In the center of the Kos Town, there is a very old plane tree underneath which as the legend goes Hippocrates, the famous physician and the father of modern medicine, used to teach his students. Yet, according to another legend, Paul the Apostle, used to teach his students underneath the very same tree.
Apparently this plane tree was planted by Hippocrates himself 24 centuries ago. In its shade, the great teacher instructed his students.
The tree's canopy diameter reaches impressive 12 meters and it is believed to be the largest plane tree in Europe. A very large trunk of this tree is completely hollow inside due to a number of ailments gnawing at it, all manner of insects and old age eating it away as well over the years.
Even though its size is truly impressive, scientists tend to agree that this tree is not older than 500 years, which means that it cannot be the one Hippocrates planted himself. Nevertheless, it is also believed that due to the fact that this myth has persisted for so long, this tree has been planted in the very same place after the previous one had died.
The current tree is in a very bad shape, since the trunk is completely hollow and the surviving branches rest on a metal construction that supports the tree. Some initiatives have been undertaken though in order to keep this historically important tree alive.
