There are 11 gates to access the old city. Some of them are ancient, some are modern. The ancient gate of Saint George was closed by the Grand Master d'Aubusson after the siege of 1480 and transformed into a bastion. Starting from the
Palace of the Grand Master that is from North-West towards the South they are:
Gate d’Amboise The d’Amboise Gate () is a grand gate just below the Palace of the Grand Master. It has a triple defensive belt with chemins de ronde, two round towers and covered entrance. Remains of the ancient studded wood doors are still visible. The Saint George bastion, pentagonal in shape, covered with its cannons the access through the gate.
Gate of Saint Athanasios The Gate of St Athanasios (Πύλη Αγίου Αθανασίου) was built between 1441 and 1442. It is also known to locals as Saint Francis Gate since the church of Saint Francis of Assisi, built by the Italians, is just outside the gate. The round tower of Saint Mary that controlled the entrance to the gate was built in 1441 by the Grand Master
Jean de Lastic According to the Turkish tradition the troops of the conqueror
Suleiman the Magnificent entered Rhodes through this gate. The gate was closed by the sultan who wished to avoid that any other conqueror could pass after him. Probably the door was closed by the Hospitallers for security reasons. It was re-opened by the Italians in 1922 during the 400th anniversary of the conquest of Rhodes by the Ottomans.
Gate of Saint John The Gate of St John (Πύλη Αγίου Ιωάννου) is commonly known as
Koshkinou or
Porta Kokkini (Πόρτα Κόκκινη, "red door"). According to the tradition during the siege of 1522 there were so many fallen men in front of this gate that the stones were dyed red. The external fortification of the Gate of Saint John was built by the Grand Master d'Aubusson to protect the previous fortifications built by Grand Masters Fluvian,
Jacques de Milly and
Pedro Raimundo Zacosta. In 1912 Italian troops entered the town through this gate. A frame which is currently empty, hosted a commemorative stone.
Acandia Gate The Acandia Gate (Πύλη Ακαντιάς) was opened by the Italian administration in 1935 in the segment of fortifications to the North-East of the Del Carretto bastion to connect the commercial harbour with the South-East zone of the town beyond the medieval town. For the occasion a new street was outlined (
via Del Carretto, nowadays Alhadeff Street) to connect Acandia Gate with the Gate of the Virgin.
Gate of Saint Catherine The Gate of St Catherine (Πύλη της Αγίας Αικατερίνης) is also known as the Windmills Gate, since it allowed to reach the grain mills on the harbour mole from the commercial part of the town.
Gate of the Virgin The Gate of the Virgin (Πύλη Παναγίας) is a modern gate, envisaged in the town master plan by the Italian administration to allow vehicle traffic, but opened only in 1955 by the Greek administration. Its name comes from the nearby church of the Virgin of the Burgh (or Virgin of
Chora, meaning "main town"), The name "Burgh" comes from the
bourgeois (as opposed to Knights) who inhabited this part of the town.
Marine Gate of the Marine Gate The Marine or Sea Gate (Πύλη Θαλασσινή) was the main entrance to the town from the harbour. Its defensive towers have a representative task more than defence in facts due to the reduced space between the waterfront and the walls no army could have ever attempted an attack from this side of the fortifications. During
World War II the
Allied bombings destroyed the upper part of the North tower. In 1951 the gate was restored by the Greek administration together with the Gate of Saint Paul.
Arnaldo Gate The Arnaldo Gate (Πύλη Αρνάλδου) is a small gate that gives access to the New Hospital of Saint John, which hosts currently the
Archaeological Museum of Rhodes.
Gate of the Arsenal The Gate (in Greek: Πύλη Ταρσανά) was built during the 14th century by the Grand Master
Juan Fernandez de Heredia whose coat of arms stands on top of the gate. In 1908 the Ottoman administration demolished the side towers to widen the access road to the Kolona harbour. Today thanks to the direct connection with the Liberty gate it allows a fast flow of vehicles between the Kolona harbour and the new town.
Gate of Saint Paul The Gate (in Greek: Πύλη Αγίου Παύλου) was built in the second half of the 15th century to allow the access to the fortified city and the Kolona harbour. The Gate of Saint Paul was almost completely demolished during World War II and was rebuilt together with Marine Gate in 1951.
Liberty Gate The Liberty Gate (Πύλη Ελευθερίας) was opened by the Italians in 1924, who portrayed themselves as liberators from Ottoman rule. It is the main access to the Kolona harbour and allows the connection between the Kolona and Mandraki harbours. Although it is a modern gate it was built respecting the architectural style of the medieval gates. The road that crosses it continues through the Arsenal gate. ==Bastions and towers==