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Archangelos ( el, Αρχάγγελος) is a town and a former
Numerous small settlements existed in the broader area of Archangelos during the
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 ...
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality 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 ...
, of which it is a municipal unit.
Location and population
Archangelos is located about 30 kilometers south of the town of Rhodes on the island's east coast at an elevation of 160 meters. Its population according to the 2011 census was 5,384 making it the fifth largest town of the island (after the capital Rhodes, and the town of Trianta (Ialysos),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 ...
and Afantou
Afantou ( el, Αφάντου) is a village and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese
The Dodecanese (, ; el, Δωδεκάνησα, ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the ...
. The town's name derives from Archangel Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
who is also considered its patron.
The municipal unit of Archangelos has a land area of 115.375 km², and includes several other towns, the largest of which are Malónas (pop. 982) and Másari (1,004). Its total population was 7,615 at the 2011 census.
History
Numerous small settlements existed in the broader area of Archangelos during the Hellenistic era
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 3 ...
, others on the coast and others inland. After the 7th century AD the settlements near the coast were abandoned due to the frequent invasions of pirates and their inhabitants settled on existing inland settlements or founded new ones in more secure areas. Over time the various settlements of the area were merged in one forming the town of Archangelos.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Knights Hospitaller
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 were occupying the island of Rhodes since 1309, built a fortress (some sort of an Acropolis) on top of one of the town's nearby hills to protect from a possible Ottoman invasion on the island. Ruins of this (castle of Saint John) fortress remain today.
Economy
Major economic resources include tourism, agriculture (main agricultural products are olive oil and citrus fruits), stockbreeding and pottery. Pottery was always one of the major occupations of the people of Archangelos. It is said that the dome ofHagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
was built using light bricks from Archangelos.
Tourist attractions
In: *church of the Saint Michael Archangel Nearby: *castle of Saint George ruins *cave of KoumellosSee also
*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 ...
* Stegna, Rhodes
References