greece is

experience culture, gastronomy & more

2017-2018 ISSUE
RHO D ES FIRST EDITION

ISSN: 2529-041X

20 - 38 39 - 84 85 - 138 139 - 155

W e l c o me
Rhodes for beginners:
an introduction to the island that
led Greece into the Age
of Tourism.
Discove r
There are few places in the world
where you can find the tangible
traces of so many eras and
cultures as you’ll see in Rhodes.
EX PERIEN CE
It’s not all about the Old Town
and the beaches. From Italian
ghost towns to mountain retreats,
there’s plenty to explore.
Taste
The culinary and winemaking
traditions of the island live on,
ensuring that its authentic flavors
are still available for all to enjoy.
 | WELCOME
At a Crowded Crossroads
R H O D E S ’ A M B I V A L E N T relationshi p w ith mass to u rism
BY GIORGOS TSIROS
edi t or - I N - C H I E F , G R E E C E I S
It is the ninth largest island in the Mediterranean.
To get from one end to the other, one needs to cover
a distance of 100 kilometers. There are 26 countries
in the world that are smaller in area. Today, as you’re
reading this, thousands of people will be arriving at its
airport on airlines that you may not even have heard
of, from cities with far fewer sunny days per year than
Rhodes, places such as Leeds, Billund, Katowice, Stock-
holm, Gdańsk and Bratislava, as well as London, Par-
is, Milan, Budapest and Copenhagen. Each visitor will
sleep on one of the 100,000 beds in one of the island’s
licensed hotels, they will enjoy Rhodes’ beaches, ad-
mire its sights, have fun in its bars and restaurants and
return to their homelands suntanned and happy.
Last year, 5 million people passed through the air-
port here, the country’s third busiest. (It’s also one of
the 14 regional airports that have passed under the
control of the consortium Fraport Greece – a compre-
hensive overhaul is expected soon.) In the same period,
large cruise ships docked at the island’s port 400 times.
Rhodes is one of the most “mature” tourist destina-
|
tions in Greece; it was among the first to be developed,
to acquire “serious” infrastructure and – thanks to its
particularly warm climate – to extend the tourism sea-
son to at least 7 months a year. However, it is also a des-
tination that has felt the impact of having an oversupply
of rooms. It has come under pressure from tour opera-
tors and has seen prices and per-capita visitor revenues
squeezed. Today, it must re-examine its identity and de-
velop a new strategic plan in order to upgrade its tour-
ism industry and attract more high-end travelers. What
is certain is that all the basic ingredients are there: nat-
ural beauty, a rich history, stunning monuments, luxu-
ry hotels and – most importantly – human resource as-
sets well-versed in hospitality services and thoroughly
accustomed to receiving people from all over the world.
That’s not all. As we discovered while putting to-
gether the magazine you are now holding in your hands,
Rhodes – so developed, so widely marketed and already
so well-known to potential visitors – still exhibits an
uncanny ability to pleasantly surprise all those who
come here.
© PERIKLES MERAKOS
GREECE IS • R H O D E S 2 017 1
 RODOS PALACE, QUITE SIMPLY,
CONSTITUTES THE FINEST DELUXE RESORT
ON THE ISLAND OF RHODES. ON A SUPERB
LOCATION 3 KM FROM RHODES TOWN AND
THE MEDIEVAL CITY, JUST 50 METRES FROM THE BEACH,
RODOS PALACE INVITES YOU TO
EXPERIENCE THE TRUE ESSENCE OF RESORT LIFE.
 Iraklidon Avenue (Trianton) Ixia
85100 Rhodes, Greece
T: (+30) 2241.097.222, F: (+30) 2241.025.350
info@rodos-palace.gr | www.rodos-palace.gr
 LINDOS
Below the imposing rock of the acropolis
stands the picturesque town of Lindos,
built οn the ruins of an ancient city. One
of Rhodes’ top attractions, its traditional
character is protected by conservation
laws. The white-washed houses, rocky
terrain and blue waters of the Aegean
© F I L I PP O S F I L I PP O U

combine to create a setting of unparal-

leled charm. The crystalline sea – perfect
for swimming and scuba diving – the vil-
lage’s cosmopolitan summer atmosphere,
wide variety of entertainment options,
traditional cuisine and modern culinary
creativity all come together to offer
incredible moments of carefree relaxation.
 KALLITHEA SPRINGS
A restored monument of excep-
tional architectural value, these
spa facilities, built 90 years ago
by the Italians, are not to be
missed. Marble and pebble floors,
rotundas, a seaside garden and
impressive open-air spaces create
a unique setting reminiscent of
old Hollywood. Kallithea Beach
boasts crystal-clear waters and the
seabed, famed for its biodiversity,
attracts groups of scuba divers.

