Kos

Kos gifts beyond a general beach memory

The Asklepieion on Kos occupies a hillside overlooking the sea. Its name comes from Asclepius, the god of medicine. The archaeological site includes the ruins of a temple of Asclepius and restored columns from a temple of Apollo. Those remains bring different parts of the sanctuary into the same hillside setting. Stone from the site was later reused in the construction of a medieval castle, connecting ancient building material with a later phase of the island's history.

At the entrance to Kos harbour, Nerantzia Castle marks another historical setting. The Knights of Saint John began building it in the fourteenth century. A moat filled with seawater once separated the castle from the town. The harbour position and the former moat explain the castle's relationship with the water around it, rather than treating it as a fortification standing in isolation. Elsewhere on the island, Antimachia Castle contains old churches and the remains of a settlement.

Kos town also combines Italian colonial buildings, whitewashed island houses and mosques with the knights' fortifications. Casa Romana contains Roman mosaics, while Zia is a mountain village on the island. The hillside sanctuary, harbour castle and Roman house therefore belong to different settings and periods within Kos. A holiday gift can recall that variety, from the town's buildings to a visit inland.

Gift ideas: compare the Kos designs shown here and choose the artwork before selecting clothing, a print or a mug. A particular place from the trip can also be marked with the Where It Happened map print. Also explore Kos - Come On Then, Kos - Still Here, Greece.