What interesting facts are there in the city of Rhodes. Rhodes: interesting facts about the medieval city. Tours to Greece
Interesting facts about Rhodes
The historical part of the city of Rhodes, the largest settlement of the island, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The island is popular not only among tourists, but also enjoys increased attention from scientists. In Rhodes, archaeological excavations are constantly carried out, during which many monuments and architectural structures of antiquity are studied.
Interesting facts about Rhodes will be of interest to anyone who is fond of ancient Greek history. And in general, those cities and countries that have a thousand-year history cannot but attract the attention of any educated person.
It should be noted that we already wrote about Rhodes when we talked about the Colossus of Rhodes, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. Now let's just tell you some interesting facts about Rhodes.
After the Crusaders lost the Holy Land, the residence of the Grand Master of the Order was moved here. According to contemporaries, at the end of the 15th century, the Rhodes fortress was the most modern and impregnable of the Christian fortresses. The fortress was the residence of 19 Grand Masters of the Order of the Hospitallers, the center of Kollakium - the quarter of the Knights of Rhodes, as well as the last refuge of the inhabitants at the time of danger.
Entrance to the Palace of the Grand Masters
Built in the 14th century, it survived earthquakes and sieges, but was destroyed in 1856 by an accidental explosion. The unique palace was restored by the Italians in the 1930s.
It will take less than 2 hours to drive around the whole island by car. That is, Rhodes is not at all large in area.
The oldest Greek stadium is located in the city of Lindos.
Rhodes is known for its extremely low crime rate.
Half of the population of this island (60,000 people) lives in the capital of Rhodes.
About 35% of the total area of the island is covered with pine and cypress forests.
In translation, the word "Rhodes" is translated as "rose".
According to the islanders themselves, they consider Hercules, the hero of the myths of ancient Greece, the founder of the very first settlement on the island.
In Rhodes, there is a unique valley of Petaloudes (Butterfly Valley). Butterflies come here in summer in huge numbers.
An interesting fact is that Rhodes is often called the "pearl of the Mediterranean." Those who have been there at least once, unequivocally agree with this popular name.
It is believed that Christianity was brought to Rhodes by the holy Apostle Paul.
For many centuries, Rhodes has been an important trading port in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Despite today's purely tourist interest, once Rhodes was the center of ancient painting, sculpture, poetry, philosophy, astronomy, physics and geography.
Rhodes is known as the "Pearl of the Mediterranean"
There are many archaeological sites that make it clear about the rich and very interesting history of the island.
Rhodes is the fourth largest island in Greece and the largest island of the Dodecanese archipelago, in the southeast of the Aegean Sea. It is worth noting that it is one of the most beautiful Greek islands.
From the west it is washed by the Aegean Sea, and in the east the island is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Basically, this Greek island consists of hills and low mountains covered with forests. The tropical climate of the island is very healthy. The summer heat is softened by westerly winds, and the winter here is very mild with long sunny days.
Rhodes island. Brief information:
The administrative center of the island is the city of Rhodes. It is located in the northeast of the island. City population - 60,000;
The international airport of the island of Rhodes is "Diagoras". It is located in the village of Paradisi, which is 14 km from the capital of the island;
The area of the island is 1,398 sq km and the population is about 110,000 inhabitants;
Coastline: 220 km;
Main language: Greek;
Currency: Euro.
Rhodes island on the map
Interesting Facts:
1. The island of Rhodes is called emerald due to the fact that 37% of the entire territory is occupied by pines and cypress.
2. In ancient times, Rhodes was known throughout the world for one of its seven wonders of the world - the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue 33 meters high.
3. Ear of Rhodes - a huge statue of the ancient Greek God of the Sun - Helios, which adorned the port city of Rhodes - was about the same size as the statue of liberty.
4. The myths of ancient Greece say that Rhodes was the island of Helios - the solar deity, the son of the titan Hyperion. One of the myths says that Helios fell in love with the daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite - Rod. He named the island after her.
The name of the island means "rose" and even today this place continues to be blooming.
5. The emblem of the island is a deer. This is because a very rare deer lives in its forests - the European fallow deer (Dama dama).
6. In total, there are 44 villages on the island with 120,000 inhabitants.
7. Hercules is considered here the founder of the first settlement on the island.
8. The share of tourism in the economy of the island is 75%.
9. In the 16th century BC (3,700 years ago), Rhodes was in close contact with the Minoan civilization of Crete, making the island of Rhodes an important center of the Bronze Age.
10. By visiting the island, you can go back 2,600 years by visiting the Acropolis of Lindos, or 600 years ago by visiting the beautiful medieval old town, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
11. The symbol of the world famous sports company Nike was borrowed from the ancient Greek goddess Nike (winged victory). The insignia of the company is understood to represent the wing of a sculpture dedicated to this goddess.
