Rhodes Island (Rhodes-City)

Rhodes City:

The old town of Rhodes was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage in 1988 and not without reason. The fortifications and other buildings that the knights left behind are the main attraction of the city. The still completely walled city is one of the best preserved fortified towns in the world and is divided into three parts.

Most important is the knight part (Kollakio), Turkish or Hora part and finally the Jewish quarter. One can walk along the walls that surround the old city, because here is a kind of footpath or promenade along. The city has an archaeological museum, close to the harbor. This museum is located in the old hospital of the Johanniter-knights. You can also visit the Grand Master's Palace of the Order in the city.

The palace of the grand master (rebuilt by the Italians in 1934 - 1939), is an interesting mix of a historically correct reconstruction and fascist delusion of grandeur. Especially the floor mosaics from Kos are very worth seeing. The rest of the old city is a mix of Byzantine, Turkish and Latin architecture with busy tourist squares with numerous terraces, eateries and (souvenir) shops but also with deserted lanes, alleys and romantic squares.

The most famous building on the island must be the Grand Master's Palace. It is in the knights' part of the old town and has served for about two centuries as the headquarters for the Order of the Knights (later known as the Order of Malta). The palace was built in the 14th century by Foulques de Villaret, grand master of the Order of Saint John who had conquered the island in 1309.

A year later, the Ottomans conquered the island on the Order and the grand master's palace became a fort and a prison. A large part of the palace was destroyed after an explosion of ammunition in 1856. In 1912, the Kingdom of Italy annexed the island and went on duty as a summer residence for Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Benito Mussolini.

After the Peace of Paris in 1947, the Kingdom of Greece obtained the Dodecanese of the Italians. The Greeks then turned the palace into a museum. The Knights Street "Ippoton" served as "home" and was divided into seven "tongue" sections divided by language. The most famous building in the Turkish part is the "Suleyman" mosque, while in the Jewish part of the old city "Kahal Shalom" synagogue is the most striking.

Lindos:

The city of Lindos can be reached by bus or boat from Rhodes city and is located about 50 km south of the capital of the island. From the bus you can already see the beautiful acrropolis that has been built above the town on a flat hill. The town with less than 4000 inhabitants is also sometimes called the white town because of its 17th-century white houses.

Many of these have beautiful white-black pebble mosaics floors in their courtyard. Lindos was founded in the year 2000 BC and was already very important in the “Doric” times because of its unique strategic location and its natural harbor. The town is a mixture of Byzantine, Frankish and Ottoman architectural styles.

After the establishment of Rhodes City, the popularity of Lindos' trading was rapidly decreasing, but the place remained very important for the pilgrimage. The story goes that apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the coast of Lindos in the 1st century on his way to Rome. The Byzantine fortress on the hill was reinforced by the crusaders and even used by the Turks. 

What is certain is that many army admirals built houses in Lindos and these have now been refurbished by wealthy foreigners. Today, the narrow streets of Lindos are filled with (souvenir)shops and thousands of tourists come here every day to enjoy the lovely sandy beach in the little bay overlooking this beautiful panorama. It is not surprising that Lindos is the most popular spot on the Dodecanese islands and receives half a million tourists per year. You can go to the Acropolis with a donkey or eat local food in one of the dozens of eateries that the town is rich. You can also take a look at the 15th century church Agia Panagia where beautiful 18th century frescoes can be seen.

Other attractions:

• Some other popular attractions on the island for tourists are the Butterfly Valley (Petaloudes), where in summer thousands of butterflies can be visited, especially the Spanish flag (Euplagia quadripunctaria). The seven sources (epta Piges) and the excavations at Kamiros can also be visited. In the west of the island, near Monolithos, there is a castle of the crusaders.

When Rhodes island became part of the Roman Empire, the role of the island became less, although it was very well known as an oratorial school. This was famous throughout the ancient world. Especially rich Romans visited the school in Rhodes as a conclusion to their education.

Well-known Romans who attended the oratory school of Rodos included Julius Caesar and Cicero. The later Emperor Tiberius even lived on the island for seven years. In the year 43, general Cassius looted the island and Rhodes fell. Incidentally, it was the first Greek island that became Christian, including visits of St. Paul and later St. John. In the centuries that followed, the island was attacked by, among others, the Achaeans, Goths, Persians and Arabs. After a decay in Byzantine times, the Knights of the Knights conquered town and island in 1309. They established a crusader state that would last for more than 200 years.

It was not until 1522 that Rodos fell into the hands of the Turks. The knights had to leave Rhodes on January 1, 1523. The centuries after, Rodos remained Turkish as part of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish rule lasted until 1912 and left relatively few traces: a few mosques (most old churches), a bathhouse, a Turkisch library and other houses from the Turkish era.  

In 1912, the Italians occupied the islands of the Dodecanese, including Rhodes. In an attempt to build a firmly established Italian colonial empire in a short time, a large-scale building program was undertaken. Public buildings were set up along the Mandraki harbor but also a broad allee that could serve for military parades. In the 1920s, buildings were mainly built in an imaginative style that combined Moorish, Turkish, Venetian and knight elements. In the fascist period, a stricter, sober style was built. Examples are the town hall and the theater. In 1943 the Germans took over the authority of the Italians.

After the surrender of the Germans, the English commanded the island until 1948. In 1948 the Dodecanese were added to the Greek kingdom. Building on a tourist reputation established by the Italians, Rhodes became the first place in Greece to concentrate on large-scale tourism. This was fueled by the policy of the military junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. Mass tourism got off to a slow start in the 1970s. In the 80s and 90s, Rhodes became one of the best known and busiest destinations in Greece. This revolution in a short time has had a major impact on the society of both the city and the island of Rhodes.