The Sea Gate, also called the Marine Gate (Pyli Thalassini), is the grand fortified entrance that leads from the commercial harbour into the medieval Old Town of Rhodes. Two round towers with battlements guard its arch, and above the opening a marble relief and three coats of arms record who built it: the Knights of St John, under Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson, in 1478, just two years before the Ottomans came to besiege the town.
The Sea Gate at a glance
- Where: on the harbour side of the Old Town walls, facing the commercial harbour, a short walk from Hippocrates Square.
- Built: 1478, under Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson of the Order of St John.
- By: the Knights of St John (Knights Hospitaller), who ruled Rhodes from the early 14th century until 1522.
- What it is today: one of the main pedestrian entrances to the Old Town, part of the Medieval City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes to look at both sides; more if you walk along the harbour to see the walls.
A gate built for a siege
The Knights of St John took Rhodes in the early 14th century and turned the town into one of the strongest fortresses in the Mediterranean. The harbour was its lifeline: supplies, pilgrims and reinforcements all came by sea. Pierre d'Aubusson, Grand Master from 1476, poured money into the defences, knowing the Ottoman Empire would attack. The Sea Gate was finished in 1478, a monumental entrance meant to impress as much as to protect. In 1480 an Ottoman fleet sent by Sultan Mehmed II besieged Rhodes for about three months, and the Knights, led by d'Aubusson, held out.
The second great siege, under Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522, ended differently: after six months the Knights surrendered and left the island at the start of 1523, and Rhodes stayed under Ottoman rule until the Italians took it in 1912. The gate came through the centuries largely intact, but it was badly damaged by bombing in 1944, during the Second World War. After the war, once the Dodecanese had joined Greece, it was restored by the Archaeological Service, and today it is one of the best-preserved gates of the walls.
What to look for
- The two round towers with battlements on either side of the arch, built to cover the entrance with fire from both sides.
- The marble relief above the gateway, showing the Virgin Mary between St Peter and St John.
- The three coats of arms below the relief: the royal arms of France in the centre, the cross of the Order on the left and d'Aubusson's own arms on the right.
- The thickness of the walls: walk slowly through the passage and notice how deep it is, then look back at the harbour framed by the arch.
- The harbour front: step out onto the quay and look along the walls in both directions to see how the gate fits into the Knights' sea defences.
Why the arms of France?
Many of the Knights, including d'Aubusson himself, came from France, and three of the Order's eight national groups, or 'tongues', were French: Provence, Auvergne and France. The royal arms placed in the place of honour, in the centre, reflect those close ties. Similar shields appear all over the Old Town: once you have spotted the three on the Sea Gate, look out for more above doors and on the walls of the Street of the Knights, each telling you which Grand Master or knight paid for the building.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning, when the sun lights the harbour face of the gate, or in the evening when the Old Town is cooler and quieter.
- See it from both sides: from the quay for the towers and relief, and from inside the walls for the view back to the sea.
- Old Town streets are cobbled and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes and take water in summer.
Nearby
- Hippocrates Square: the lively square just inside the walls, with its fountain and the Knights' building known as the Kastellania.
- Square of the Jewish Martyrs: a short walk east, with a memorial to the Jews of Rhodes who were deported in 1944.
- Archaeological Museum of Rhodes: housed in the Knights' former hospital, with ancient finds from the island.
- Street of the Knights: the medieval street lined with the inns of the Order's national groups, climbing up to the Palace of the Grand Master.
See Rhodes with World City Trail
Our Rhodes scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 30 minutes of walking. Among the places it includes are the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish and Greek.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Rhodes.
Play the Rhodes scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Rhodes →
Play the outdoor escape game in Rhodes →
Facts checked in October 2026.