
This was one of the more impressive chandeliers. And we can’t imagine the effort that went into that not-square ceiling.
One room held a display of uniforms.
Exiting the side of the palace you can see good examples of scuppers, cannon, and one way to hold ancient stones together.
