Kos Tourist Attractions

The Knights' Castle is an impressive medieval building built C. 1450 -1478 by the knights of St. John on the ruins of the ancient wall.The Castle houses a small collection of Classical sculptures as well as inscriptions of the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and early Christian period.

On the south side of the Castle of the Knights on the island of Kos is Hippokrates' Plane-Tree, under which Hippokrates is traditionally believed to have taught his disciples. In fact, however, the mighty tree, with a girth of 12m/40ft, is only some 500 years old. To the south of the tree is the ancient Agora, on the west side of which are the charming Defterdar Mosque (18th C.), with Hellenistic and Byzantine columns, and the Archeological Museum, which, among much else, displays the most recent finds from the Asklepieion.

Southwest of the harbor on the island of Kos are the remains of Hellenistic and Roman baths. To the south and southwest of the town are remains of a temple of Dionysos, the Gymnasion and Stadion (Hellenistic), the Roman Odeion, the Hellenistic and Roman Theater and a reconstructed Roman villa of the A.D. third century, the Casa Romana, with fine mosaics.

The Ippokratia Festival is held in Kos every August. There are theatrical performances, evening concerts, a flower show, folk art, and a presentation of the Hippocratic Oath.