🛁 Turkish Bath (Hammam)

As you stroll through the center of Kos Town, it's easy to overlook it. It has neither the dome of a mosque nor the elegant silhouette of a minaret. From the outside, it appears quite modest, and most visitors pass by without realizing that it is one of the island's most valuable Ottoman-era monuments.

For centuries, this building served as a public hammam, or Turkish bath.

💧 More Than Just a Place to Bathe

In Ottoman culture, hammams played a much greater role than modern bathhouses. They were places for daily hygiene, but also for socializing, conversation, and relaxation.

For many people, they were an important part of everyday community life.

Interestingly, the hammam preserved on Kos was reserved for women. It was here that the women of the town gathered—not only to bathe, but also to chat, exchange news, take a break from their daily routines, and prepare for important family celebrations. For many, it was one of the few places where they could spend time exclusively in the company of other women.

It is no surprise, then, that almost every larger settlement in the Ottoman Empire had its own hammam.

🏛️ A Unique Monument in the Dodecanese

Kos was particularly fortunate. The island is home to the only surviving public Ottoman hammam in the Dodecanese.

Its exact date of construction remains unknown. What is certain is that, for many years, it served as a public bathhouse for the women of Kos Town.

After the Second World War, the building ceased to serve its original purpose. For a time, it was used as a salt warehouse, which is why information boards still refer to it as the Salt Warehouse.

📌 Why Is It Called the "Salt Warehouse"?

Although the information board identifies the building as the Salt Warehouse, that was only a brief chapter in its long history.

For centuries, this was a public hammam—a Turkish bath where local residents came not only to wash, but also to meet friends, relax, and enjoy an important part of everyday social life.

🌿 The Ottomans Left Behind More Than Just Monuments

Although Ottoman rule ended more than a century ago, its legacy can still be discovered as you walk through Kos. Not all of it takes the form of historic buildings. Sometimes, it is much easier to find... on your plate, in a cup of coffee, or in the everyday customs of the island's residents.

☕ Greek Coffee... with Ottoman Roots

Although Greeks today call it Greek coffee, the method of preparing it comes from the Ottoman tradition. Finely ground coffee is brewed in a small briki and served with the characteristic coffee grounds settling at the bottom of the cup.

Until just a few decades ago, it was commonly known as Turkish coffee. Today, for historical and political reasons, the term Greek coffee is used almost exclusively in Greece.

🍯 Sweets the Greeks Came to Love

Baklava, kataifi, and loukoumi are often associated with Greece, yet their history dates back to the Ottoman Empire.

For centuries, Greek and Turkish cuisines influenced one another. Even today, it is difficult to say with certainty which dishes are "Greek" and which are "Turkish." For the people of Kos, they are simply part of the island's culinary heritage.

🧿 The Evil Eye You'll See Almost Everywhere

As you explore Kos, you'll quickly notice small blue pendants, bracelets, and amulets featuring the familiar eye symbol. In Greek, it is called mati (μάτι), meaning "eye," while in Turkey it is known as nazar boncuğu.

The amulet is believed to protect against the evil eye—envy and negative energy directed, consciously or unconsciously, by others. This belief is far older than the Ottoman Empire itself, but it was through the empire that the symbol spread across much of the region, including the Greek islands.

Today, the blue eye can be seen almost everywhere—above house entrances, inside cars, on fishing boats, and in souvenir shops. For some, it is a protective talisman; for others, it has become one of the best-known symbols of Greece and Turkey.

📌 Did You Know?

On Kos, blue eye amulets are bought by both locals and visitors. For some, they offer protection; for others, they are simply one of the island's most popular souvenirs.

🏛️ Stone That Remembers Different Eras

As you walk through the town, take a closer look at the architectural details.

The Ottomans often reused marble elements taken from ancient temples or Byzantine buildings. As a result, a single mosque may contain architectural fragments that are nearly two thousand years old.