A marble sculpture of Nike of Samothrace, created around 190 BC, was found on the island of Samothrace, but its creator was the sculptor Pythokritus from Lindos, on the island of Rhodes. In addition, part of the sculpture, namely the ship on which Nike stands, is made of gray Lartian marble from Rhodes.
It is worth noting that the sculpture is dedicated to victory in a naval battle. This sculpture has been in the Louvre since 1884.
12. In order to reduce the weight of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, it was decided to use the lightest materials, including white clay tiles created in Rhodes.
Attractions of the island of Rhodes
13. Rhodes fortress - previously it was the residence of 19 Grand Masters of the Order of the Hospitallers. In addition, this fortress was the center of Kollakium - the quarter where the Rhodes knights lived.
In the Rhodes fortress, residents could find shelter at the time of danger. The fortress is so strong that it was able to survive during several earthquakes and numerous precipitations. However, in 1856 an accidental explosion destroyed it.
Later, the fortress was restored, and today it hosts various exhibitions dedicated to the history of the island.
Fortress in 1844
14. Petaloudes Valley also known as the "Valley of the Butterflies". In summer, only one type of butterflies, known as the four-spotted mole cricket, flock to this place.
15. Acropolis of Lindos - its ancient ruins are interestingly mixed with medieval walls and buildings of the fortress of the Hospitallers.
The Acropolis of Lindos is the second most famous acropolis in Greece, after the Athenian.
16. Lindos is home to the world's only Olympic stadium, which is similar to the stadium of ancient Olympia. Only he was able to survive to this day.
17. Seven Springs - this beautiful natural park is located near the village of Kolymbia, on the east coast of the island. Here you can find the remains of hydraulic structures.
18. The ancient city of Kamiros - here are the ruins of an ancient city, residential areas and an ancient water supply system dating back to the 5th century BC. e. This place is not very popular among tourists, so it is calm here.
19. On Rhodes, you can also find the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Asklipio - a temple of the 14th century, located in the village of Asklipio. The temple was built on the site of an even older church.
20. The medieval Palace of the Grand Masters, also known as Castello Castle, also known as Kritinia Castle, is located on Knights Street in the Old City.
Another name for the street is Odos Ippoton and on it you can find many buildings of different ages. It is also known as one of the rare streets from the Middle Ages that have survived to this day.
There are 205 halls and rooms in the palace, among which it is worth highlighting: the Hall of Byzantine Icons, the Reception Hall, the Hall of the Italian Governor, as well as the Hall of Music, Dance and Waiting.
The history of the city of Rhodes dates back to 408 BC. This city is one of the oldest cities in the world, thanks to which it is included in the World Heritage List.
The architecture of Rhodes bears traces of many eras and styles.
Eleven gates located in the city walls lead to the Old Town, which in themselves represent a unique architectural monument. The length of the city walls is four kilometers, and their surface is decorated with 150 coats of arms of knights and masters who once inhabited the city.
The city itself is divided into two parts Burg and Collachi. Ordinary residents of the city lived in Burg, and its main street Socratus is lined with shops, cafeterias, taverns, as well as souvenir and craft shops.
Kollahiy since 1309 was the place of settlement of knights and masters. Here is the famous Palace of the Grand Masters, founded in the 14th century. In 1856, the Palace was almost completely destroyed by an explosion, but in the middle of the twentieth century, the authorities of Rhodes restored the architectural monument. Currently, the Palace houses two exhibition halls, which showcase exhibits dedicated to the historical culture of the island.
The Street of the Knights originates from the Palace of the Grand Masters, on which there are knights' farmsteads, which bore the name of the countries to which the Knights-Joanites who lived here belonged: the French farmyard, the Spanish farmyard, the Italian farmyard, etc.
There are many museums in Rhodes. For example, the Museum of Archeology in the old building of the knight's hospital, the Byzantine Museum in the Red Mosque, which presents a unique collection of Byzantine frescoes and icons, as well as the Pinakothek - a city art gallery with collections of paintings by contemporary authors, built in the medieval part of Rhodes.
Also in Rhodes, several mosques built during the reign of the Ottoman Empire have been preserved: the mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Great (1522), the Ibrahim Pasha mosque (1531), the Rajap Pasha mosque (1588) and many others.
Rhodes city is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its history begins in 408 AD. Rhodes is included in the World Heritage List due to the historical architectural monuments.
