Lindos (; grc-gre, Λίνδος) is an
archaeological site, a fishing village and a former
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
on the island of
Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
, in the
Dodecanese,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit.
The municipal unit has an area of 178.9 km
2.
It lies on the east coast of the island. It is about 40 km south of the
city of Rhodes
Rhodes ( el, Ρόδος, ''Ródos'' ) is the principal city and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is the seat and a mu ...
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
Charaki
Charaki ( el, Χαράκι) is a small fishing village on the east coast of the island of Rhodes, Greece. In addition to its fishing trade, Charaki is also a small holiday resort, with the usual tavernas, restaurants and bars. Charaki has a sm ...
.
History
According to myth, Lindos was founded by the
Dorians
The Dorians (; el, Δωριεῖς, ''Dōrieîs'', singular , ''Dōrieús'') were one of the four major ethnic groups into which the Hellenes (or Greeks) of Classical Greece divided themselves (along with the Aeolians, Achaeans, and Ionian ...
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
Phoenicia
Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
ns, and by the 8th century Lindos was a major trading centre. In the 6th century it was ruled by
Cleobulus
Cleobulus (; el, Κλεόβουλος ὁ Λίνδιος, ''Kleoboulos ho Lindios''; fl. 6th century BC) was a Greek poet and a native of Lindos. He is one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
Life
Cleobulus was the son of Evagoras and a citizen of Li ...
, one of the
Seven Sages of Greece
The Seven Sages (of Greece) or Seven Wise Men (Greek: ''hoi hepta sophoi'') was the title given by classical Greek tradition to seven philosophers, statesmen, and law-givers of the 7–6th century BC who were renowned for their wisdom.
The ...
. The importance of Lindos declined after the foundation of the city of Rhodes in the late 5th century BC.
In classical times the acropolis of Lindos was dominated by the massive temple of
Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
Lindia, which attained its final form in around 300 BC. In
Hellenistic
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
and Roman times the temple precinct grew as more buildings were added. In early medieval 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.
Acropolis
Above the modern town rises the
acropolis of Lindos, a natural citadel which was fortified successively by the
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
, the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, the
Byzantines, the
Knights of St John
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...
and the
Ottomans. This makes the site difficult to excavate and interpret archaeologically. The acropolis has views of the surrounding harbours and coastline.
On the acropolis of Lindos today parts of the following buildings may still be seen:
* The Doric
Temple of Athena Lindia
The Temple of Athena Lindia was a sanctuary in Lindos in Rhodes, dedicated to the goddess Athena. It was a significant Pan-Hellenic shrine of Athena and arguably the regional center of her cult.
History
The sanctuary was situated at the acropolis ...
, dating from about 300 BC, built on the site of an earlier temple. Inside the temple is the table of offerings and the base of the cult statue of Athena.
* The
Propylaea of the Sanctuary, also dating from the 4th century BC. A monumental staircase leads to a D-shaped
stoa and a wall with five door openings.
* The Hellenistic stoa with lateral projecting wings, dating from about 200 BC. The stoa was 87 metres long and consisted of 42 columns.
* The well-known
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
of a Rhodian
trireme
A trireme( ; derived from Latin: ''trirēmis'' "with three banks of oars"; cf. Greek ''triērēs'', literally "three-rower") was an ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean S ...
(warship) cut into the rock at the foot of the steps leading to the acropolis. On the bow stood a statue of General
Hagesander, the work of the sculptor
Pythokritos. The relief dates from about 180 BC.
* The Hellenistic staircase (2nd century BC) leading to the main archaeological area of the acropolis.
* Remains of a Roman temple, possibly dedicated to the Emperor
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
and dating from about 300 AD.
* The Acropolis is surrounded by a Hellenistic wall contemporary with the Propylaea and the stairway leading to the entrance to the site. A Roman inscription says that the wall and square towers were repaired at the expense of P Aelius Hagetor, the priest of Athena in the 2nd century AD.
* The Castle of the Knights of St John, built some time before 1317 on the foundations of older Byzantine fortifications. The walls and towers follow the natural conformation of the cliff. A pentagonal tower on the south side commanded the harbour, the settlement and the road from the south of the island. There was a large round tower on the east facing the sea and two more, one round and the other on a corner, on the northeast side of the enceinte. Today one of the towers at the southwest corner and one to the west survive.
* The
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
Church of St John, dating from the 13th or 14th century and built on the ruins of a previous church, which may have been built as early as the 6th century.
Some scenes of the well-known film, ''
The Guns of Navarone'', were filmed here.
