Churches

There 29 extant churches in the city of medieval Rhodes. It is estimated that as the beginning of the 16th c., prior to the islands capture by the Turks, this number was in the region of 35 to 37. There are further 23 churches outside the walls, in the gardens surrounding the city. Of the churches inside the medieval city, about seven were built before the time of the Knights, such as Our Lady of the Castle, St. Fanourios, St Konstantinos e.t.c

Western European architectural type

ur Lady of the Burg
At the east edge of the medieval city, in the Jewish quarter, the ruins of another two churches of western European type are visible: “Our Lady of the Burg” and “Our Lady of Victory”. From the church of “Our Lady of the Burg” (Panayia tou Bourgou), the three apses are preserved in their entire height, as well as the west wall and remnants of the side chapels.

It is approximately 30m. long (excluding the apses of the sanctuary), about 14m. wide and quite possibly had a transept. The church was built in the late 14th, early 15th c. “Our Lady of Victory” was built to honour the Virgin who helped the Knights overcome the Turks in the great siege of 1480. Nowadays it is completely ruined and only some traces of the cross vaults are discernible.