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KOS ISLAND GREECE - THE KNIGHTS' CASTLE - NERATZIA CASTLE

The island was originally colonized by the Carians. A contingent from Kos participated in the War of Troy; Dorians invaded it in the eleventh century BC establishing a Dorian colony. Wine and silk were Kos island's greatest valuables.

Prosperity was at its peak in the Hellenistic age. Kos was preferred for the education of the Ptolemy dynasty princes. The most famous resident of Kos island was Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Other famous residents of the island were: Apelles the painter and Philitas and Theocrit, who were poets.

Kos has been described as a fortified port. Its position gave it great importance in trade in the Aegean Sea, while the island itself was rich in wine. Except for occasional incursions of corsairs and some severe earthquakes, the island's peace was rarely disturbed. Following the example of its neighbor island Rhodes, Kos showed a friendly attitude towards the Romans. The island was conquered later by the Venetians, who then sold it to the Hospitable Rhodes Knights (Knights of St. John) in 1315. Two hundred years later, the Knights faced the threat of Turkish invasion and abandoned the island in 1523, letting it be concuered by the Ottoman Empire. Ottomans led Kos 400 years until it was occupied by Italy in 1912. In World War II, the island was taken over by Germany until 1945, when it became a protectorate of the United Kingdom, which gave the island to Greece in 1947.

The Knights' Castle, also known as Neratzia Castle, is located at the entrance of Kos dock, in a place where, in antiquity the island was communicating with the inland through a bridge than can still be seen today.
The castle consists of two courtyards defense. The interior has four circular towers. The two courts are separated by a ditch with water and are connected by a drawbridge.

Quick useful information

Cosmetics for women are very expensive here. The foundation cream here is around 20 euros. Favourite terrasses and beach clubs: Nostos, Mylos, Galateas, Da Capo; The best italian restaurant on the island: Mezzaluna

Kos island -Greece - The holiday of your dreams - Perfect Greece vacation