Walking up the street of the Knights, at the top of it and on the right is the Palace of the Grand Master, which also serves as a Byzantine Museum. Opposite of the palace, the visitors can spot the ruins of the Catholic Church of St. John among other ruins from different historical periods.
The Palace of the Grand Master was built under the Acropolis of Ancient Rhodes where the Temple of the Sun God was originally located. In the same area, in the 7th century, there was also a Byzantine palace, and then in the 14th century the Knights of St. John built the palace as the residence of the Grand Master as their administrative center.
The palace was destroyed in 1856 by a large explosion of gunpowder hidden in the basement of the St. John's church. Then it was rebuilt according to the original plans of the Italians in 1940. In 1988 it hosted the summit of the EEC. Occasionally it organizes exhibitions and others cultural events.
