Opposite Neratzia Castle and next to the Ancient Agora of Kos, you will see one of the oldest trees in the world: the plane tree of Hippocrates. It is a major attraction which is visited every year by thousands of people.
According to popular tradition, the tree was planted by Hippocrates about 2400 years ago. Under the shade of the tree, Hippocrates taught the science of medicine to his students. The perimeter of the trunk is 12 meters and. Next to the plane tree you can see two fountains that date back to the Ottoman era.
The tree belongs to the species Platanus orientalis L. Over the centuries, the wood has begun to rot from various fungi and woodworms and this has resulted in a large cavity inside the trunk.
