RHODES - www.rhodes.gr

The island of Rhodes is situated at the crossroads of two major sea routes of the Mediterranean between the Aegean Sea and the coast of the Middle East, as well as Cyprus and Egypt. The meeting point of three continents, it has known many civilizations.


Throughout its long history the different people who settled on Rhodes left their mark in all aspects of the island's culture: art, language, architecture. Its strategic position brought to the island great wealth and made the city of Rhodes one of the leading cities of the ancient Greek world. The Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, made between 304 and 293 B.C. by the Lyndian sculptor Hares, stood at the harbour entrance, until a strong earthquake hit Rhodes about 226 BC It still remains the symbol of Rhodes.

Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese. Its capital city, located at its northern tip, is the capital of the Prefecture with the Medieval Town in its centre. In 1988 the Medieval Town was designated as a World Heritage City. The Medieval Town of Rhodes is the result of different architectures belonging to various historic eras, predominantly those of the Knights of St. John.

SIGHTSEEING
The Palace of the Grand Master

The Palace of the Grand Master, the most imposing building of medieval Rhodes, is at the end of the Street of the Knights. It was built in the 14th century, at the highest point of the medieval city, to the northwest, and its volume dominates the city and its harbour. It was a strong structure, indissoluble linked with the fortifications, and played an active role in the defence of the city, forming the last refuge of the population in the event of the city falling to the enemy. Inside the Palace, the visitor can admire the courtyard with the marble statues, which is decorated with magnificent buildings of medieval architecture and can host up to 1.500 persons.   

Throughout the year, a number of artistic events take place on the island including "Sound & Light" performances at the Palace of the Grand Masters, Greek tragedies and folk dances at the Medieval Theatre.   

 Lindos

Lindos is a town and an archaeological site on the east coast of the Greek island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese in southeastern Aegean Sea. It is about 55 km south of the town of Rhodes and its fine beaches make it a popular tourist and holiday destination. Lindos is situated in a large bay and faces the fishing village and small resort of Haraki. Above the modern town rises the acropolis of Lindos, a natural citadel which was fortified successively by the Greeks, by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans. This makes the site difficult to excavate and interpret archaeologically. The acropolis offers spectacular views of the surrounding harbors and coastline.

Lindos was founded by the Dorians led by the king Tlepolemus of Rhodes, who arrived in about the 10th century BC. It was one of six Dorian cities in the area known as the Dorian Hexapolis. The eastern location of Rhodes made it a natural meeting place between the Greeks and the Phoenicians, and by the 8th century Lindos was a major trading centre. Its importance declined after the foundation of the city of Rhodes in the late 5th century. In classical times the acropolis of Lindos was dominated by the massive temple of Athena Lindia, which attained its final form in around 300 BC. In Hellenistic and Roman times the temple precinct grew as more buildings were added. In early mediaeval times these buildings fell into disuse, and in the 14th century they were partly overlaid by a massive fortress built on the acropolis by the Knights of St John to defend the island against the Ottomans.

Kamiros

Thirty kilometres west of the city of Rhodes is Ancient Kamiros one of the three powerful cities in Rhodes, in ancient times.
It was rediscovered in 1929 and has been called the Greek Pompeii because nobody knows why and how the city was deserted and buried. The Monastery of the Virgin Mary sits on the ruins of the third century BC temple of Athena, which sits on top of an even older temple. Most of the ruins are from the Hellenistic Era and include the city market and a Doric temple and arches.

Many of the findings have been taken to the Louvre and the British Museum but will hopefully be returned one day. Write your local French and British congressman. There are also many pieces on exhibit in the archaeological museum in the city of Rhodes.