Decorative Arts Collection of Rhodes

About

The Decorative Arts Collection of Rhodes offers a vivid journey through the island’s cultural layers, housed in a restored building within the medieval town. Rather than focusing on monumental archaeology, this museum celebrates everyday beauty—objects that reveal how Rhodians lived, decorated their homes, and expressed identity across centuries. One of its most captivating features is the Rhodian ceramics, especially the 17th‑century plates with bold floral motifs and cobalt‑blue designs influenced by Ottoman Iznik workshops. These pieces show how Rhodes blended Eastern and Western aesthetics into a distinctive local style. Equally charming are the embroidered textiles, including wedding garments and household fabrics that display intricate needlework and symbolic patterns. Inside, visitors can explore traditional Rhodian interiors, reconstructed with wooden furniture, painted ceilings, and colourful wall plates arranged in the classic island style. These rooms feel almost lived‑in, offering a rare glimpse into domestic life during the Ottoman and Italian periods.

Rhodes Greece

Location

The Decorative Arts Collection of Rhodes is located in the Medieval Old Town of Rhodes, Greece. You’ll find it on Argyrokastrou Square, Rhodes 85100, inside a former Knights’ building that once served as an arsenal. It’s a small and easy museum to visit while exploring the old town on foot. The collection focuses on everyday decorative objects from the 16th to the early 20th century – embroideries, wood carvings, ceramics, metalwork and traditional household pieces that give a sense of local life in the Dodecanese. Just a short walk away is the Archaeological Museum, housed in the old Knights’ Hospital. From the square you can also reach the Street of the Knights and, at the top of that street, the Palace of the Grand Master. The church of Panagia tou Kastrou and other corners of the medieval walls are close by as well. Everything sits within the compact UNESCO-listed Old Town, so a stop at the Decorative Arts Collection fits naturally into a relaxed wander past the museums, palaces and historic streets of Rhodes.