Some of the best examples are the stone lion built into the wall of the Gazi Hassan Pasha Mosque and the fountain beside the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, which was created from an ancient marble sarcophagus.

💧 Fountains Instead of Water Pipelines

During the Ottoman period, public fountains played a far more important role than they do today.

They supplied water to local residents, provided facilities for ritual ablutions before prayer, and served as natural gathering places for the community.

Several of these historic fountains can still be discovered while exploring the Old Town.

🏘️ A Town Shaped by Centuries

Today's Kos Town is a mosaic of many cultures.

Beside the Ancient Agora stand Ottoman mosques. Just a short walk away are Italian buildings dating from the interwar period, while overlooking the harbor rises the medieval Castle of the Knights Hospitaller.

It is this remarkable diversity that makes a walk through Kos Town feel like a journey through successive chapters of history.

🤝 A Shared History

The history of Greeks and Turks has never been a simple one. It includes wars, conflicts, and long years of foreign rule. Yet for almost four centuries, the two communities lived side by side, leaving behind traces that remain visible to this day.

That is why, when exploring Kos, it is worth looking beyond the monuments. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, traditional sweets, stone fountains, and narrow streets all remind us that the history of this island is anything but black and white. It has been shaped by generations of people from different cultures and faiths.

🗼 The Freestanding Minaret

As you stroll through Diagoras Square, it's easy to focus on the charming tavernas, cafés, and shops. But look a little higher, and you'll notice a slender stone tower standing alone among the modern buildings.

It is one of the most unusual Ottoman monuments on Kos.

Today, the minaret seems somewhat out of place. In reality, for centuries it formed part of the island's oldest mosque—Bab Gedid, also known as Eski Camii, or the Old Mosque.

📜 A Reminder of the Island's Oldest Mosque

Historians believe the mosque was built around 1586. If this date is correct, it would mean that the Ottomans constructed their first mosque on Kos more than sixty years after Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent conquered the island.

Today, it is difficult to imagine that the area surrounding the minaret was once the heart of a densely populated Muslim quarter. The mosque itself most likely stood about 50 meters to the north, within the former citadel. Nearby was also a fountain where worshippers performed their ritual ablutions before prayer.

Almost nothing of the entire complex has survived.

Only the minaret remains.

🌍 Twenty-Seven Seconds That Changed the Town

On 23 April 1933, the northern part of Kos was struck by one of the strongest earthquakes in the island's history. Although it lasted only 27 seconds, it destroyed a large part of the town.

The Bab Gedid Mosque was badly damaged. The Italian authorities, who governed the island at the time, decided to demolish the building. Only the minaret was spared, preserved as a reminder of the oldest mosque on Kos.

👀 What Should You Look For?

The surviving tower stands about 11 meters tall and has an octagonal design. Near the top, you can still see the small balcony from which the muezzin once called the faithful to prayer five times a day.

At the foot of the minaret, you'll find a small fountain with a water tap and an information plaque explaining that this is the only surviving part of the former Eski Camii Mosque.

📌 Did You Know?

Today, Diagoras Square is best known for its restaurants, cafés, and lively evening atmosphere. Few visitors realize that, for centuries, this was the heart of Kos Town's Muslim quarter. The solitary minaret is the last surviving witness to that chapter of the island's history.

Sometimes the most fascinating monuments are neither the largest nor the most spectacular. This lonely minaret reminds us that the history of a town is shaped not only by the buildings that have survived, but also by those that have disappeared forever.

⚰️ The Forgotten Tomb of Osman Pasha

On the harbor side, just beside the entrance to the square with the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, stands a small Ottoman tomb that most visitors pass without even noticing.

According to the information plaque, this is the burial place of Haji Osman Pasha. Today, the tomb is neglected and easy to overlook, yet it serves as another reminder that the area around the Plane Tree of Hippocrates was, for centuries, an important center of life in Kos Town—for both the Greek population and the island's Muslim community.

