The old town of Rhodes is one of the best preserved medieval towns in the world. It is a UNESCO listed site, and was an extremely important trading gateway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. In 1305, the Knights of St John claimed the island as their base after their expulsion from Jerusalem, and developed most of the infrastructure and buildings remaining in the old town today. The Knights fought two major sieges in and around Rhodes - the first in 1480 when they successfully defended the island. The second siege in 1521 saw Suleiman the Magnificent successfully conquer the city and the Ottomans rules for the next few centuries. The Knights sailed further west and made their home in Malta.
One of the biggest and bloodiest battles in the siege of 1521 occurred at Redgate, which was known as Koskinou bridge at the time. More than 15,000 lives were lost in and around the bridge, and the moat was described as a river of blood.