The Asclepium was since the ancient times the most famous monument of Kos. It was located close to the ancient city, and was full of marvelous statues, works of famous artists.

The Asclepium was since the ancient times the most famous monument of Kos. It was located close to the ancient city, and was full of marvelous statues, works of famous artists. In contrast to the Sanctuary of Asclepieus in Epidavros, the Asclepieum of Kos was a place where scientific medicine advanced greatly, thanks in part to the school of Hippocrates, one of the most important representatives of medicinal science in the ancient times.

During the paleochristianic era, on the ancient temple, the picture of Mary of Tarsos was founded. Later, the knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem used architectural pieces of the sanctuary as building materials to build the medieval castle.