Knights Hospitaller’s Watchtower on Cape Aimilianos next to Lindos, Rhodes. The building was an ancient tomb (named “Tomb of Kleobulos”), converted into a round watchtower.
Most medieval additions have been removed.

Castle Description

General Description
Líndos is located on the Rhodian east coast. Above the town rises on a steep limestone cliff by the sea, the Acropolis of the ancient city – a landmark of the island. Since in this area of the east coast harbor-suitable bays are largely missing, the rock of Líndos on the peninsula between two bays, which offered protection in different weather conditions, gave a good foundation place for the ancient city, which was significantly larger than today's town.
The medieval Byzantine settlement was probably limited to the Acropolis, which became a Kástron, and its immediate surroundings. The Knights Hospitallers later used the Kástron as one of the Orders‘ castles. To secure the surroundings of the castle as well as the harbour bays of Líndos the Byzantines used some Vígles. The Hospitaller Knights built watchtowers. Near the city of Líndos, two watchtowers are said to have stood.
The ancient round "Tomb of Kleobulos" on Cape Ájios Aimilianós north of the harbor was converted into a watchtower (cf. Losse 2009, pp. 253-254, and Losse 2020, p. 88). Older photos show the ancient tomb with later added quarry stone masonry on top. Later, the interior of the tomb was used as a chapel of Ajíos Aimilianós (cf. Gallas 1984, p. 211).
Another watchtower is said to have stood southeast below the Kástron on the Vígli hill, but it could also have been an unfortified Vígla. To a guard system around Líndos belonged the sites calles Vígla and Meroúgli (dialect for Merovígli, which means day watch) mentioned by Stefanidou (2002, p. 215).
Photo No. 1 shows the watchtower located on the steep hilltop on Cape Ájios Aimilianós. In the background the mountain Profitis Ilias near Archangelos is to be seen, and further right the very steep cliff with the monastery Moni Tsampika on top. On the far right in the background the hill with the ancient fortification Erimókastro at Kalithiés and Cape Ladikó, formerly the site of a Knights Hospitalles watchtower, connected in a sight-line with the Cape Ájios Aimilianós tower, can be seen.

Access
Cape Ájios Aimilianós is accessible on sight via a rocky footpath from Líndos. Free access.

History of the castle
The ancient round "Tomb of Kleobulos" on Cape Ájios Aimilianós was converted by the Knights Hospitallers in the course of the construction of the Orders‘ coast watchtower system around the year 1500 to one of those watchtowers. The former tomb was apparently extended another floor in quarry stone masonry. In the former burial chamber, a chapel was built at an unknown time.

Other Info

Sources