Kos Asclepieion

Location: Town

Built on the slopes of a low verdant hill about 4 kilometers from Kos Town, the Asclepieion of Kos was one of the most renowned healing temples in ancient Greece, and is now considerered the most significant archaeological sight on the entire island.

In antiquity, the asclepieia were dedicated to the worship of Asclepius, the god of medicine, and served as places of healing and medical training. In fact, Hippocrates, one of the most prominent ancient Greek physicians credited as the Father of Medicine, established his school in the Asclepieion of Kos, imparting his medical knowledge.

The Asclepieion of Kos was founded at some point during the Hellenistic times, after the 4th century BC, on a site which had formerly been associated with the cult of Apollo (Asclepius’ father), Zeus, Athena and the healing deity Paeon. It was gradually constructed on three terraces, the second of which houses the ruins of a 4th-century altar. Being the oldest construction of the complex, it was adorned with beautiful sculptures crafted by the sons of Praxiteles, one of the greatest Athenian sculptors.

On the lowest level, visitors will find an Ionic temple, the oldest of the two dedicated to Asclepius, and a reserved area in which the patients slept with the hope that the god would appear in their dreams and indicate the treatment. The priests’ quarters and a small temple of Apollo are also located nearby. The latter has been partly restored, and seven of its pillars now stand proudly once again, defying the wear of time.

At the beginning of the 2nd century BC, the Asclepieion came under the protection of King Eumenes II of Pergamos, and it was then that it received its current monumental form. A splendid Doric temple of Asclepius was constructed, along with an imposing staircase that connected the three levels. The wooden galleries with rooms for the patients were replaced by Doric ones, while a majestic propylaeum was added to the lower terrace.

During the Roman times, the complex was enriched with thermae and libraries, but the Asclepieion gradually declined after the earthquakes that hit the island in 469 and 554 AD. A church in honor of Panagia tou Alsous (the Virgin Mary of the Grove) was also erected in the antechamber of the Doric temple during the early Christian times, but all that has survived of it is a capital. Later, during the rule of the Knights of Saint John, parts of the sanctuary were used as building material for the Nerantzia Castle, so that further destruction was wreaked.

Archaeological research for the discovery of the Asclepieion began as early as the late 19th century, and during the 1930s, excavations were carried out by Italian archaeologists, who restored the monuments, giving them their current form.

Bonus info: So renowned was the Asclepieion of Kos that, after 242 BC, it was recognized as an asylum for those fleeing wars or other dangers. Asclepieian Games also began to be celebrated, involving music and sports contests with participants from all Greek city-states.