The second largest (after Rhodes) island of the greek archipelagos Dodekanisos, Kos is recognised as a native land of the legendary founder of classic medicine Hippocrates. He is justly celebrated on Kos; not only does he have a tree, a street, a park, a statue and an international medical institute named after him, but also Asklepion, near the mountain village Platani, a large ancient curative centre and now a major tourist attraction.
It was actually founded just after the death of Hippocrates (460-370 BC), but the methods used and taught here were his. Both a temple to Asklepios (god of medicine, son of Apollo) and a renowned curative centre itself, its magnificent setting on three artificial hillside terraces overlooking Anatolia reflects early recongnition of the importance of the terapeutic environment. |