Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the

Dodecanese The Dodecanese (, ; el, Δωδεκάνησα, ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Turkey's Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. ...

islands of

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 ...

. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the

South Aegean The South Aegean ( el, Περιφέρεια Νοτίου Αιγαίου, translit=Periféria Notíou Eyéou, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups in the central and ...

administrative region Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is

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 So ...

. The city of Rhodes had 50,636 inhabitants in 2011. In 2022 the island has population of 124,851 people. It is located northeast of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

, southeast of

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

. Rhodes has several nicknames, such as "Island of the Sun" due to its patron sun god Helios, "The Pearl Island", and "The Island of the Knights", named after the

Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem 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 ...

, who ruled the island from 1310 to 1522. Historically, Rhodes was famous for the

Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes ( grc, ὁ Κολοσσὸς Ῥόδιος, ho Kolossòs Rhódios gr, Κολοσσός της Ρόδου, Kolossós tes Rhódou) was a statue of the Greek sun-god Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes (city), Rhodes, on ...

, one of the

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity. The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2 ...

. The Medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.

Name

The island has been known as (Ródos) in Greek throughout its history. It was also called Lindos ( grc, Λίνδος). In addition, the island has been called in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, in

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

, and or in

Ladino Ladino, derived from Latin, may refer to: * The register of Judaeo-Spanish used in the translation of religious texts, such as the Ferrara Bible *Ladino people, a socio-ethnic category of Mestizo or Hispanicized people in Central America especi ...

. Other ancient names were Ρόδη (Rodē), Τελχινίς (Telchinis) and Ηλιάς (Helias). ''

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville Sir John Mandeville is the supposed author of ''The Travels of Sir John Mandeville'', a travel memoir which first circulated between 1357 and 1371. The earliest-surviving text is in French. By aid of translations into many other languages, the ...

'' incorrectly reports that Rhodes was formerly called "Collosus", through a conflation of the

and

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

's ''

Epistle to the Colossians The Epistle to the Colossians is the twelfth book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle and Timothy, and addressed to the church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately fr ...

'', which refers to

Colossae Colossae (; grc-gre, Κολοσσαί) was an ancient city of Phrygia in Asia Minor, and one of the most celebrated cities of southern Anatolia (modern Turkey). The Epistle to the Colossians, an early Christian text which identifies its author ...

. The island's name might be derived from ''erod'', Phoenician for snake, since the island was home to many snakes in antiquity.

Geography

The island of Rhodes is shaped like a

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

head, long and wide, with a total area of approximately and a coastline of approximately .

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

is the main bedrock. 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 ...

is located at the northern tip of the island, as well as the site of the ancient and modern commercial

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

s. The main airport is the

Diagoras International Airport Rhodes International Airport "Diagoras" (Greek: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ρόδου "Διαγόρας"), or Diagoras International Airport , is located on the West side of the island of Rhodes in Greece. The facility is located ju ...

(IATA code: RHO), located to the southwest of the city in Paradisi. The road network radiates from the city along the east and west coasts. Outside the city of Rhodes, the island is dotted with small villages of whitewashed homes and spa resorts, among them

Faliraki Faliraki ( el, Φαληράκι) is the primary seaside resort village on the Greek island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese. It is situated on Faliraki Bay, on the northeastern coast, about 14 km south of the town of Rhodes and 10 km southe ...

Lindos Lindos (; grc-gre, Λίνδος) is an archaeological site, a fishing village 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 ...

Kremasti Kremasti ( el, Κρεμαστή) is a town on the Greek island of Rhodes (', ''Ródhos''). Located on the west coast of the island, Kremasti is 12 kilometers from the capital of Rhodes, on the road to the airport. It has a population of 5,363 p ...

Haraki 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 ...

Pefkos Pefkos or Pefki, Greek: Πεύκος (Πεύκοι), is a well known beach resort located on eastern coast of Rhodes, just southwest of Lindos, and from the capital city Rhodes. The island of Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, on ...

, Archangelos,

Afantou Afantou ( el, Αφάντου) is a village 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 a municipal unit. It is situated o ...