Gallery (Acropolis)
File:Lindos Rhodes.jpg, View to the Acropolis
File:Staircase of the Propylaea (Lindos).jpg, Staircase of the Propylaea
File:Hellenistic stoa (Lindos) 01.jpg, Columns of the Hellenistic stoa
File:Acropolis of Lindos 01.jpg, View of the summit of the Acropolis
File:Rhodos Lindos Acropolis R02.jpg, Church of St. John on the Acropolis
File:Altstadt von Lindos.jpg, Panoramic view
File:20210826-Lindos-Acropolis-DJI 0200.jpg, Aerial view
File:20210826-Lindos-Acropolis-DJI 0208.jpg, Aerial view
Excavations
Excavations were carried out at Lindos in the years 1900 to 1914 by the
Carlsberg Institute of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
, directed by
K.F. Kinch and
Christian Blinkenberg. The acropolis site was excavated down to bedrock and the foundations of all the buildings were uncovered.
During the Italian occupation of the island (1912–1945) major restoration work was carried out on the Lindos acropolis, but it was poorly done and was harmful to the historic record. The north-east side of the Temple of Athena was restored. The monumental staircase to the propylaea was rebuilt and many of the columns of the Hellenistic stoa were re-erected. Large surfaces were covered with concrete. Bases and inscribed blocks were taken from their locations and placed along the restored walls.
Judged by modern standards, this work took insufficient note of the evidence available from the excavations and in its methods did damage to the remains themselves. In recent years Greek and international archaeologists under the supervision of the Greek Ministry of Culture have been working to restore and protect the ancient buildings on the site.
Climate
Lindos has a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: Csa) strongly influenced by the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. Lindos has mild winters and particularly hot and dry summers while rain falls mostly in the winter. Lindos has an annual average temperature of around .
In 2015, Lindos registered a mean annual temperature of which made it, for that same year, Greece's warmest area.
In August 2021, the
National Observatory of Athens
The National Observatory of Athens (NOA; el, Εθνικό Αστεροσκοπείο Αθηνών) is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific rese ...
station in Lindos registered the all time highest mean monthly temperature in Europe.
Moreover, according to the
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) ( el, Εθνική Μετεωρολογική Υπηρεσία (ΕΜΥ)) is a government agency responsible for making weather forecasts and observations for Greece. HNMS was founded in 1931 under ...
SE Rhodes, where Lindos is located registers the highest mean annual sunshine in Greece with over 3.100 hours.
Gallery (town)
File:Rhodos Lindos Panagia Church R01.jpg, The Byzantine ''Panagia'' church with the belltower is located in the centre of the village
File:Lindos173.JPG, The belltower
File:Vliha.jpg, The beach of Vliha Bay
File:Rhodos Lindos Street R02.jpg, View of a street
File:Altstadt Lindos06.jpg, Old house
File:Door in Lindos 01.jpg, Door at the town
File:St_Peter_Church_Lindos.jpg, The 13th century Greek Orthodox Church of St Peter
File:St_Paul_Church_Lindos.jpg, St Paul's church is now popular as a wedding chapel
File:Lindos 02.JPG, Beach of Lindos
File:Lindos Rhodes Greece 13.jpg, St Paul's Bay, where it is reported the apostle landed during a storm
Notable people
*
Chares of Lindos
Chares of Lindos (; grc-gre, Χάρης ὁ Λίνδιος, ''gen.:'' Χάρητος; before 305 BC-c. 280 BC) was a Greek sculptor born on the island of Rhodes. He was a pupil of Lysippos. Chares constructed the Colossus of Rhodes in 282 ...
, sculptor, constructed the
Colossus of Rhodes
*
Cleobulus of Lindos
*
Patriarch Joannicius II of Constantinople
Joannicius II of Lindos ( el, ) (? – 1659 or 1660) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople four times from 1646 to 1656.
Life
Joannicius was a native of Lindos on the island of Rhodes. He was appointed Metropolitan of Ganos and Chora in ...
*
Ioannis Zigdis (1913–1997), politician and economist
See also
*
List of traditional Greek place names
This is a list of Greek place names as they exist in the Greek language.
*Places involved in the history of Greek culture, including:
**Historic Greek regions, including:
***Ancient Greece, including colonies and contacted peoples
***Hellenistic ...
*
Chapel of Saint George Pahimahiotis
The Chapel of Saint George Pachymachiotis ( el, Άγιος Γεώργιος Παχυμαχιώτης) is a chapel and a church in the Greek town of Lindos, in Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the hist ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Greece
Acropoleis in Greece
Archaeological sites on Rhodes
Religion in ancient Rhodes
Roman sites in Greece
Populated places in Rhodes