 Kos
is the island that gave the world Hippocrates, the
father of medicine. The third largest of the Dodecanese,
it is long and narrow in shape, mostly flat with two low
mountains, Dikaio (875 m.) and Simpatro that run along
its southern coast.
It lies south of Kalimnos and was first
inhabited in the Neolithic era. In 700 B.C., it joined
together with Lindos, Kameiros, Ialyssos, Knidos and
Halikarnassos to found the Dorian Hexapolis.
In the 4th century B.C., ns Asklepieion
became famous as the leading “hospital” of antiquity.
The capital, Kos, is situated in a
verdant district on the northeast of the island, at the
back of an open bay. Around the port you can still see
the ruins of the ancient city and the castle, built
between 1450 and 1478 after the Knights of St. John took
over the island.
Excavations in the ancient city brought
to light building foundations of the Classical era (e.g.
the Agora) and of Hellenistic and Roman times (the
Gymnasium, Odeon, Roman baths, a Roman mansion with
beautiful mosaics), sections of wall from the ClassicaJ
period, the foundations of a temple of Aphrodite and
another temple, probably dedicated to Heracles.
The rest of the town is modern and well –
laid – out, with contemporary buildings, hotels and
avenues lined with palm trees. In a lush area 4
kilometres west of town, you’ll find the Asklepieion (Asklipiio)
or Sanctuary of Asklepios. Its buildings, owing to the
slope of the site, stand on four different terraces
united by a marble staircase. The view from the highest
one is stunning.
The most important structure is the
temple of Asklepios, a Doric peripteral temple erected
in the 2nd century B.C. Other buildings include the Stoa
(Colonnade), which housed Hippocrates’ medical school
and the Bomos or Great Altar (3rd century B.C.), which
was decorated with sculptures attributed to the son of
Praxiteles.
During your visit to Kos, it would be
well worth your while to visit the pretty villages,
which are scattered round the island. Among them are
Asfendiou, 14 kilometres southwest of town, built on the
slopes of Mt. Dikaio overlooking the sea; Pili, further
south, with its ruined Byzantine castle and the Ypapanti
church within it; Andimahia, perched on a plateau in the
middle of the island; Thermes, with its hot springs and
spa and Kardamena, a seaside resort, both on the east
coast; Tingaki (near the airport), Marmari, and
Mastihari, Kos’s second harbour, on the north coast; and
finally Kefalos on the southwest coast with its splendid
beach. The ruins of the ancient town of Astypalaia can
be seen at the district known as Palatia nearby.
You’ll find wonderful beaches all over
the island. You can reach the closer ones by bicycle, a
popular means of getting around on Kos.
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