Ancient and Byzantine witnesses
Ancient Greece was characterized by a quest for rationality and harmony. Great importance was given to the search for ideal proportions, a formal quest that gave rise to the Greek orders. The Doric order is distinguished by its simplicity. The Ionic order, on the other hand, is characterized by elegance, lightness and scrolled capitals. These first two orders were followed by the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order, characteristic of the Hellenistic period. From then on, all buildings, not just temples, benefited from this formal research. Theaters and porticoes (galleries of columns) became increasingly common. Among the masterpieces of Greek Antiquity not to be missed: the Asclepieion (medical sanctuary) and theAgora (market and trading place) on the island of Kos, and above all the vast complex on the island of Lindos, comprising theAcropolis (religious and political center) and the Temple of Athena, enclosed by impressive propylaea (monumental porch). Roman Antiquity adopted Greek formal codes, but in a permanent quest for ostentation: in Kos and Rhodes-City, theaters, temples and Roman villas are a clear illustration of this.
The Byzantine era marked a break in continuity. Although Christianity became the source and purpose of all architecture, Byzantine architecture nonetheless embraced certain ancient formal codes. Byzantine religious buildings institutionalized the Greek cross basilica plan, and were also characterized by the use of domes and choirs with multiple apses. The numerous Byzantine churches of Patmos and Rhodes are fine examples.
Medieval power
The Dodecanese islands were the object of much envy. The Venetians and Genoese, adept at fortifications and defensive castles, left their mark. But it was above all the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem who left their lasting mark on the islands in the Middle Ages: some of these fortresses can still be visited today. The finest examples of this medieval architecture can be found on Rhodes and Patmos. Present in Rhodes between 1309 and 1522, the Knights built the castrum within the city, considered one of the finest urban ensembles of the Gothic period. Not-to-be-missed monuments include the Palace of the Grand Masters, the hospital and the inns of the Rue des Chevaliers. In the burgus, shopping and residential areas rub shoulders with Byzantine churches. The entire medieval city is surrounded by 4 km of ramparts. Note in particular the Porte d'Amboise, built in 1512, and its 12 m-thick curtain wall (a wall joining the flanks of two neighboring bastions). The medieval jewel of Patmos, however, is not to be missed, as it overlooks the town from the top of its ramparts: this is the monastery of St. John the Theologian, whose crenellated ridges and fortified towers overlook the entire island from the upper town perched on a hill. Inside the monastery, you'll find some primitive 11th-century features in the main church, or catholicon.
Ottoman influence and neoclassical wealth
Pragmatic, the Ottomans mainly sought to adapt existing structures and buildings. Churches were transformed into mosques, but the added minarets blended harmoniously into the landscape. Likewise, towns were equipped with public baths and hammams, as well as superb houses reflecting the social identity of their owners, most often wealthy merchants. This architecture was one of the vectors used by the Ottoman Empire to demonstrate its power. Among the finest examples of Ottoman architecture are the baths and mosques in Rhodes, notably the Mosque of Soliman. Beautiful merchants' houses can be seen in the old town's Ottoman quarter, Bourgos, around Sokratous Street.
The turn of the 20thcentury was a time of relative wealth, thanks to the calm restored to the region since Greek independence in 1830. The neoclassical style was in vogue in Europe at the time, particularly in the capital of the new Greek state, where King Otto I commissioned a German architect, Ernst Ziller, to design the city of Athens. A sign of opulence and social success, neoclassical architecture was adopted throughout the Dodecanese. Patrician mansions with wise pediments, wild mosaics and colorful facades flourished on the islands of Symi, Halki and Kastellorizo.
Italian domination
In 1912, the archipelago came under Italian rule. In terms of architecture, this Italian presence can be divided into two main periods. Until 1936, some islands were adorned with the colors of Italian eclecticism, while remaining in the line of Novecento. We can thus see buildings flourishing with the appearance of Venetian palaces or decorated with arabesques and domes in the Ottoman style, without forgetting the Gothic and Romanesque styles which are making a comeback. The port of Mandraki and the Catholic cathedral of Rhodes are very beautiful examples. During this period, the waterfronts of Kos and Rhodes were transformed into large promenades along which hotels and administrative buildings were found. During this period, aesthetics became the equal of functionality. Then, from 1936 to 1941, rationalism supplants eclecticism. Some even speak of architectural purification, as the new power wanted to erase all traces of eclecticism. The Hotel des Roses of Rhodes is thus stripped of its arabesques and its balusters. Simple, massive and standardized, such is the architecture of the time, as evidenced by the Archaeological Museum of Kos, the administrative buildings of Rhodes city or the port of Lakki in Leros (Porto Lago).
