RHODES TRAVEL GUIDE

RHODES > ARCHAEOLOGY

ARCHAEOLOGY

Medieval Town of Rhodes

The Medieval Town of Rhodes is the fortified part of the Old Town and is one of the most important historic monuments in Greece. It is also unique in that it is teeming with life – some 6,000 people live and work there. The medieval character was given to the town by the Knights of St John, who erected new buildings and fortifications of post-Gothic style, while in the late 15th and early 16th century they were influenced by the Italian Renaissance.

Archeological site of Ialyssos

Ialyssos was one of the three ancient cities of Rhodes, along with Kameiros and Lindos. Apparently, it has been settled ever since prehistoric times. The archeological site, which includes remains of ancient Ialyssos, stretches around hill Filerimos, where the acropolis is, bearing elements of various building phases (ancient, Byzantine and the Knights’ era). The temple of Polias Athena is significant as much as it is impressive, dating back to the 3rd-2nd century B.C. when it replaced an older temple of the classic era (5th century B.C.).

Archeological site of Lindos

The acropolis is built on a triangular rock 116 meters above the sea. It is an excellent natural fort, as access is only possible from one side. Through the Roman arcade we reach the southernmost part of the rock which is dominated by the remains of the Temple of Lindia Athena, the main sanctum of the acropolis .The archaeological site outside the acropolis includes a number of significant archaeological monuments. On the western side of the acropolis there is the ancient theatre buried deep inside the rock, with a capacity estimated at around 1500 to 1700 spectators.

Church of Panagia tou Kastrou

The Church of Panagia tou Kastrou (Mother Mary of the Castle) in the Old Town of Rhodes is one of the most important Byzantine monuments of the era. It is a very old church of the centralized, domed, cross-in-the-square type and dates back to the 11th century. The Knights later added arches and cross-domes of the gothic order. It was turned into a mosque during Turkish rule, under the name Enterum or Kantouri. Today the church houses the Byzantine Museum.