Description of the attraction
One of the most interesting islands of the Dodecanese (Southern Sporades) archipelago, which is definitely worth a visit, is the legendary Greek island of Kos. It is believed that the first inhabitants of Kos were the Carians, displaced around the 11th century by the Dorians, who brought with them the cult of the god of healing Asclepius, largely thanks to which the fame of this island subsequently spread far beyond the borders of modern Greece.
It is known that Kos, together with such cities of Rhodes as Lindos, Kamiros and Ialyssos, as well as Asia Minor Cnidus and Halicarnassus, for a rather long time was in the religious and political amphictyony - "Dorian hexapolis". At the end of the 6th century, Kos fell into the power of the Persians, and after their final exile, it joined the Delian Union (also known as the First Athenian Maritime Union) and after the uprising of Rhodes served as the main Athenian base in the southeastern Aegean Sea (411-407 years BC).
By 366 BC. on the northeastern coast of Kos, a new city was erected, which became the capital of the island and also received the name "Kos". Ancient Kos was built on the principle of the urban planning system of Hippodamus of Miletus, widely known by that time, and was surrounded by a massive fortress wall, about 4 km long. In the northern part of the city, next to the harbor, there was the ancient Agora, and to the west of it - various religious and public buildings (sanctuaries, odeon, gymnasiums, etc.), while residential buildings mainly occupied the eastern and southern parts of the city. In the Hellenistic era, when the island became not only an important naval outpost, but also a major commercial, cultural and educational center, the city flourished, having thoroughly strengthened its position during the time of Alexander the Great and the Egyptian Ptolemies. However, the Roman period was also a very favorable time for the city. Ancient Kos was almost completely destroyed during a strong earthquake in 469 AD. and gradually a new city arose in its place.
In 1933, a devastating earthquake destroyed most of the city of Kos, while revealing to the world Kos from ancient times. The Italians, who dominated the island at that time, made every effort to restore the city and at least partially preserve its main attractions (including the famous castle of the Knights of John and the Gazi Hasan Pasha Mosque), and also financed the archaeological excavations of ancient Kos.
Today, the ruins of the Ancient Kos are one of the main and most popular local attractions, as well as an important archaeological site, where you can see the ruins of the temples of Aphrodite and Hercules, fragments of the fortress walls of the ancient city (supposedly destroyed in 142 AD), the ruins of the Forum and the ancient theater, the famous Roman house of Casa Romana with magnificent floor mosaics, as well as a Christian basilica dating back to the 5th century, and much more.
