Kos Asklepieion

The Asclepieion of Kos rises on the slopes of a green hill, about four kilometres from Kos town. This ancient healing sanctuary spreads across three terraces, with temples, altars, columns and patient quarters shaping the archaeological landscape.

Established after the fourth century BC during the Hellenistic period, the sanctuary expanded under Eumenes II of Pergamon in the early second century BC. A Doric temple to Asclepius, a monumental staircase and Doric galleries gave the complex its grand form, while Roman baths and libraries added new functions. Hippocrates established his medical school here, linking natural treatment with patient care, physical activity, nutrition, mental health and education. Patients also slept in hope of receiving cures through dreams, while the sanctuary later offered asylum and hosted music and sporting contests.

The second terrace preserves the remains of a fourth-century altar, the oldest part of the complex. Nearby, seven restored columns stand again beside the partly reconstructed temple of Apollo, leaving a clear image of healing, worship and learning together.