All architectural structures Greece in this part of the country combine several styles. The ancient part of Rhodes, or the Old Town, is surrounded by a wall, in which there are 11 gates. They are unique architectural structures. The wall is 4 kilometers long. On the walls of the Old Town of Rhodes there are 150 ancient coats of arms of knights and masters who once lived in these places.
Territorially Rhodes divided into 2 parts: Burg and Kollachiy.
In the first part of the city, in Burg, ordinary people lived. The main street of this part of Rhodes is lined with shops, taverns, restaurants and souvenir shops.
Kollahiy was the dwelling place of knights and masters. One of the palaces of these settlers, the Palace of the Grand Masters, has been well preserved to this day. It was founded in the fourteenth century. It is interesting that in 1856 this palace was almost destroyed by an explosion, but in the 20th century it was completely restored according to old sketches. Pereri Palace of the Grand Masters is one of the main attractions of Rhodes. In the castle itself, you can observe two exhibition halls dedicated to the historical culture of the country, in particular Rhodes.
From the palace there is a street of knights, on it there are small old knights' courtyards, which bear the names of those countries where the knights came from, for example: Italian Compound, French Compound, Spanish Compound, etc.
A huge number of museums are available to tourists all year round. On Rhodes There is an Archaeological Museum. This museum is located in an old building that once belonged to a knight's hospital.
In the Byzantine Museum, you can admire frescoes and Byzantine icons. The museum itself is located in the building of the Red Mosque.
There are many mosques in Rhodes that carry the spirit of antiquity. The mosque, built during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, is well preserved. Other no less interesting mosques: the Mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Great (1522), the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque (1531), the Rajap Pasha Mosque (1588).
Sights of Greece, Rhodes
In addition, Rhodes is located on the shores of two seas - the Mediterranean and the Aegean. If you love a relaxing beach holiday on the Mediterranean coast, there is always a place for you. If you're looking for an adrenaline rush or you're a surfer, then the Aegean side is the perfect place for you.
Sights of Greece, Rhodes
Surely many of us have heard about this wonderful Greek island - Rhodes. But what is remarkable about this resort, besides its wonderful beaches? We invite you to get acquainted with 10 interesting facts about this island:
Fact number 1. One winged Latin expression is associated with the name of this island: “Here is Rhodes, jump here” (in the original Hie Rodos, hie salta!). The phrase comes from Aesop's fable "The Bouncer", which tells of a man who boasted that when he was on the island of Rhodes, he made a colossal leap, and at the same time there were witnesses to the event. To which one of the listeners said to him: “Friend, if this is true, then why do you need witnesses? Here is Rhodes for you - jump here. Allegorically: do not talk about your glorious deeds done somewhere or sometime, but show your capabilities here and now.
Fact number 2. The island is named after the nymph Rhoda, daughter of Poseidon and wife of Helios. The love of the solar deity Helios is noticeable even today - in Rhodes there are more than 300 sunny days a year.
Fact number 3. In Rhodes, an autochthonous (bred in one place) Atiri grape variety grows. It produces resinous Retsina wine, which is considered one of the best varieties of Greek wine.
Fact number 4. Known fact. Rhodes is the site of the construction of one of the wonders of the world - the Colossus of Rhodes. It was built in 292 BC and destroyed by an earthquake already in 226 BC. No one knows what the Colossus actually looked like and where it was located.
Fact number 5. The acropolis of the Rhodes city of Lindos is the second largest and most important acropolis in Greece, after the Athenian.
Fact number 6. In the northeast of the island is one of the most picturesque and famous beaches of Rhodes. Rocky slopes descend directly to the water, along which bright green thickets creep. In the past, this is a private beach that belonged to the American actor Anthony Quinn, who played the Greek Zorba in the film of the same name by Michalis Kakoyannis. Today, the bay is state property and anyone can relax in it.
Fact number 7. On Rhodes there is a unique place of its kind - the Petaludes Valley. From all over the European part, a huge number of butterflies fly here, which are attracted by the special aroma of resin emanating from the trees growing here.
Fact number 8. Pine honey is produced in Rhodes. Dark, thick and fragrant honey is collected only 2 times a year - in spring and autumn. It contains a lot of iron and a number of useful trace elements, due to its moderate sweetness and unique composition, it is very useful.
Fact number 9. The island of Rhodes is small, and if you wish, you can go around it in a couple of days up and down. Do not think that because of this, the island is suitable only for a beach holiday. There are many interesting places around Rhodes that you can visit with a ferry ticket, among them Patmos, Halki and Symi.
Fact number 10. On Rhodes, you can get rid of all sins by going through a tunnel in 7 springs. A simple action (just go through a concrete tunnel) is considered a miraculous way to cleanse from sins. Seven springs are located about 30 km from the city of Rhodes.