Koskinou Koskinou ( gr, Κοσκινού) is a village on the Greek island of Rhodes. It is located 5 miles from Rhodes town and 6 miles from the island resort of Faliraki Faliraki ( el, Φαληράκι) is the primary seaside resort village on the Gre ...

Embona Embonas ( gr, Έμπωνας), sometimes transliterated Emponas, is a Greece, Greek mountain village, seat of the municipal unit of Attavyros (municipality), Attavyros, on the island of Rhodes, South Aegean region. In 2011 its population was 1,242 ...

(Attavyros), Paradisi, and

Trianta Ialysos ( el, Ιαλυσός, before 1976: Τριάντα ''Trianta'') is a town 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 ...

(Ialysos). Rhodes is situated east-southeast from the Greek mainland, and from the southern shore of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. Mount

Attavyros Attavyros ( el, Αττάβυρος) or Atavyros (Ατάβυρος) is the highest mountain on the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese in Greece. It rises to a height of 1,215 m. It lies to the south of the village of Embonas. In Greek mythology ...

, at , is the island's highest point of elevation.

Flora

The interior of the island is mountainous, sparsely inhabited and covered with forests of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

(''

Pinus brutia ''Pinus brutia'', commonly known as the Turkish pine, is a species of pine native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The bulk of its range is in Turkey. Turkish pine is also known by several other common names: Calabrian pine (from a naturalis ...

'') and

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

(''Cupressus sempervirens''). While the shores are rocky, the island has arable strips of land where

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

fruit,

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

grapes, vegetables,

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

and other crops are grown. Many flowering plants for which the island is named are abundant.

Fauna

The Rhodian population of

fallow deer ''Dama'' is a genus of deer in the subfamily Cervinae, commonly referred to as fallow deer. Name The name fallow is derived from the deer's pale brown colour. The Latin word ''dāma'' or ''damma'', used for roe deer, gazelles, and antelopes, ...

was found to be genetically distinct in 2005, and to be of urgent conservation concern. In

Petaloudes Petaloudes ( el, Πεταλούδες) is 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 a municipal unit. Its population was 1 ...

Valley (Greek for "Valley of the Butterflies"), large numbers of tiger moths gather during the summer months.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes include the 226 BC earthquake that destroyed the

; one on 3 May 1481 which destroyed much of the city of Rhodes; and one on 26 June 1926. On 15 July 2008, Rhodes was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake causing minor damage to a few old buildings and one death.

Climate

Rhodes has a hot-summer

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 ...

(''Csa'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

) with mild winters and hot summers. The South East of the island experiences a significantly warmer climate with

registering for the period 2010-2019 a mean annual temperature of ,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 resea ...

1949 Armistice Agreements The 1949 Armistice Agreements were signed between Israel and Egypt, Rhodos Monolithos R02

The

was considered to be one of the

. This giant bronze statue was documented as once standing at the harbour. It was completed in 280 BC and destroyed in an earthquake in 224 BC. No trace of the statue remains today. Historical sites on the island of Rhodes include the Acropolis of Lindos, the

Acropolis of Rhodes The Acropolis of Rhodes ( ell, Ακρόπολη της Ρόδου) is the acropolis, or upper town, of ancient Rhodes dating from the 5th century BC and located 3 kilometers SW from the centre of the modern city. Situated on Monte Smith overlooking ...

with the Temple of Pythian Apollo and an ancient theatre and stadium, ancient

Ialysos Ialysos ( el, Ιαλυσός, before 1976: Τριάντα ''Trianta'') is a town 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 ...

, ancient

Kamiros Camirus or Kamiros ( grc, Κάμιρος; ) or Cameirus or Kameiros (Κάμειρος) was a city of ancient Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Its site is on the northwest coast of the island, west of the modern village of Kalavarda. History ...

, the Governor's Palace, Rhodes Old Town (walled medieval city), the Palace of the Grand Masters,

Kahal Shalom Synagogue The Kahal Shalom Synagogue ( he, בית הכנסת קהל קדוש שלום, or ''Beit HaKnesset Kahal Kadosh Shalom'' meaning ''Synagogue of the Holy Congregation of Peace'', el, Συναγωγή ''Καχάλ Σαλόμ'', italic=unset) is a Sep ...

in the Jewish Quarter, the

Archaeological Museum An archaeology museum is a museum that specializes in the display of archaeological Types Many archaeology museum are in the open air, such as the Ancient Agora of Athens and the Roman Forum. Others display artifacts inside buildings, such as Na ...

