The 15th Century Monolithos (Greek: Μονόλιθος) Castle sits on top of Monopetra, a blunted needle of grey rock rising precipitously to 774ft (236m) some 73 kilometers from Rhodes Town on the beautiful Greek Island of Rhodes.

The castle was built by the Grand Master d’Aubusson of the Knights of Saint John in 1480 to serve as a shield for this area against the threats of pirates and other enemies.

In the middle of the castle is a white chapel dedicated to Ayios Panteleimonas (Saint Panteleimon) and another smaller chapel, both ruined today. There are also some old cisterns, which were used to collect water and supply the whole area.

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese group of Greek islands.

Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA)
Lens: Sigma 70-300mm

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Three RAW images individually Tonemapped in Photomatix 3.2.9 then Photomerged in Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.

Related shots can be found at Rhodes, Greece or Eastern Meditteranean.

Featured in : All That’s Archaeology : 19 Nov 10