Clan Rising
Feraklos Castle today

Greece · Ruin

Feraklos Castle

Feraklos Castle is a medieval fortress sitting on an 85 m-high rocky hill above the coastal village of Charaki on the east coast of Rhodes. Originating in the Byzantine period, it was held and rebuilt by the Knights Hospitaller in the 15th century and was captured by the Ottomans in 1523; it is now a ruined stronghold. The site consists of an irregular polygonal curtain wall enclosing a small hilltop plateau with surviving towers and a cistern.

Recreate this castle →Defend this castle →

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1490

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1490

What Feraklos Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a steep, rocky 85 m hill, the castle forms an irregular polygonal ring of roughly coursed stone walls following the craggy ridge. Surviving fabric includes two cylindrical towers and a single gateway on the southern side; much of the interior is open earth and rubble with a recessed stone cistern. The masonry is pale local limestone, the wall tops largely broken, and the ruined circuit overlooks the white seaside village and beaches below.

Its story

The story of Feraklos Castle.

Feraklos Castle sits on an 85-metre rocky hill above the coastal village of Charaki on the east coast of Rhodes. The fortress originated in the Byzantine period, the northern and western portions of its walls are still Byzantine work, and its irregular polygonal circuit runs 680 metres around a hilltop area of 1,700 square metres.

By 1408 the castle was in ruins. The Knights Hospitaller repaired it under Grand Masters Giovanni Battista Orsini (1467–76) and Pierre d'Aubusson (1476–1503) as a stronghold to protect the area and, in particular, watch over the anchorages at the Charaki and Agia Agathi beaches nearby. The Ottomans captured it in 1523; a single gate, two cylindrical towers in the southern walls and an interior cistern survive among the ruins.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1490.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Feraklos Castle, including 1 interior: recessed stone cistern. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the sea and beachApproach from Charaki village up the slopeSouthern gate with its cylindrical towersTop of the curtain wall and rampartsCentral interior plateau / courtyardRecessed stone cisternNorthern and western older masonry sectionsView from ramparts toward Charaki and Agia Agathi beaches

Build Your Own Castle

Recreate Feraklos Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1490, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

Recreate this castle →Defend this castle →

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Feraklos Castle.

Colossus of Rhodes, GreeceLandmarkColossus of Rhodes33 km away

Questions about Feraklos Castle

What is the history of Feraklos Castle?

Feraklos Castle originated in the Byzantine period as a fortress overlooking the area and the anchorages at Charaki and Agia Agathi. By 1408 it was in ruins, then the Knights Hospitaller repaired it under Giovanni Battista Orsini and Pierre d’Aubusson. The Ottomans captured it after a long siege in 1523, and it was subsequently abandoned.

What is inside Feraklos Castle?

Inside Feraklos Castle, the surviving features include an open hilltop plateau or courtyard and a recessed stone cistern. Much of the interior is earth and rubble, while the remains of the surrounding walls and southern gateway can also be seen.

Why was Feraklos Castle built, and what was it used for?

Feraklos Castle was built as a fortress to protect the surrounding area and watch the anchorages at Charaki and Agia Agathi. In 1474 it was also designated as a refuge for residents of nearby villages when danger threatened. Its later use ended after the Ottoman capture in 1523, because the Ottomans did not use the castle.

Where is Feraklos Castle?

Feraklos Castle is on the east coast of Rhodes, above the coastal village of Charaki. It stands on an 85-metre rocky hill overlooking Charaki and the nearby Agia Agathi beaches. Administratively, it is in Rodos Municipality.

Was Feraklos Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Feraklos Castle was attacked and fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1523 after a long siege. This occurred a few months after the capture of Rhodes. The Ottomans did not use the fortress, which was abandoned thereafter.

What did Feraklos Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Feraklos Castle formed an irregular polygonal ring of pale local limestone walls around a small hilltop plateau. The circuit followed the craggy ridge and included two cylindrical towers and a single southern gateway. Its walls enclosed about 1,700 square metres, with a perimeter of 680 metres.

Is Feraklos Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Feraklos Castle is now a ruin, with broken wall tops and much of the interior reduced to earth and rubble. The surviving remains include the irregular curtain wall, a southern gate, two cylindrical towers and an interior cistern. The northern and western wall sections are Byzantine, while other parts were added or altered by the Knights Hospitaller.

Who built Feraklos Castle?

Feraklos Castle was initially commissioned by the Byzantine Empire. The surviving northern and western wall sections date from the Byzantine period, while the Knights Hospitaller later repaired and modified other parts of the fortress under Giovanni Battista Orsini and Pierre d’Aubusson.

More castles of Greece

Kalamata Castle, GreeceKalamata CastleNew Navarino Fortress, GreeceNew Navarino FortressPalaiochora, GreecePalaiochora
All castles of Greece · Castles of Europe · the best castles in Europe · explore the finished reconstructions.