Kós

Close to the Anatolian coast, Kos became a prosperous island of the southeastern Aegean. In Hellenistic times its sanctuary of Asclepius drew pilgrims, and a medical school added to its reputation as a place of learning. Its fortified port also gave it a place in the trade and naval affairs of the Aegean.

Under the Knights Hospitaller, Kos faced repeated raids from the Turkish coast. An Ottoman fleet attacked the island in 1455, besieging and destroying the fortress of Antimacheia. Following the surrender of Rhodes, the knights handed Kos to the Ottomans in 1523. The new rulers repaired the castle of Nerantzia and stationed officials and guards there. In 1773 a Russian landing party attempted to seize the castle, but withdrew after heavy losses.