© F I L I PP O S F I L I PP O U

Butterfly VALLEY THE OLD TOWN

© F I L I PP O S F I L I PP O U

One of Rhodes’ major Europe’s largest inhab-

attractions, this rare eco- ited Medieval Town, a
system hosts thousands UNESCO World Heritage
of Panaxia quadripunctaria City, offers visitors the
moths every summer. Park one-of-a-kind experience
visitors can walk along of retracing 2,400 years
the small Pelekanos River, of history in a single stroll.
cross wooden bridges and Medieval buildings and
get lost in a fairy-tale set- Ottoman mosques, narrow
ting of lush greenery, small alleys and charming
rapids and stream pools, squares all create a unique
before heading to the sense of times gone by.
valley’s renowned restau- There are also restaurants,
rant, which overlooks a bars and shops with some-
waterfall. thing for everyone.
 “The facilities of the Kallithea
Springs are a fantastic tourist
attraction, as well as an ideal
space to host high-quality events
of all kinds. We at DERMAE are
open to every sort of collabora-
tion, because we’re committed to
making every effort to utilize this
unique monument in the best way
possible. It’s a unique space of
enormous potential; it
impresses all its visitors and is
ideal for hosting important events
that will bolster tourism on the
island. To the citizens of Rhodes
and all those who visit and support
© SAV VAS ARGIROU

the monument, we thank you for

appreciating our efforts.”
Giorgos Kakoulis
President of DERMAE

Kallithea
Located on the eastern side of the island, 9k from Rhodes Town, the Kallithea Springs have long been a
magnet for visitors from all over the world, particularly since a facility was created here by the island’s Italian
rulers in the early 20th century. Today, the restored complex is one of the island’s most popular attractions.
In the imposing Great Rotunda, cultural and artistic events such as festivals, concerts and exhibitions are
frequently held. The enchanting setting is also ideal for unforgettable events; highly experienced professionals
are on hand to succesfully take on not only wedding receptions, but formal dinners, corporate meetings and
conferences as well. Next to the spa complex is a popular beach with crystal waters and beautiful palm trees;
its historic café, also elegantly renovated, is open throughout the day, serving refreshments right on the beach.
© F I L I PP O S F I L I PP O U

Kallithea Springs/ ΔΕΡΜΑΕ Α.Ε.

Tel. (+30) 2241.037.090, Fax: (+30) 2241.073.073
e-mail: info@kallitheasprings.gr
http://www.kallitheasprings.gr/
A rare valley
Just 10k west from Rhodes
Airport, near the village of
Theologos, the stunning Valley of
the Butterflies is one of Rhodes’
most famous attractions. This
unique ecosystem hosts the rare
Panaxia quadripunctaria (actually
a brightly-colored species of
moth) from mid-June until late
September. The moths spend
most of their time resting on
the shady sides of the trunks of
trees or around their roots but
when they take flight the or-
ange-red of their wings becomes
visible. The sight of this large
colony of winged creatures is
truly magical.

DO NOT DISTURB
Unfortunately, the butterfly
population has been declining
due to the impact of tourism on
the valley. Some visitors whistle
or clap to make the insects take
flight, without realizing that the
noise they’re making resembles
that made by bats. The panicked
insects take flight, attempting to
escape. Many die from shock,
exhaustion or injury after colli-
sions with rocks and trees. For
the moths to survive, it’s crucial
that they be allowed to rest
during the day so they can con-
serve energy for their migration
in September.

