Fort built by the Order of the Knights of St John (Hospitaller Knights) as a detached fortification of the nearby castle on the Agios Nikolaos hill above the harbour bay of Kastellorizo, below the castle (Castello Rosso), stands the small fortification known as Konaki (the Greek form of the Turkish word Konak).

Castle Description

General Description
The fort was built without flanking towers. The neoclassical design of the portal and the high windows date back to a redesign of the late 19th century.
From the Konaki there is eye contact with the castle (Castello Rosso), the Vígla and the Palaiókastro.

History of the castle
The island of Kastellorizo is located far away from the Dodecanese, to which it belongs administratively, off the south coast of Lycia (Turkey), 135 km east-southeast of Rhodes. In 1306, Kastellorizo was the first island occupied by the Knights of St. John on their way from Cyprus to Rhodes. Since Kastellorizo is located just off the Turkish coast and far from Rhodes, it was attacked and occupied several times during the time of the Order's rule (for Kastellorizo’s history see under Castello Rosso).

As an outer work or fort of the castle, the building was probably built in the later phase of the reign of the Knights of St. John over Kastellorizo; some of the battlements typical of the Order have been preserved (or re-constructed?). At the time of the Turkish occupation, the upper floor is said to have been added; at that time, the building served as the seat of the Ottoman/Turkish governor, what the fort earned is the name Konaki (the Greek form of the Turkish word Konak).

Konaki has housed one of the two museums of Kastellorizo since its restoration in 1984.

Other Info

Sources