The ruins of Palaiokastro (Greek for "Old Castle") are located approximately 1 km from Megisti on a 252 m high hill on the northwest side of the island. A Doric acropolis from the Bronze Age once existed here. In the fourth century BC, Rhodes built a fortification over it, of which parts of the outer ring of walls, including the remains of angular towers, and the only clearly visible remnant of an inner acropolis, the foundations of another tower, have survived. The ancient masonry is recognizable by its carefully hewn ashlars. Within sight of Palaiokastro were the Rhodian fortifications at the harbor (overbuilt by the castle of the Knights of St. John) and on the neighboring islands of Ro and Strongyli. It is assumed that the garrisons were able to communicate via signals. Numerous cisterns were constructed throughout the site to supply water. The largest, with a staircase hewn out of the rock and the remains of a vault above it, is located in the northwest corner of the complex. After the end of Rhodian rule, the island and fortress passed to the Ptolemies, and from them to the Romans. Part of the walls were rebuilt with ancient materials during the Byzantine period. The Knights of St. John conquered the island in 1307, but, like later owners of Kastellorizo (Catalans, Naples/Aragon, Spaniards, Ottomans), apparently left few recognizable traces in Paleokastro. The small Greek Orthodox chapels and ruined houses on the eastern side of the complex date from the 19th century, as does the large mosaic with the date 1858 located between the two chapels, "Panagia tou Kastro" and "Agios Stefanos." The remains of an anti-aircraft emplacement from World War II, with concrete bases for the guns and brick containers for the ammunition, recall the period of the Italian occupation of the island (from 1921 onward). Paleokastro remained in military use until modern times. As a result, it was repeatedly shelled and bombed during both World War I and World War II, causing significant damage to the archaeological remains. Major conservation and restoration work was carried out in 2013. Sources: Information panels; de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kastelorizo; whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5867
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