“Aegean Islands,
unlike any other!”
This is the identity of our islands, the identity of Greece!
B Y G e org e H a t z i m a r k os
R E G I O N A L G ov ernor o f t h e S o u t h A egean
T Comprising a
he South Aegean Region, with
60 inhabited islands and some of
the strongest brands on the world
tourism map, each year receives the lion’s
share of tourists to Greece.
Comprising a diverse archipelago of
destinations of unparalleled beauty and
character, the region has something for
everyone, meeting visitors’ needs and de-
sires with services of the highest quality.
Made up of the islands of the Cyclades
and the Dodecanese, the region is one of
incomparable natural beauty and diversi-
ty. Its islands, so close to one another and
yet so different, offer a wealth of experi-
ences and emotions. Islands bathed in
light, surrounded by blue, where myths,
history and reality co-exist in an impres-
sive mosaic. Their contradictions are their
charm. Their distinctiveness is what de-
fines them.
It is this distinctiveness that the
Southern Aegean Region is promoting
worldwide via the strategic tourism de-
velopment plan that it has devised and
is implementing. Additionally, following
our selection as a European Region of
Gastronomy 2019, the unique flavors and
aromas of our food will take center stage
in a never-ending banquet, as we share
ancient secrets with visitors and fellow
diners during a thrilling culinary journey
through all the senses. Our nomination is
16 w w w . g R E E C E - is . co m
| WELCOME |
yet further proof of the region’s unique-
ness, yet another invitation for visitors
to get to know our islands through their diverse archipelago
cuisine. Each recipe is much more than a of destinations of
tasty dish; behind each one there is his-
unparalleled beauty
tory, traditions, culture – an unbroken
thread through time. Gastronomy on our and character, the
islands is an authentic travel experience. region has something
Aegean gastronomy, an integral part
for everyone, meeting
of Greek hospitality, connects the mod-
ern world with all of the preceding eras visitors’ needs and
– from the Ottoman, Venetian and Frank- desires with services
ish times to the Byzantine and Roman
of the highest quality.
empires, to ancient Greece and all the way
back to prehistoric times – in a fascinat-
ing journey charted by Andrew Dalby in
his book Siren Feasts: A History of Food
and Gastronomy in Greece. It is a link to
the world of antiquity. Indeed, Aegean
gastronomy is recognizable in Homeric
descriptions of warriors’ banquets, Plato’s
Symposium and Hippocrates’ Peri Dietis
(On Diet).
Fifty different islands with as many
sets of local traditions and customs make
up the gastronomic culture of the South-
ern Aegean Region.
The Cyclades and the Dodecanese
are more than sunshine and magnificent
beaches. They are history. They are cul-
ture. They are the imprints each island
has left on the arc of European and world
history.

46
Greece Is - Rhodes, 2017-2018 Issue, First Edition
20. The Basics. Rhodes for Beginners.
32. Insights. The ultimate repeat visitor
and three creative locals share their own
perspectives.
Discover
40. Milestones. A march through time
on the Isle of the Sun.
42. "A God to Equal the God." The
mystery of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of
the wonders of the ancient world.
44. A Glorious Family. Sports legend
Diagoras and his offspring.
46. Under the Eye of Helios. Rhodes’
ancient and medieval landscape.
58. The Age of the Crusaders. When
Rhodes became Christianity’s most
defiant outpost in the East.
64. A Terrible Beauty. The
architectural legacy of the Italian
Occupation.
ON THE C OVER
Vintage postcards, News From The Past Series,
Yannis Karlopoulos, 2017.
18 w w w.GREECE-is.com
64
150
104
CONTENTS
72. How it Was. One-of-a-kind
snapshots of the island’s historic past.
greece is
published by
80. The Tourism Chronicles. How E xe re vnitis - E xplore r S. A .
Rhodes became a mega-destination. Ethnarchou Makariou & 2 Falireos St,
Athens, 18547, Greece,
Experience Tel. (+30) 210.480.8000
88. The Old Town. Medieval walls Fax (+30) 210.480.8202
encircle an enchanting microcosm.
ISSN: 2529-041X
106. The New Town. It may get crazy
but that’s no reason to snub it! editor-in-chief
Giorgos Tsiros (editor@greece-is.com)
114. Lindos, the Eternal Star. A
timeless favorite of visitors. commercial director
124. Buzzing Around. Beyond the Natassa Bouterakou
medieval city and the beaches. commercial inquiries
136. Baywatch. The best places to swim. Tel. (+30) 210- 480.8227
Fax (+30) 210-480.8228
Taste Ε-mails: sales@greece-is.com,
emporiko@kathimerini.gr
142. Back to the Roots. Local products
and time-honored recipes. public relations
148. Days of Wine and Rhodes. A welcome@greece-is.com
storied past and a healthy present are
Greece is - R HODE S
good indicators for what lies ahead for the
is a yearly publication, distributed
wines of this island. free of charge. It is illegal to reproduce
152. Tried and True. Want to eat out? any part of this publication without the
Look no further. written permission of the publisher.
TOWERING GLORY
The medieval Old Town of Rhodes is no longer the target of attackers,
although it may appear at times to be under siege by mass tourism.
This UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site combines vestiges
from a glorious past – Byzantine temples, Crusader-era buildings and
Ottoman mosques – with a lively present. On its streets, you expect
armored warriors, mounted on their horses, to turn up at any moment
– and the feeling intensifies once you’re in the Palace of the Grand
Master (photo), which was the order’s headquarters. The fact that
it was rebuilt almost from scratch by the Italians (many parts of the
original building were destroyed in 1856 following a massive explosion
in a gunpowder storeroom) takes nothing away from the feeling you’ll
have of being transported back in time.