, the ruins of the castle of Monolithos, the castle of Kritinia,

St. Catherine Hospice ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

and

Rhodes Footbridge __NOTOC__ The Rhodes Footbridge is an ancient Greek arch bridge in the city of Rhodes, Greece. Dating to the 4th century BC or early Hellenistic period, the modest structure represents the oldest known Greek bridge with a voussoir arch. Constru ...

Religion

Christianity

The predominant religion is

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 ...

; the island is the seat of the

Metropolis of Rhodes The Metropolis of Rhodes ( el, Ιερά Μητρόπολις Ρόδου) is the Greek Orthodox metropolitan see covering the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese island group in Greece. It belongs to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical ...

. There is a

Latin Catholic , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

minority on the island of 2,000, many of whom are descendants of Italians who remained after the end of the Italian occupation, pastorally served by the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rhodes The Archdiocese of Rhodes ( la, Archidioecesis Rhodiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Greece. The archdiocese is directly exempt to the Holy See and not part of an ecclesiastical province. ...

Islam

Rhodes has a

Muslim minority, which includes

Greek Muslims Greek Muslims, also known as Grecophone Muslims, are Muslims of Greek ethnic origin whose adoption of Islam (and often the Turkish language and identity) dates to the period of Ottoman rule in the southern Balkans. They consist primarily of th ...

whose ancestors from Crete and the Dodecanese converted to Islam in the Ottoman period. Although a remnant from

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...

times they were not required in the population exchange of 1923–24 to resettle in Turkey like the Turkish, Greek, and other Muslim communities living mainly in Macedonia and other parts of

Northern Greece Northern Greece ( el, Βόρεια Ελλάδα, Voreia Ellada) is used to refer to the northern parts of Greece, and can have various definitions. Administrative regions of Greece Administrative term The term "Northern Greece" is widely used ...

because unlike these areas the Dodecanese Islands were under Italian administration at the time. They are organized around the Turkish Association of Rhodes ( tr, Rodos Türk Derneği), which gives the figure 3,500 for the population they bring together and represent for the island. The number of the Turks in Rhodes could be as many as 4,000.

Judaism

The Jewish community of Rhodes goes back 2,300 years. ''

'', established in 1557, during the Ottoman era, is the oldest synagogue in Greece and still stands in the Jewish quarter (''

La Juderia , ( lad, 'לה ג'ודיריה'), was the former Jewish quarter of the city of Rhodes, Greece. The quarter was inhabited by Sephardic, Ladino-speaking Jews. History Although there has been a Jewish presence of some sort on the island of Rhodes f ...

'') of the old town of Rhodes. At its peak in the 1920s, the Jewish community was one-third of the town's total population. In the 1940s, there were about 2000 Jews of various ethnic backgrounds. The Nazis deported and killed most of the community during the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

. ''Kahal Shalom'' has been renovated with the help of foreign donors but few Jews live year-round in Rhodes today, so services are not held on a regular basis. The

Jewish Museum of Rhodes The Jewish Museum of Rhodes ( el, Εβραϊκό Μουσείο της Ρόδου) is a museum located in the Old Town of the island of Rhodes, eastern Greece. It was established by Aron Hasson of the Rhodes Jewish Historical Foundation in 1997 to ...

was established in 1997 to preserve the Jewish history and culture of the Jews of Rhodes. It is adjacent to the

Government

The present municipality Rhodes was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 10 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in parentheses): *

(Afantou, Archipoli) * Archangelos (Archangelos, Malonas, Masari) *

(Embonas, Kritinia, Monolithos, Siana, Agios Isidoros) *

Kallithea Kallithea (Greek: Καλλιθέα, meaning "beautiful view") is a district of Athens and a municipality in south Athens regional unit. It is the eighth largest municipality in Greece (96,118 inhabitants, 2021 census) and the fourth biggest i ...

