Rhodes

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This article is about the Greek island of Rhodes. For other uses, see Rhodes
(disambiguation).
Rodi redirects here. For other uses, see Rodi (disambiguation).
Rhodes
??d??
Palace of the Grand Master in the city of Rhodes
Palace of the Grand Master in the city of Rhodes
Rhodes is located in Greece RhodesRhodes
Location within the region [show]
Coordinates 3610'N 280'ECoordinates 3610'N 280'E
Country Greece
Administrative region South Aegean
Regional unit Rhodes
Area
Municipality 1,401 km2 (541 sq mi)
Highest elevation 1,216 m (3,990 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
Municipality 115,490
Municipality density 82km2 (210sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 85x xx
Area code(s) 2241, 2244, 2246
Vehicle registration ??
Website www.rhodes.gr
General view of the village of Lindos, with the acropolis and the beaches, island
of Rhodes, Greece.
General view of the village of Lindos, with the acropolis and the beaches, island
of Rhodes, Greece.
Rhodes (Greek ??d??, Rdos ['roos]) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in
terms of land area and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively
the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is
part of the South Aegean administrative region. The principal town of the island
and seat of the municipality is Rhodes.[2] The city of Rhodes had 50,636
inhabitants in 2011. It is located northeast of Crete, southeast of Athens and just
off the Anatolian coast of Turkey. Rhodes' nickname is The island of the Knights,
named after the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, who once conquered the land.[3]

Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has
been declared a World Heritage Site. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist
destinations in Europe.[4][5][6][7]

Contents [hide]
1 Name
2 Geography
2.1 Flora
2.2 Fauna
2.3 Earthquakes
2.4 Climate
3 History
3.1 Early and classical antiquity
3.2 Hellenistic age
3.3 Byzantine period
3.4 Crusader and Islamic rule
3.5 Modern history
4 Archaeology
5 Religion
5.1 Christianity
5.2 Islam
5.3 Judaism
6 Government
6.1 Towns and villages
7 Economy
8 Transportation
8.1 Air
8.2 Sea
8.3 Road network
8.4 Bus
8.5 Cars and motorbikes
9 Sports
10 Culture
11 Notable people
12 Tourism
13 See also
14 References
15 Sources
16 External links
Name[edit]
The island has been known as ??d?? in Greek throughout its history. In addition,
the island has been called Rodi in Italian, Rodos in Turkish, and Rodi or Rodes in
Ladino.

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville incorrectly reports that Rhodes was formerly
called Collosus, through a conflation of the Colossus of Rhodes and Paul's Epistle
to the Colossians, which refers to Colossae.[8]

Geography[edit]

Topographic map of Rhodes.

Akramitis mountain

Ixia beach, Rhodes

Valley of Petaloudes
The island of Rhodes is shaped like a spearhead, 79.7 km (49.5 mi) long and 38 km
(24 mi) wide, with a total area of approximately 1,400 square kilometres (541 sq
mi) and a coastline of approximately 220 km (137 mi). Limestone is the main
bedrock.[9] The city of Rhodes is located at the northern tip of the island, as
well as the site of the ancient and modern commercial harbours. The main air
gateway (Diagoras International Airport, IATA code RHO) is located 14 km (9 mi) to
the southwest of the city in Paradisi. The road network radiates from the city
along the east and west coasts.

Outside of the city of Rhodes, the island is dotted with small villages and spa
resorts, among them Faliraki, Lindos, Kremasti, Haraki, Pefkos, Archangelos,
Afantou, Ixia, Koskinou, Embona (Attavyros), Paradisi, and Trianta (Ialysos). There
are mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes sea water) used to give medicinal
baths and the spa resorts offer various health treatments.

Rhodes is situated 363 km (226 mi) east-south-east from the Greek mainland, and 18
km (11 mi) from the southern shore of Turkey.

Flora[edit]
Further information Natural history of Rhodes
The interior of the island is mountainous, sparsely inhabited and covered with
forests of pine (Pinus brutia) and cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). While the
shores are rocky, the island has arable strips of land where citrus fruit, wine
grapes, vegetables, olives and other crops are grown.

Fauna[edit]
Further information Natural history of Rhodes
The Rhodian population of fallow deer was found to be genetically distinct in 2005,
and to be of urgent conservation concern.[10] In Petaloudes Valley (Greek for
Valley of the Butterflies), large numbers of tiger moths gather during the summer
months. Mount Attavyros, at 1,216 metres (3,990 ft), is the island's highest point
of elevation.