BY Olga Char ami

© GEORGE TSAFOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
The classical city of Rhodes was founded in 408 BC on the site of
present-day capital of the island by three towns – Ialyssos, Kamiros
and Lindos – all acting together. All three of these ancient towns are
now archeological sites which you can visit; Lindos, with its acropo-
lis, is the most famous. Each year, countless eyes gaze in awe at its
temple, erected in the 4th c. BC in honor of the goddess Athena, and
the Crusader-era castle that was subsequently built. The village, with
its Cycladic architecture and its beautiful kapetanospita (traditional
sea captain’s houses), is equally popular. Tycoons and politicians,
Hollywood artists and rock stars have all been strolling through its al-
leys and swimming at its three beaches. And despite it being a tourist
hotspot, you can’t help falling in love with Lindos.

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

| THE BASICS |

SUN-KISSED
WATCHFUL PROTECTORS
The defensive structures that knights built include more than the famous
fortifications of the Old Town and of Lindos. You’ll find the fortresses of
Monolithos (photo) and Kritinia on the western part of the island, and those of
Feraklos, Archangelos and Asklipeio on its eastern side. Most of these spots
were also fortified in antiquity or the Byzantine era as well, since they are the
most strategic points of this spearhead-shaped island. It goes without saying
that they all offer spectacular views. Locals suggest visiting Monolithos Castle
at sunset, but you can also enjoy the exact same sight from the Castle of
Kritinia, where various events, including a medieval festival, are held.
© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
SWIM
| THE BASICS |

What’s the best beach on the island?

skim
Chances are that every local you ask will
give you a different answer. With a 253k
coastline, there’s plenty of variety. Some
people prefer rocky coves where they can
dive off boulders or outcroppings, while

Or
others opt for sandy beaches. A whole other
group of beachgoers cares as much about
the air as the sea, and seeks out places like
Prasonisi, whose western winds make it ide-

FLY?
al for kite-surfing and windsurfing. Located
© PERIKLES MERAKOS

on the southernmost point of the island, it’s

technically an island in itself, with just a strip
of sand connecting it to Rhodes. The sunset
is particularly scenic here.
 | THE BASICS |

© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE

FRAGILE BEAUTIES
Rhodes is an enchantingly verdant island, with many areas of rich vegetation and natural
beauty. One of the most famous of these is the Valley of the Butterflies, named in honor of
the Panaxia Quadripunctaria, a member of the Jersey Tiger moth family that looks very much (Left) The insects fly and feed at night;
during the day they cover tree trunks, plant
like a butterfly. They gather in great numbers here in the canyon of the Pelekanos River, 25k leaves and rocks, creating a mesmerizing
from Rhodes Town. You’ll see them on rocks, tree trunks and leaves and branches rather than spectacle.
in the air: the moths are nocturnal and sleep during the day, conserving their energy. In previ-
(Right) The Valley of the Butterflies is a park
ous decades, the disturbance that visitors caused significantly reduced the insect population, of exceptional natural beauty.
so now there are rules to ensure peace and quiet and venturing off the designated paths is
prohibited. The lepidoptera come to this canyon in June and migrate to their nesting areas in
September. Petaloudes, or the Valley of Butterflies, as it’s called, has three entrance points,
each with a café, and the walking route has a total length of 1k (or 1.3k if you keep going
until the uninhabited 19th-century monastery of Kalopetra). There are paved footpaths, small
bridges and pools of water, as well as shops, a restaurant and a small natural history museum.
• Open daily 9:00-17:00, admission: €3-5 euro. Tel. (+30) 22410.828.22

28 w w w.gREECE-is.com
© clairy moustafellou
© MANOLIS SARRIS, ANDREA BONETTI, PERIKLES MERAKOS

| THE BASICS |

THE OTHER RHODIANS

The mascot of Rhodes, the small fallow deer, whose
likeness in bronze graces the columns at the entrance of
the port, can be spotted here and there on the island. The
deer live in the wild on Mt Profitis Ilias, in the area around
Apolakkia Lake, and in the island’s forests. It remains un-
clear whether the deer were brought here by the Knights
or not; likewise it’s not known if the Italians reintroduced
the species during their occupation – some accounts sug-
gest this happened after the native population was hunted
to extinction during the Ottoman period.In any case, they
have reproduced and their number is considered healthy.
A much rarer animal that lives here is a protected species
of small horse that comes from an ancient breed. The
horses live in a special space run by the Phaethon Club
(Archangelos, Tel. +30 697.745.3207): just nine of them
remain. The freshwater fish called gizani, which can be
found in the Fasouli Springs in the village of Psinthos, in
the reservoir of Eleousa, at the Rhodes Aquarium or (if
you’re observant) in the island’s streams, is somewhat
less photogenic. There’s nothing special about it, except
for the fact that it doesn’t live anywhere else in the world.
 | INSIGHTS |

“I’ve visited
the island 150 times!”