(Kalythies, Koskinou, Psinthos) *

Kameiros Camirus or Kamiros ( grc, Κάμιρος; ) or Cameirus or Kameiros (Κάμειρος) was a city of ancient Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Its site is on the northwest coast of the island, west of the modern village of Kalavarda. History T ...

(Soroni, Apollona, Dimylia,

Kalavarda Kalavarda is a small town in the island of Rhodes, Greece with a population of about 502. It's about 28 kilometers from the island's capital, Rhodes (city), Rhodes, and about 52 Kilometers from the city Lindos. References

{{Rhodes di ...

, Platania, Salakos, Fanes) *

(

, Kalathos, Laerma, Lardos, Pylona) *

(Kremasti, Pastida, Maritsa, Paradeisi, Theologos, Damatria) *

South Rhodes South Rhodes ( el, Νότια Ρόδος - ''Nótia Ródos'') is 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 a municipal unit ...

(Gennadi, Apolakkia, Arnitha, Asklipieio, Vati, Istrios, Kattavia, Lachania,

Mesanagros Mesanagros is a village in the south of Rhodes, Greece. It belongs to the municipality of South Rhodes, and is located at a distance 83 km from Rhodes. The name Mesanagros means 'cultivated, fenced large Byzantine The Byzantine Emp ...

, Profilia) The municipality has an area of 1400.681 km². It covers the island of Rhodes and a few uninhabited offshore islets. Rhodes city was the capital of the former

Prefecture. Rhodes is the most populated island of the

Region.

Towns and villages

Rhodes has 43 towns and villages:

Economy

The economy is tourist-oriented, and the most developed sector is service. Tourism has elevated Rhodes economically, compared to the rest of Greece. Small industries process imported raw materials for local retail, though other industry includes agricultural goods production, stockbreeding, fishery and winery.

Transportation

Air

Rhodes has two airports, but only one is public.

Diagoras Airport Rhodes International Airport "Diagoras" (Greek: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ρόδου "Διαγόρας"), or Diagoras International Airport , is located on the West side of the island of Rhodes in Greece. The facility is located ju ...

, southwest of

Rhodes City 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 m ...

, is the fourth biggest by passenger volume in Greece, and the main entrance/exit point to the island for both locals and tourists. The island is well connected with other major Greek cities and islands as well as with major European capitals and cities via charter flights. Until 1977,

Rhodes Maritsa Airport Rhodes Maritsa Airport () is a military air base located on the island of Rhodes in Greece. The airport is located 14 km south west of the capital city of Rhodes, near the village of Maritsa, and 3 km south of the new Rhodes Internation ...

, built in 1938, was a public airport; it is now used by the

Hellenic Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 8 November , equipment = , equipment_label ...

and occasionally for car races. There are also two inoperative airfields. Kalathos Airfield, north of

, and Kattavia Airstrip, to the south of the island, were built by the Italians during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Neither remain operational. Two pilot schools offer aviation services (small plane rental and island hopping).

Sea

Rhodes has five ports, three of them in

, one in the west coast near

and one in east coast near

Lardos Lardos ( gr, Λάρδος) is a Greek village on the Lardos stream, also called Fonias, located at the eastern part of the island of Rhodes, South Aegean region. In 2011 its population was 1,380. Overview The village is about 54 km south of the t ...

. *Central Port: located in the city of Rhodes serves exclusively international traffic consisting of scheduled services to/from Turkey, cruise ships and yachts. Since Summer 2012, the port is also a homeport for Costa Cruises during the summer period. *Kolona Port: opposite and north of the central port, serves intra-Dodecanese traffic and all sizes yachts. *Akandia Port: the new port of the island, south and next to the central port, being built since the 1960s, for domestic, cargo and general purpose traffic. Since 2017 summer a passenger terminal is finally in use hosting a cafe and waiting lounges. *Mandraki Port: the oldest port of the island, in the center of Rhodes city. Many cruise boats begin their daily trips to Symi island or to the southern east coast until Lindos. *Kamiros Skala Dock: south west of the city near Ancient Kamiros ruins serves mainly the island of Halki *Lardos Dock: formerly servicing local industries, now under development as an alternative port for times when the central port is inaccessible due to weather conditions. It is situated in a rocky shore near the village of Lardos in south east Rhodes.

