Information AboutRhodes |
Rhodes ( islands in terms of both land area and population, situated in eastern Aegean Sea . This Greek Island lies approximately 11 miles (18 km) to the west of the Turkish shores, situated between the Greek mainland and the island of Cyprus . As of 2001 , it has a population of 117,007 of which 53,709 reside in the Capital city of the island. Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus Of Rhodes , one of the Seven Wonders Of The World . The medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site . Today Rhodes is a major international tourist destination. Geography The island of Rhodes is shaped like a spearhead, 79.7 km long and 38 km wide with a total area of approximately 1,400.684 km&2 (541 square miles) and a coastline of approximately 220 km. The city of Rhodes is located at the far northern end of the island, including the site of the ancient and modern commercial harbor. The main air gateway ( Diagoras International Airport , IATA code: RHO) is located 14 km to the southwest of the city in Paradisi. The road network radiates from the city along the east and west coasts. In terms of Flora and Fauna , Rhodes is closer to Asia Minor than to the rest of Greece. The interior of the country is mountainous, sparsely inhabited and covered with forests of Pine (''Pinus brutia'') and Cypress (''Cupressus sempervirens''). The island is home to Rhodian deer. In Petaludes Valley, known in English as the Valley of the Butterflies, large numbers of Tiger Moth s gather in the summer. Mount Attavyros, at 3,990 ft (1,216 m), is the island's highest point of elevation. While the shores are stony, the island has arable strips of land where Citrus fruit, Wine grapes, vegetables, olives and other crops are grown. Outside of the city of Rhodes, the island is dotted with small villages and beach resorts, among them Faliraki , Lindos , Kremasti , Haraki , Pefkos , Archangelos , Afandou , Koskinou , Embona (Attavyros), Paradisi , and Trianta (Ialysos). Tourism is the island's primary source of income. HISTORY Ancient Times ]] The island was inhabited in the Neolithic period, although little remains of this culture. In the 16th Century BC the Minoans came to Rhodes, and later Greek mythology recalled a Rhodian race they called the Telchines , and associated Rhodes with Danaus ; it was sometimes nicknamed ''Telchinis''. In the 15th Century the Achaeans invaded. It was, however, in the 11th Century that the island started to flourish, with the coming of the Dorians . It was the Dorians who later built the three important cities of Lindos, Ialyssos and Kameiros , which together with Kos , Cnidus and Halicarnassus (on the mainland) made up the so-called Dorian Hexapolis . In Pindar 's ode, the island was said to be born of the union of Helios the sun god and the nymph Rhode , and the cities were named for their three sons. The ''rhoda'' is a pink Hibiscus native to the island. Invasions by the Persians eventually overran the island, but after their defeat by the forces from Athens in 478 BC , the cities joined the Athenian League . When the Peloponnesian War broke out in 431 BC , Rhodes remained largely neutral, although it remained a member of the League. The war lasted until 404 BC , but by this time Rhodes had withdrawn entirely from the conflict and had decided to go her own way. In . However the Peloponnesian War had so weakened the entire Greek culture that it lay open to invasion. In 357 BC the island was conquered by the king Mausolus Of Caria , then fell to the Persians 340 BC . But their rule was also short and to the great relief of its citizens, Rhodes became a part of the growing empire of Alexander III Of Macedon in 332 BC after he defeated the Persians. Following the death of Alexander his generals vied for control of the kingdom. Three of them, who formed a school at Rhodes; Apollonius Of Rhodes ; the astronomers Hipparchus and Geminus, the rhetorician Dionysios Trax . Its school of sculptors developed a rich, dramatic style that can be characterized as " Hellenistic Baroque ". In 305 BC , Antigonus had his son, Demetrius besiege Rhodes in an attempt to break its alliance with Egypt. Demetrius created huge Siege Engines including a 180 foot battering ram and a Siege Tower named Helepolis that weighed 360,000 pounds. Despite this engagement, in 304 BC , after only one year he relented and signed a peace agreement, leaving behind a huge store of military equipment. The Rhodians sold the equipment and used the money to erect a statue of their sun god, Helios , the statue now known as Colossus of Rhodes. In 164 BC , Rhodes signed a treaty with Rome, and became a major schooling center for Roman noble families, and was especially noted for its teachers of rhetoric, such as Hermagoras and the author of the Rhetorica Ad Herennium . At first the state was an important ally of Rome and enjoyed numerous privileges, but these were later lost in various machinations of Roman politics. Cassius eventually invaded the island and sacked the city. In the 1st Century AD, the Emperor Tiberius spent a brief term of exile on Rhodes, and Saint Paul brought Christianity to the island. Rhodes reached her zenith in the third century, and was then by common consent the most civilized and beautiful city in Hellas . In 395, the long Byzantine Empire