Theresa Jette Enevoldsen

In 2016, fifty years after she first set foot on Rhodes, Theresa, a retired airline employee from Denmark,
was bestowed the title “Honorary Friend of the Island” by the Municipality of Rhodes.

ILLUSTRATIONS: PHILIPPOS AVRAMIDES, EDITED BY ALEXANDRA TZAVELLA

The first time I visited Rhodes was in 1967, when I start-
ed working for the Scandinavian airline SAS. I still remem-
ber the small family restaurants where we ate with coupons
that the travel agency gave us – along with the advice not to
sunbathe topless, because if the police arrested us, the agen-
cy couldn’t intervene! Since then, I’ve visited the island 150
times and it would be safe to say that I’m addicted to Rhodes
and its people.
If I’m not staying with friends, I always book a room near
Mandraki at Hermes Hotel, which is open all year round and
has mainly Greek customers. As soon as I’ve checked in, I go
out to meet my friends, stopping first for a sweet coffee brewed
in a briki pot and for dessert at the Nea Agora. If I arrive in the
evening, I go out for roast lamb at the Ipiros taverna. People
who know me shout “Hello!” and “Welcome back!” and I can’t
help but feel like I’m home again.
What I like to do most in town is wander the streets, pre-
tending to be a local. Many foreigners are afraid that they’ll
get lost, but that’s half the fun. Walking around the Old Town
in particular feels like browsing through a beautiful history
book. Every time I leave Mandraki behind and cross through
the Liberty Gate, I feel the city walls encircle me in a comfort-
ing hug. The atmosphere is unique, especially at night when
the lights are low. For food in the Old Town, I go to the Meg-
iston taverna or to Pizanias Sea Star Restaurant, which I’ve
been visiting since 1968. Another favorite pastime of mine is
sitting beneath the century-old olive tree at Aghios Nikolaos
Fountoukli Church, west of the village of Eleousa; it’s particu-
larly peaceful there. And if I make it to the south of the island,
I always visit the fish taverna in Plimmiri.
When I leave Rhodes, I always make sure to bring back
oleander root. I have pots of flowering oleanders of various
shades growing on my little veranda in Copenhagen. They are
a beautiful reminder of my time on the island.

32 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | INSIGHTS |

“LIVING IN RHODES, YOU ABSORB

AND RADIATE ITS BEAUTY”

Tsampikos Petras
A distinguished Rhodian architect, Tsampikos received an honorable mention at the International
Architectural Competition for the Science City project in Cairo, in 2016.

ILLUSTRATIONS: PHILIPPOS AVRAMIDES, EDITED BY ALEXANDRA TZAVELLA

Tsampikos is like a trademark name of Rhodes. If some-
body calls out “Hey, Tsampikos,” a dozen heads will turn in
response! It is an indication of the love of the locals for the
protector of the island, Panaghia Tsampika (Virgin Mary
Tsampika). Her icon attracts the faithful to the eastern side of
the island, near the village of Archangelos, approximately 28k
from the Old Town, where I grew up.
I was raised in the neighborhood of the knights, played
hide-and-seek in its cobbled streets and chased my friends in
the medieval moat – 2.5k long and worth the walk. I used to
go running in the ancient stadium on Monte Smith, which still
echoes with the footsteps of runners from the Hellenistic pe-
riod. It is located on the hill of Monte Smith, the top of which
is reached by hiking up its more accessible side. You can’t
imagine how rough its other side is; it is revealed abruptly
upon gaining the hilltop and coming face to face with the vis-
ta of steep rock and sea. You are swept by the northern wind,
which has over time bent the trees so far over they look like
natural sculptures. Only the athanatoi (“immortal”) stand up
straight – this is what we locals call the agave that grows here
because, although it dies after its fruit has ripened, it leaves
behind small new shoots.
Rhodes is full of surprises. It has cultural depth, layers of
history and a rich natural landscape, from waterfalls such as
those at Epta Piges (“Seven Springs”) to pine forests in Aghia
Eleousa. This is where one can taste the best roasted goat – a
savory native to Rhodes, fed on the salty flora.
I like to frequent the 1936 Elli Building (we locals also call
it La Ronda), in Mandraki: crowned by an impressive dome, it
used to house the baths and today operates as a café-restau-
rant. It is such good fortune to live here. You absorb and ra-
diate its beauty. I wouldn’t be the same architect if I hadn’t
grown up at this cultural crossroads. The buildings I design
speak an international language – and this I owe to Rhodes.