📌 Did You Know?

Within a radius of just a few dozen meters, you can discover almost every major chapter in the history of Kos. Beside the ancient Plane Tree of Hippocrates and the ruins of the Ancient Agora stand an Ottoman mosque and Italian buildings from the early 20th century, while only a short walk away rises the medieval Castle of Neratzia.

It is one of the best places on the island to see how Kos Town has evolved over more than two thousand years.

💧 Ottoman Fountains

In Ottoman culture, fountains served a far greater purpose than simply providing water. They were an essential part of everyday life, and those located beside mosques allowed worshippers to perform the ritual ablutions before prayer. Several of these historic fountains can still be found in Kos Town today.

💧 A Fountain That Has Almost Disappeared

Until recently, one of the finest Ottoman fountains on Kos stood in front of the mosque (pictured above). It had a fourteen-sided design and was crowned by a dome supported by seven columns.

Like other mosque fountains, it was used by worshippers for ritual ablutions before prayer. Careful observers will notice that its construction incorporated marble elements taken from older buildings, most likely dating back to antiquity.

The powerful earthquake of 2017 almost completely destroyed the fountain. Even so, the surviving fragments allow visitors to imagine how impressive it looked only a few years ago.

💧 The Hippocrates Fountain

Most visitors stop here to photograph the famous Plane Tree of Hippocrates. Yet, beside the tree's northern fence stands an unassuming marble fountain with a remarkable story.

It was created from an ancient marble sarcophagus that was transformed into a fountain during the Ottoman period. An Arabic inscription on its front refers to the water flowing from it as the "Water of Hippocrates," a reference to the legendary plane tree growing nearby.

It is one of the most fascinating examples of the Ottomans reusing ancient architectural elements. In this single monument, two distant eras come together—Ancient Greece and the period of Ottoman rule.

Although most visitors walk past without a second glance, it is well worth pausing here for a moment. This modest fountain reminds us that the history of Kos is not made up of isolated chapters. Successive civilizations did not simply build new monuments—they often adapted and transformed what earlier generations had left behind.

🕌 Gazi Hassan Pasha Mosque

Just a few steps from the Plane Tree of Hippocrates stands the second of Kos Town's most important mosques. Built in the late 18th century at the initiative of Gazi Hassan Pasha, it served for many years as one of the main places of worship for the island's Muslim community.

Although it has remained closed for many years, it still impresses visitors with architectural details that are difficult to find at the nearby Defterdar Mosque.

👀 What Should You Look For?

At first glance, the building appears quite simple—a solid, two-story rectangular structure topped with a hipped roof.

But take a closer look, and you'll notice a wealth of decorative details.

The most distinctive features are the tall windows crowned with elegant marble arches made from two contrasting colors of stone.

Be sure to admire the entrance portal leading to the main prayer hall on the upper floor. It is far more elaborate than the one at Defterdar Mosque, reflecting the importance placed on the mosque's prestigious appearance.

Fortunately, the earthquakes spared the tall minaret, which still rises above the surrounding area and serves as a reminder of the nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule on the island.

🦁 The Stone Lion on the Wall of Gazi Hassan Pasha Mosque

As you walk around the mosque, it's easy to overlook one of its most intriguing details. Embedded in the wall is a stone lion depicted lying down, its head resting on its paws.

It was most likely not carved specifically for the mosque. Instead, it is a spolium—an architectural element taken from a much older structure and reused during the construction or renovation of the mosque.

You can find several similar examples on Kos. For centuries, successive civilizations reused stone from the ruins of earlier buildings, creating places where traces of different eras exist side by side.

🕌 Defterdar Ibrahim Pasha Mosque

As you stroll across Eleftherias Square, it's almost impossible to miss it. Although today it catches the eye with its calm, light-colored façade, for nearly three centuries it was one of the most important mosques on Kos.