Road network

The road network of the island is mostly paved and consists of 3 national roads plus one planned, 40 provincial and numerous local. These are the four major island arteries: * Rhodes-Kamiros Province Avenue: Province road 2 till

{{Rhodes di ...

village and 21 from there till

with two lane that runs through the west coast north to south and connects Rhodes City with

and

. *Rhodes-Lindos National Avenue ( Greek National Road 95): Four and two lane, runs mainly inland north to south and connects Rhodes City with Lindos. Part from Rhodes Town until Kolympia is now 4 lanes, the rest until Lindos is 2 lanes. *Rhodes-Kallithea-Faliraki Province Avenue 4: Two lanes, runs through the east coast north to south and connects Rhodes City with Kallithea monument and Faliraki Resort. *Tsairi-Airport National Avenue ( Greek National Road 100): Four and two lane, runs inland east to west and connects the east coast with the west and the airport. *Lindos-Katavia Province Road 1: Two lane, begins just before Lindos and though villages and resorts leads to Katavia village, the southernmost of the island, from where a further deviation leads to Prasonissi. *Rhodes Town

Ring Road A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...

(Phase 1): Beginning from the new marina and ending to Rhodes-Kallithea province avenue is a four lane expressway. Future roads: *Further widening of Rhodes-Lindos National Avenue ( Greek National Road 95) from Kolympia to Lindos. This is to be four lane with a

jersey barrier A Jersey barrier, Jersey wall, or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resu ...

in the middle. A tender is expected to take place by end of 2019 so as constructions can begin. *Ring Road phases 2, 3, and 4 pending; phase 2 will extend the expressway to Greek National Road 95 and then to Rhodes General Hospital where it supposedly will connect to also planned new Rhodes City-Airport expressway. In June 2018 Rhodes municipality stated that plans for the final 700 meters of the ring road leading to Akandia Port are pending approval. Phases 3 and 4 which plan to run the ring road from hospital hill down to Ixia and then through Kritika back to the town will most probably never occur. *Plans also exist for a new four lane express road connecting Rhodes Town with

. The road, recognised as National back in 2014, will follow existing Provincial Road 3 routing with a total length of 8.6 km and including 3 main junctions and is intended to relieve congestion on the coastal west avenue. The so-called Leoforos Mesogeion is vastly anticipated and is a top priority for local authorities.

Bus

Bus services are handled by two operators: *RODA: Municipal bus company that serves Rhodes city as well suburban areas (Koskinou, Faliraki, Ialysos, Kremasti, Airport, Pastida, Maritsa, Paradeisi) and the west coast of the island *KTEL: Limited liability private transport company that serve villages and resorts in the east coast of the island

Cars and motorbikes

Families in Rhodes often own more than one car, along with a motorbike. Traffic jams are common particularly in the summer months as vehicles more than double while parking spots downtown and around the old town are limited and can't cope with demand. Moreover, the island is served by 450 taxis and some 200 public and private buses adding to the traffic burden.

Sports

*Football:

AS Rodos Athletic Club Rodos ( el, Α.Σ. Ρόδος) is a Greek football club based in Rhodes, South Aegean, Greece. History Rodos was founded in 1968 after the merger of Diagoras, Rodiakos and Dorieas. Her first participation in a professional champio ...

and

Diagoras F.C. PAE G.S. Diagoras 1905 ( el, ΠΑΕ Γ.Σ. Διαγόρας 1905) is a hellenic professional football club based in Rhodes city founded in 1905. Diagoras is named after the island's ancient athlete Diagoras. The team first played under Ott ...

are the island's biggest teams and rivals. The latter competed in the 2018–19 season at the national level third tier (

Gamma Ethniki The Gamma Ethniki ( el, Γ΄ Εθνική Ερασιτεχνική Κατηγορία, C National Amateur Division) is the third highest football league in Greece. History The Gamma Ethniki began in 1965 as an amateur championship, while in 198 ...