34 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 “i only go to the old town at night,
when the ghosts come out”

Vangelis Pavlidis
Unable to bring himself to leave his island for the fast-paced life in Athens, Vangelis nevertheless
managed to have a long, successful career as an award-winning book illustrator
and a political cartoonist for some of Greece’s biggest newspapers.

ILLUSTRATIONS: PHILIPPOS AVRAMIDES, EDITED BY ALEXANDRA TZAVELLA

In the 1960s, when I moved from Rhodes to Athens to food crops. Drivers have to be constantly alert because a buck
work as a graphic artist, I came to realize that I couldn’t bear may suddenly jump out, followed by three or four does! 
to be away from the island, and so I returned. I became the Lachania has about 50 residents, about 20 of whom are
first cartoonist on the island that married the light: it is not by foreigners, mostly Germans and Brits; they discovered the
chance that Rhodes is known as the “bride of the sun.”  hamlet in the early 1980s, when there were still dirt roads
I grew up and have lived for most of my life in Rhodes and and only one public telephone, and remain commited to pre-
so I’ve seen its touristic development firsthand. I remember serving its distinct character. Lachania has three cafés: one
Lindos when hippies lived in the caves. I frequent places still belongs to the priest, another doubles as a post office and the
untouched by mass tourism. I go to the Old Town only late third is also a restaurant that serves home-style cuisine. The
at night, when it’s quiet and, if lucky, one may see ghosts in village begins at the beach and gradually becomes more ver-
armor come out of the medieval battlements.  dant – most of us here are farmers and, on a visit, you’ll savor
Lachania, the village where I’ve lived for the last 20 years, fresh vegetables, local olive oil and sweet tomatoes. 
is in the southern, less developed part of Rhodes – and a real What makes Rhodes unique is that, combined with the
discovery for those seeking something less tourist-oriented. island’s natural beauty, all these different historical periods
On the road leading to the village, there’s a deer crossing. The meet here at their height. You’ll be hard-pressed to find sea,
deer, the ancient symbol of Rhodes, is a protected species and dense forests, waterfalls and gorges next to ancient Greek,
a joy to behold, even though they do cause some damage to medieval, Ottoman and Italian monuments anywhere else.

36 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | INSIGHTS |

“THE RHODIAN SUN IS A SOURCE OF LIFE”

Giorgos Chrysostomou
An award-winning theater actor, with numerous roles in film and television as well,
Giorgos will be starring in “Stones in his Pockets” by Marie Jones
at the Melina Mercouri Medieval Moat Theater on August 4.

In the evenings, we would get together and my grand- the one in honor of the Virgin Mary (Panaghia) at Kremasti

ILLUSTRATIONS: PHILIPPOS AVRAMIDES, EDITED BY ALEXANDRA TZAVELLA

mother would cut slices of watermelon for us. As the strength
of the enchanting Rhodian sun waned, the chatter began,
accompanying the transition to darkness. Lying in bed, I lis-
tened to the conversations of the grownups, which filtered
through the insect screen along with the scent of honeysuck-
le. This is my Rhodes – everyone makes their own. But unless
they discover the treasures hidden in traditional villages and
celebrated archaeological sites, they will never really know it.
I grew up in Rhodes Town and left at the age of 18. The sea
didn’t allow me to dream; I felt trapped on the island. Now-
adays, whenever my work schedule allows – certainly every
Easter and possibly also August 15 (Dormition of the Virgin)
– I return to Salakos, the lush green village of my childhood
summers. Set in the foothills of Mt Profitis Ilias, it’s mostly
made up of vineyards and olive groves and has few tourists. It
is famous for the Giapraki festival, held at the end of August
each year, when local housewives prepare tens of thousands
of stuffed vine leaves.
In August, the island buzzes with traditional festivals –
is a must – and locals burn the midnight oil, participating in
Rhodian dances, savoring expertly cooked meat and drinking
local wine.
Climb to the top of Mt Profitis Ilias and spend the night in
the historic Elafos Hotel, situated in dense woodland, where
you will truly feel close to both nature and God. Sample the
wine at the wineries of Embonas and delicious steaks in the
village of Psinthos. Plunge into the crystalline waters of the
island’s southernmost village, Kattavia. In Rhodes Town,
have drinks at the Myga Coffee Bar and seafood at Pizanias
Sea Star (for me, the best fish in the world). Make time to see a
performance at the Melina Mercouri Medieval Moat Theater,
an outstanding experience for spectators and actors alike.
I miss the various scents of Rhodes, a bouquet that com-
plements its easygoing atmosphere. It is heavy with plant life
and has a wonderful fragrance all year round. I understand
those who come as students and stay, as well as the foreigners
who come on vacation and remain forever. The Rhodian sun
is a source of life, and you want such a blessing in your life.

