Intense, But Fun Day

IALYSOS- The Early Christian Baptistry; The Church of the Panayia; The Knights Monastery; Street of Golgotha (of the Martyrs)
 

We went to visite the region of Ialysos on the second day at the island. It was a long way for sure, but a great experience and fun day!

This region- the city-state of Ialysos- coveres all the northern part of the island, and includes the peninsula on which the city of Rhodes was founded in 408 BC. The strategic position of Ialysos was appreciated by the Byzantines, who fortified the hill, called Philerimos in the 13^th century- for military purposes. It was in the fortress that the Knights of St.John first established themselves before they spread out over the whole island.

The highest point of the hill is dominated today by a church dedicated to the Virgin and the monastery to which it belongs,built by the Knights on the site of an older Byzantine church, beyond the narthex, there are two side chapels with vaulted ceilings.  At the southern end of the building there are the ruins of an Early Christian cruciform baptistery.

Outside the archaeological site, towards the west, there is a road along which, in the first half of the 20^th century, the Italians placed twelve statues corresponding  to the Twelve Stations of the Cross in the Catholic religion. This Via Dolorosa (also known as Golgotha Road) ends at a plateau with a huge Cross, whence the visitors can have an impressive view out over this part of the island.

Me and my aunt(I love her so much)

12 Jesus steps 

We went up there!

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Love, Kiki