Standing beside the Archaeological Museum and the former market hall, it serves as a reminder of the time when the island was part of the Ottoman Empire.

According to some historians, the mosque was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Paraskevi. However, this theory is not universally accepted. What is certain is that the mosque was commissioned by Ibrahim Efendi, who held the position of Defterdar—the Minister of Finance of the Ottoman Empire. The mosque takes its name from his official title.

👀 What Should You Look For?

At first glance, the building appears quite simple.

Take a closer look.

The ground floor was constructed from large, carefully cut stone blocks, while the upper level was built with smaller blocks of stone. This distinctive building technique can be seen in many Ottoman structures throughout the Dodecanese Islands.

Today, it is difficult to imagine what the mosque once looked like. For centuries, it featured a tall minaret from which the muezzin called the faithful to prayer five times a day.

Nearby stood a fountain used for the ritual ablutions performed before entering the mosque. Almost nothing remains of the original covered portico, once supported by graceful arches and columns.

🌍 Marked by Earthquakes

The history of the mosque is also the history of the earthquakes that repeatedly reshaped Kos Town.

The building suffered severe damage during the powerful earthquakes of 1926 and 1933. During the Italian administration, extensive restoration work was carried out, including the reconstruction of the upper section of the minaret.

Another major earthquake struck Kos in July 2017. This time, the damage was even more severe. The minaret collapsed almost completely, while the fountain and parts of the mosque itself were also badly damaged.

For the past several years, conservation and restoration work has been underway to preserve one of the island's most important Ottoman-era monuments.

📌 Can You Visit the Mosque?

Following the 2017 earthquake, the mosque remained closed for many years while restoration work was carried out. Before your visit, it is worth checking whether it has reopened to the public.

🕌 Mosques and Traces of the Ottoman Empire in Kos Town

How the Ottomans Changed the Face of the Town

For nearly 400 years, Kos was part of the Ottoman Empire. As you stroll through Kos Town today, you can still discover traces of that era—mosques, fountains, a historic Turkish hammam, and a solitary minaret that stands as a reminder of a world that has long disappeared.

📜 A Brief History

⚔️ The Knights Hospitaller Defend the Island

For more than two centuries, Kos was ruled by the Knights Hospitaller. They built and expanded the castles of Kos Town, Antimachia, Kefalos, and Palio Pyli—not for the comfort of the island's inhabitants, but to defend them against increasingly frequent Ottoman raids.

For many years, these fortifications served their purpose. In 1457, for example, local residents took refuge inside the castles, and the Ottoman army failed to capture the island's strongest fortresses. The defense of Antimachia Castle was particularly remarkable, where a small group of knights and islanders successfully held back a much larger invading force.

🕌 The Fall of the Island

Everything changed after Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent captured Rhodes in 1522. Without Rhodes as its defensive stronghold, Kos had little chance of resisting Ottoman expansion. Soon afterward, the island came under Ottoman rule—a period that lasted for almost four centuries.

😔 Difficult Years for the Island's Inhabitants

It was a challenging chapter in the island's history.

The administration, legal system, and way of governing all changed. Alongside churches, mosques, fountains, and Turkish baths began to appear. The local population had to adapt to life under rulers who followed a different religion and culture.

Unlike some other parts of the Ottoman Empire, Kos did not experience a complete replacement of its population. The Greek inhabitants remained on the island, preserving their language, Orthodox faith, and cultural identity. Nevertheless, life under Ottoman rule brought higher taxes, various restrictions, and long periods of uncertainty.

🇬🇷 Greek Identity Endured

Despite nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule, the people of Kos never lost their Greek identity. They continued to preserve their language, religion, and local traditions.

When the Greek War of Independence began in 1821, there were also attempts on Kos to support the struggle for freedom. However, the island remained under Ottoman rule until it was occupied by Italy in 1912. During the years of the Greek Revolution, the island's inhabitants also had to cope with a devastating plague epidemic, which weakened the local population even further.