38 w w w.gREECE-is.com
discover
GREECE IS

RHO D ES

THE REALM OF HELIOS

The millennia-old history of this island is still very much a part of its vibrant present, with spectacular archaeological
and historical sites and fascinating stories to feed your imagination.
Rhodian tetrobol coin depicting Helios, the Sun God. © GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE

39
| MILESTONES |
A MARCH THROUGH TIME
The Bronze Age
The island is systematically
settled at various sites.
Growing trade relations
with Minoan Crete lead to
cultural influences from
there.
Bronze votive figurine
of Cretan type (17th c. BC,
Archaeological Museum
of Rhodes).
16th c. BC
The Mycenaeans arrive and
come to dominate Rhodes.
Homer will later sing of the
Rhodians’ participation in
the Trojan War.
Crater from Rhodes
(1300-1200 BC).
2200 BC
40 GREECE-is.com
11th c. BC
Dorians land on the island
and establish cities at
Ialysos, Kamiros and
Lindos.
Wheeled animal loaded
with vases (1185-1065
BC, Archaeological
Museum of Rhodes).
Ca. 700 BC
The three cities of Rhodes,
along with Kos and two
cities on the coast of Asia
Minor form the Dorian
Hexapolis.
Rhodian Geometric jug
(Archaeological Museum
of Rhodes).
491 BC
Rhodes submits to the
Persians. Later, following
the Persians’ defeat,
the islanders join the
Athens-dominated Delian
League, although during
the Peloponnesian War
(431-404 BC) they ally
themselves with Sparta.
Elite Persian soldiers
(Berlin Museum).
408 BC
The island’s three principle
cities join together to form
a new city-state where
present-day Rhodes Town
stands.
Silver Rhodian tetradrachm
with the head of Helios
(4th c. BC, Numismatic
Museum, Athens).
305 BC
Demetrius Poliorcetes
besieges Rhodes, but the
island successfully resists
and enters a period of
economic prosperity.
Mosaic from the Hellenistic
era (Archaeological
Museum of Rhodes).
226 BC
A powerful earthquake
strikes the city,
collapsing the Colossus
of Rhodes – one of the
Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World, erected
after the lifting of the
siege of the 305 BC
siege.
Rhodes has long been a magnet for seaborne settlers, foreign traders
and those seeking power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
42 BC
During the Roman Civil
War, Cassius launches a
devastating raid on Rhodes,
plundering the island of
its precious treasures and
works of art.
The Aphrodite of Rhodes
(1st c. BC, Archaeological
Museum of Rhodes).
Early 4th c. AD
Rhodes is incorporated into
the Byzantine Empire.
Ancient, Early Christian
and Byzantine ruins coexist
on the acropolis of Ialysos.
7th-9th Centuries
Persian and Arab raids take
place including an invasion
and short-lived occupation
by the Abbasids of
Baghdad, under the
Caliph Harun Al-Rashid
(807).
An Arab Raid (Miniature
from the Chronicle
of I. Skylitzi).
1309
The conquest of Rhodes is
completed by the Knights of
St. John, who convert it into
the powerful headquarters
of a multinational Christian
garrison. The city evolves
into an important center
of commerce, with a
cosmopolitan character
and many splendid buildings.
1522
The Turks besiege the
city of Rhodes for months
and eventually seize it.
Under Ottoman rule,
Rhodes becomes the
region’s administrative
center, but does not return
to the exalted position it
previously held under the
Knights Hospitaller.
1912
The Italians occupy Rhodes
and other Dodecanese
Islands. Although initially
accepted, they come to be
considered burdensome as
they pursue the Italianization
of the native inhabitants.
Many monuments from
the Knights’ period are
restored during this time.
G R E E C E IS
1948
On March 7th, the official
ceremony takes place
for the incorporation of
the Dodecanese Islands
into the modern Greek
State. The relevant treaty
had been signed a year
previously in Paris.
1988
The medieval town of
Rhodes is proclaimed a
© VISUALHELLAS.GR, PERIKLES MERAKOS
World Cultural Heritage
monument by UNESCO.
The Gate d’Amboise, in
the castle of the Knights
Hospitaller.
20th century
• R H O D E S 2 017 41
| THE COLOSSUS |
A God to Equal
the God
One of the “Seven Wonders of the World” and the
ancient forerunner of the Statue of Liberty, the
Colossus of Rhodes remains an inspiring mystery.
BY John Leonard
F