) along with GAS Ialysos and both achieved promotion to (

Greek Football League The Football League ( el, Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) was the second highest professional football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as ''Beta Ethniki'' and until 2019. It then served as a third tier after the creation of the Super Lea ...

competed in 1st tier of the local league and ranking 1st achieved promotion and is returning after one year to (

) which from 2019–20 season becomes tier 4. Local football leagues (organized at the prefecture-level) contain three divisions with more than 50 teams. Many stadiums are grass-covered. *Basketball: Colossus BC sponsors professional basketball and after more than a decade of presence in the top-level

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

was relegated to

Greek A2 Basket League The Greek A2 Basket League ( el, Ελληνική Α2 Μπάσκετ Λιγκ, link=no), is a professional basketball league in Greece. It is the 2nd-tier level of pro competition, among clubs in the country. It is organized by the Hellenic Baske ...

. The local league includes a single division with two groups, one for Rhodes and the other for the other islands, with 7 and 5 teams respectively. Three indoor courts exist in Rhodes City, and one each in Ialysos, Kremasti, and Faliraki. Archangelos town will also get an indoor court according to Rhodes municipality planned works and regional government's approved funds. *Volleyball: Rodion Athlisis managed to escape local obscurity and until 2018–19 season competed at the national level second-tier failing to achieve promotion to the first level in playoffs for three consecutive seasons. This unlucky streak caused team sponsors to withdraw from the men's team and focus solely on developing youth academies. *Water polo: mostly amateur-based. There is not any single public indoor pool on the island. *Rugby: introduced in 2007. Teams compete at the national level. *Tennis: Rhodes Tennis Club (Ροδιακός Όμιλος Αντισφαίρισης) promotes officially tennis since 1949. Club operates on two separate locations, one downtown next to the casino and one next to

Kallipateira National Athletic Centre Diagoras of Rhodes (; el, Διαγόρας ὁ Ῥόδιος) was an Ancient Greek boxer from the 5th century BC, who was celebrated for his own victories, as well as the victories of his sons and grandsons. He was a member of the Eratidea fa ...

. *Sailing: Island has competed at the international level *Cycling: For a long period of time Rhodes had the only velodrome in Greece. For the moment, the island is the seat of the Dodecanissos Local Cycling Committee. Most notable cycling clubs are Rodilios CC, Diagoras GC,

Elafos CC Elafos may refer to several places in Greece: * Elafos, Ioannina, a village in the Dodoni * Elafos, Larissa, a village in the Agia * Elafos, Pieria, a village in the Katerini Katerini ( el, Κατερίνη, ''Kateríni'', ) is a city and munic ...

, Iviskos CC, all based in the city of Rhodes, plus Antaios SC of

and Athlos SC of

Paradeisi Paradisi ( el, Παραδείσι) is a village on the northern coast of the island of Rhodes, Greece. It has a population of 2,667 inhabitants (2011 census) and is the second-largest town (after Kremasti) in the municipal unit of Petaloudes. The i ...

. In Rhodes, the International Tour of Rhodes, part of

UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...

Cycling Calendar, is annually organized. *Rhodes competed in the bi-annual

Island Games The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...

, which it hosted in 2007.International Island Games Association website
. Retrieved 27 June 2018. Since 2019 is suspended from competition.

Cuisine

Rhodian tradition in cuisine is rich. Koriantolino and Souma (colorless alcoholic beverage produced from grape distillation) are the main alcoholic drinks of Rhodes. Local foods include: *Escharitis, type of bread *

Pitaroudia 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), Rhodes regional unit, w ...

*Milla and Tsiriggia, meat fat * Pougia pie *Lakani, goat meat with chickpeas *Lópia (beans) with goat *Matsi, hand made pasta used to make Koulouría, a traditional recipe *Synoro, traditional cheese *

Tahinopita Tahinopita is a Cypriot cake flavoured with sesame paste. Variations on the recipe include quickbread versions with chemical leaveners (such as baking soda or baking powder), yeasted versions, and phyllo layer versions. As most varieties conta ...

*Zvigoi, type of

loukoumades Lokma, also known by their Greek name, loukoumades, are pastries made of leavened and deep fried dough balls, soaked in syrup or honey, sometimes coated with cinnamon or other ingredients. The dish was described as early as the 13th century by a ...

* Melekouni *

Fanouropita Fanouropita is a sweet pie recipe from Greek cuisine and is traditionally a Lenten cake, also called "The lost and found cake." It is traditionally served in St. Fanourios Memorial Day on August 27, given to Greek Orthodox believers as a bless ...

