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The modern town of Kos cannot really be thought of as being very significant in history. The island in fact was colonized by Carians, was one of the biggest trade centers of the ancient world and even took part in the amazing Trojan War of Troy. However, as you would discover in your visit to the beautiful Greek island, there are quite a many ruins standing as evidence to the rich past of Kos. Your flights to Kos would land at the Kos International Airport.

The ancient medical center of Asclepeion was an important structure of ancient Kos. It is located about 4 km from the main town of Kos somewhere near the village of Platani and the building dates back to 3rd century BC. It was built in honour of Asklepios, the God of medicine and health, after the dearth of Hippocrates, truly one of the great physicians in ancient Greece.

Snake being an important creature due to its ability to select medicinal herbs, was the emblem of this ancient institution, which can still be seen among the ruins. The structure had remained buried for more than 1000 years after the earthquake that took place in AD 554. The ruins were discovered in October 1902 by Rudolf Herzog, a German Archeologist, along with Iakobos Zarraftis, a scholar of ancient history.

The main structure had got destroyed during the earthquake. However, the basic layout of rooms can still be made out from the ruins. The three successive terraces are still intact to some extent and have also been restored by the Greek government. The columns and the water reservoir can still be seen from the first terrace along with foundations of rooms meant for pilgrims, visitors, patients and athletes. The eastern side of the first terrace has the Thermes the ancient baths, having pools with marble floors and heated rooms. The left of the terrace has five underground rooms without any windows. Archeologists suggest that the rooms, with votive statuettes and bird paintings, belonged to Aphrodite.

The second and the third terrace are equally amazing. The second terrace has the ruins of an Altar, where a large number of votive offerings were uncovered after the excavations. The Altar was later restored replacing the one dating back to 4th century BC, and was devoted to Hemera, Helios and Machaon. The third terrace has the ruins of the ancient Doric temple. The centre of the structure also has a Church of Panagia Tarsou. The Asclepeion stands on a magnificent lush green hill overlooking the town of Kos and its suburbs. The place is great for a quite evening with family, exploring the historic importance of the town.