period began for Rhodes, when the Roman Empire was split and the eastern half gradually became a Greek empire. Although part of Byzantium for the next thousand years, Rhodes was nevertheless repeatedly attacked by various forces. It was first occupied by Muslim forces of Muawiyah I in 672. Much later, Rhodes was retrieved for the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus during the First Crusade . Medieval Period In 1309 the Byzantine era came to an end when the island was subjugated by forces of the Knights Hospitaller . Under the rule of the newly named "Knights of Rhodes,", the city was rebuilt into a model of the European mediaeval ideal. Many of the city's famous monuments, including the Palace Of The Grand Master , were built during this period. The strong walls which the Knights had built withstood the attacks of the Sultan of Egypt in 1444, and of Mehmed II in 1480. Ultimately, however, Rhodes fell to the large army of Suleiman The Magnificent in December 1522. The few remaining Knights were permitted to retire to the Kingdom Of Sicily . The Knights would later move their base of operations to Malta. The island was thereafter a possession of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries. Modern History and Religion , Rhodes, 1480-1500. This is the largest known bombard in history. Founded at the request of Pierre D'Aubusson , the bombard was used for close defense of the walls (100-200 m). It fired 260 kg Granit balls. The bombard weighs 3,325 kg. Musée De L'Armée .]] In 1912, Rhodes was seized from the Turks by the who remained after the end of the Italian occupation of the island. The Greek Orthodox Church is of course the predominant religion throughout Greece. LANDMARKS Archeological sites In ancient times, Rhodes was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Colossus of Rhodes. This giant bronze statue once stood in the harbour. It was completed in 280 BC but was 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 Temple of Apollo, ancient Ialysos, ancient Kamiros, the Governor's Palace, Rhodes Old Town (walled medieval city), the Palace of the Grand Masters, Kahal Shalom Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, the Archeological Museum, the ruins of the castle of Monolithos, the castle of Kritinia and St. Catherine Hospice. Museums HISTORICAL EVENTS
GOVERNMENT Rhodes is the capital of Dodecanese Prefecture and the most important island of the South Aegean Region. The local association of municipalities and communities of the Dodecanese , TEDKD {Link without Title} , is responsible for joining efforts and actions for the whole island as well as prefecture. Late talks suggest the incorporation of the 10 municipalities of the island in to one or two metropolitan municipalities in order to achieve flexible administration with profitable outcome for the whole island. Administrative Division The island is divided to 10 municipalities that each may contains many towns or villages called municipal departments. These are: Towns and Villages 43 towns and villages exist on the island ECONOMY It is a fact that Rhodes economy is tourism-oriented but contrary to general beliefs other sectors also contribute to an above Greek average economic condition. Although the island has scarce raw materials and thus industrial production is almost null there are many small industries that process imported raw materials and offer the final goods to local markets. The most developed sectors include agricultural goods production, stockbreeding, fishery and winery. Finally, the most developed sector, service provision, includes except tourism related activities (hotels, restaurants, bars etc.) a vast majority of large, medium and small scaled services. HEALTH STRUCTURES Healthcare services on the island are well organized and up to date. Rhodes has two hospitals (one public, one private) and a number of Health Centers (small hospitals) and Community Clinics.
TRANSPORTATION The road network of the island is mostly modern and paved, with some renovations carried out in recent years. There are four major arteries:
Car/Motorbike There are 80,000 registered cars and 70.000 motorbikes/scooters on the island. Families in Rhodes often own more than one car, along with a motorbike. Traffic jams are common particularly in the summer months. Bus Bus services are handled by two operators
Taxi The island is served by 450 taxis (most of them in Rhodes Town). Air Rhodes has three airports but only one is public. Diagoras Airport , one of the biggest in Greece, is the main entrance /exit point 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. Since last year GB Airways , a subsidiary of British Airways , offers scheduled flights from London-Gatwick and this year Aegean Airlines connects daily Rhodes with Rome -Fiumicino and Cyprus Airways with Larnaca .
Two pilot schools offer aviation services (small plane rental, island hopping). Sea Rhodes has five ports, three of them in Rhodes City , one in the west coast near Kamiros and one in east coast near Lardos .
LAND LINES Automated dialing/calling center corresponding to three area codes ( 22410 , 22440, 22460). SPORTS The island in general boosts and evolves a wide variety of sports either in professional or in amateur level.
TRIVIA
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