*Takakia (Mantinades) *Katimeria (tiganites, pancakes) *

Amygdalota Amygdalota ( el, Αμυγδαλωτά; almond pears) are a type of almond cookie associated with the Cyclades The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administ ...

, white almond cookies *Moschopougia

Notable people

Agesander Agesander (also ''Agesandros'', ''Hagesander'', ''Hagesandros'', or ''Hagesanderus''; grc, Ἀγήσανδρος or grc, Ἁγήσανδρος) was one, or more likely, several Greek sculptors from the island of Rhodes, working in the first cent ...

(1st century BC), sculptor *

Apollonius Molon Apollonius Molon or Molo of Rhodes (or simply Molon; grc, Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Μόλων), was a Greek rhetorician. He was a native of Alabanda, a pupil of Menecles, and settled at Rhodes, where he opened a school of rhetoric. Prior to that, ...

(fl. 70s BC), Greek

rhetorician Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

had a celebrated school on the island; his students included

Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...

* Apollonius (3rd century BC), epic poet *

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 ...

(3rd century BC), sculptor * Cleobulus of Lindos (6th century BC), philosopher and one of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece * Diagoras (5th century BC), boxer, multiple Olympic winner *

Dinocrates Dinocrates of Rhodes (also Deinocrates, Dimocrates, Cheirocrates and Stasicrates; grc-gre, Δεινοκράτης ὁ Ῥόδιος, fl. last quarter of the 4th century BC) was a Greek architect and technical adviser for Alexander the Great. He i ...

(4th century BC), architect and technical adviser for Alexander the Great * Hecato (c. 100 BC), Stoic philosopher *

Hieronymus Hieronymus, in English pronounced or , is the Latin form of the Ancient Greek name (Hierṓnymos), meaning "with a sacred name". It corresponds to the English given name Jerome. Variants * Albanian: Jeronimi * Arabic: جيروم (Jerome) * Basqu ...

, (c.290-c.230 BC), Peripatetic philosopher *

Hipparchus Hipparchus (; el, Ἵππαρχος, ''Hipparkhos''; BC) was a Greek astronomer, geographer, and mathematician. He is considered the founder of trigonometry, but is most famous for his incidental discovery of the precession of the equi ...

, (2nd century BC), astronomer, mathematician, geographer, founder of trigonometry *

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 1 ...

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...

Leonidas Leonidas I (; grc-gre, Λεωνίδας; died 19 September 480 BC) was a List of kings of Sparta#Heraclids, king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the List of kings of Sparta#Agiad dynasty, Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed d ...

(2nd century BC), athlete *

Memnon In Greek mythology, Memnon (; Ancient Greek: Μέμνων means 'resolute') was a king of Aethiopia and son of Tithonus and Eos. As a warrior he was considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill. During the Trojan War, he brought an army t ...

(380–333 BC), commander of mercenary army *

Mentor Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

(385–340 BC),

mercenary soldier A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...

, brother of Memnon *

Panaetius Panaetius (; grc-gre, Παναίτιος, Panaítios; – ) of Rhodes was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a pupil of Diogenes of Babylon and Antipater of Tarsus in Athens, before moving to Rome where he did m ...

(c. 185 – c. 110/109 BC), Stoic philosopher *

Timocreon Timocreon of Ialysus in Rhodes ( grc-gre, Τιμοκρέων, ''gen''.: Τιμοκρέοντος) was a Greek lyric poet who flourished about 480 BC, at the time of the Persian Wars. His poetry survives only in a very few fragments, and some claim ...

(5th century BC), poet *

Braith Anasta Braith Anastasakis (born 14 January 1982), better known as Braith Anasta, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian and Greek international, Anasta played in the NRL ...

, rugby league player and

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

premiership winner (ancestral ties to the island through his father, Petros ("Peter") Anastasakis) *

Lawrence Durrell Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Born in India to British colonial pare ...

, writer and poet, author of

The Alexandria Quartet ''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...

, resided on Rhodes 1945–1947. In 1953 his travel book about Rhodes –

Reflections on a Marine Venus Reflections may refer to: Books and magazines * ''Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims'', a series of books (1665–1678) by François de La Rochefoucauld * ''Reflections'' (Sufi literature), by Idries Shah * ''Reflections'', an alumni pu ...

– was published. * Stergos Felegakis, professional football player *

Reşit Galip Reşit Galip, also known as Mustafa Reşit Baymur (1893 – 5 March 1934) was a Turkish people, Turkish politician in the early years of the Turkish Republic. By profession, he was a medical doctor. Early years He was born in the Sanjak of Rhod ...

, Turkish politician, one of the first ministers of education of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Nick Galis Nikolaos Georgalis ( el, Νικόλαος Γεωργαλής; born July 23, 1957), commonly known as either Nikos Galis ( el, Νίκος Γκάλης), or Nick Galis, is a retired Greek professional basketball player. Galis, who during his playin ...

, basketball player,

FIBA Hall of Fame The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA, in 1991. It includes the " Samar ...

and

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

member (his father was born in a small village called Agios Isidoros) *

Ferruccio Lamborghini Ferruccio Lamborghini (; 28 April 1916 – 20 February 1993) was an Italian automobile designer, inventor, mechanic, engineer, winemaker, industrialist and businessman who created Automobili Lamborghini in 1963, a maker of high-end sports cars ...

(1916–1993), Italian automobile designer, was stationed on the island as an air-force mechanic in WW2 *

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...

(1781-1855) author and Master Gunner,

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

* Murat Reiz Plaku Albanian Navy Commander *

Panagiotis Rodios Panagiotis or Panayiotis ( el, Παναγιώτης, ), "Παν" (all) "άγιος" (holy or saint) suffix "-της" (which can mean "of the"), is a common male Greek name. It derives from the Greek epithet Panagia or ''Panayia'' ("All-Holy") for ...

, revolutionary and Hellenic Army officer *

Niki Xanthou Niki Xanthou ( el, Νίκη Ξάνθου, , born 11 October 1973 in Rhodes) is a Greek long jumper. Xanthou set nine national records in long jump during her career. Her personal best, and national record, is 7.03 metres, achieved in August 199 ...

, long jumper * Ioannis Zigdis (1913–1997), politician and economist

Tourism

Rhodes is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Greece. After

, the island is the most visited destination in Greece, with arrivals standing at 1,785,305 in 2013. In 2014 they stood at 1,931,005, while in 2015 the arrival number reduced slightly and stood at 1,901,000. The average length of stay is estimated at 8 days. Guests from Great Britain, Israel, France, Italy, Sweden and Norway are the ones that constitute the biggest portion in terms of the arrivals by country. In Rhodes, the supply of available rooms is high, since more than 550 hotels are operating in the island, the majority of which are two star hotels.

In popular culture

*" Hic Rhodus, hic salta!", a phrase from antiquity *Movies shot on the island include '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961), '' Kiss the Girls'' by

Giannis Dalianidis Giannis Dalianidis ( el, Γιάννης Δαλιανίδης; 31 December 1923 – 16 October 2010) was a Greek film director. His first film was ''Mousitsa'', released in 1959, which was followed by a series of musicals. Between 1974 and 1981, ...

(1965), and ''

Escape to Athena ''Escape to Athena'' is a 1979 British adventure comedy war film directed by George P. Cosmatos. It stars Roger Moore, Telly Savalas, David Niven, Stefanie Powers, Claudia Cardinale, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Bono and Elliott Gould. The film i ...

'' (1979). Rhodes was also the setting of Agatha Christie's "Triangle at Rhodes."

Panoramas

Citations

General and cited sources

* Boardman, John ed., ''The Oxford History of Classical Art'', 1993, OUP, * * * *

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Dodecanese Dorian colonies Greek city-states Hellenic Navy bases Islands of the South Aegean Landforms of Rhodes (regional unit) Mediterranean islands Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Municipalities of the South Aegean Phoenician colonies in Greece Populated places in Rhodes

Name

Geography

Flora

Fauna

Earthquakes

Climate

History

Prehistory

Minoan Era

Mycenaean Era

Archaic Era

Classical Era

Hellenistic and Roman periods

Byzantine period

Crusader and Ottoman rule

Modern history

Italian occupation

Contemporary period