or more than fifty years in the
3rd c. BC, visitors to Rhodes were
treated to a view of one of the an-
cient world’s “Seven Wonders”: a gigan-
tic bronze statue of Helios, god of the
sun, hailed as the Colossus of Rhodes.
Although physical traces of this mas-
terwork have all nearly vanished, the
story of the statue lives on, intertwin-
ing historical conflict, colorful charac-
ters, artistic ingenuity and enduring
controversy.
After Alexander the Great’s death in
323 BC and while his rivalrous succes-
sors struggled against one another for
power and lands, Antigonus I Monoph-
thalmus (“The One-Eyed”) sent his son,
Demetrius I Poliorcetes (“The Besieg-
er”), to attack Rhodes in 305-304 BC,
hoping to force the island to break its
ties with Ptolemaic Egypt. When the
siege failed, due to Rhodes’ strong de-
fenses and the Egyptians’ clandestine
provisioning of the island, Ptolemy
I became known as Soter (Savior), a
name given to him by the Rhodians.
To defeat the Rhodians, Poliorcetes
had employed a full array of weaponry
and equipment, including an enormous
rolling siege tower, called a Helepo-
lis (“City Destroying”) that was 40m
high and 20m wide. The sides of this
multi-storied machine were iron-plat-
ed. Openings in the plating allowed
the firing of catapults and dart-throw-
42 w w w.gREECE-is.com
ers. Nevertheless, unintimidated, the
Rhodians resisted and ultimately ei-
ther forced the Helepolis’ withdrawal
or caused it to become bogged down in
ground covertly softened.
Giving up after a year-long siege,
Poliorcetes departed Rhodes, abandon-
ing his machines and many of his weap-
ons – which the Rhodians promptly
sold to finance the construction of a
giant victory monument cum offering
to their primary divine patron, Helios.
Chares of Lindos, a pupil of Lysip-
pus, created the Colossus of Rhodes,
taking twelve years to complete it at a
cost of 300 gold talents – equivalent
today to several million dollars. His-
torical sources give various heights
for the Colossus (60-80 cubits). The
average of these sources puts it at the
same height (about 34m) as New York’s
Statue of Liberty (not including her up-
raised arm). The ancient text, “On the
Seven Wonders of the World,” ostensi-
bly provides further details concerning
the Colossus, but its author (“Philo of
Byzantium”) – regardless of his elo-
quence (Chares “…made a god to equal
the god, and…by his daring…had given
the world a second sun to match the
first…”) – has been shown to be later in
date (3rd-4th c. AD) and unreliable as
a source.
How Chares crafted the Colossus,
therefore, with cast or hammered sec-
tions of bronze, remains a mystery.
Iron braces were likely employed for
internal reinforcement, but still the
statue proved short-lived, ultimate-
ly collapsing during an earthquake in
226 BC. Noting its size, hollowness and
construction, Pliny wrote: “Few men
can clasp the thumb in their arms, and
its fingers are larger than most statues.
Where the limbs are broken asunder,
vast caverns are seen yawning in the
interior. Within it, too, are to be seen
large masses of rock, by the weight of
which the artist steadied it…”
Where the Colossus stood also re-
mains a question. Medieval artists de-
pict it astride the entrance to Rhodes’
port, one foot on the terminus of each
breakwater. Technical considerations
would have made this location impos-
sible, but a distinctive circle of stones
and finely-carved marble blocks reused
in the 15th c. St. Nicholas Tower at the
mouth of Mandraki harbor may indi-
cate the base and position of the stat-
ue there. Alternatively, the Rhodian
acropolis has also been proposed as a
possible location.
The actual appearance of the Colos-
sus poses further questions. A Rhodian
relief, according to Andrew Stewart,
suggests a figure resembling the Getty’s
bronze Victorious Youth (300-100 BC).
Furthermore, a special series of silver
Rhodian didrachms depict the head of
Helios with a rayed crown, which may
have represented and paid homage to
the newly erected Colossus.
After the Colossus collapsed, the
Rhodians followed oracular advice
from Delphi and chose not to rebuild
their monument. The fallen remains
themselves became a tourist attrac-
tion; in the 7th c. AD, they were sold by
the island’s Muslim overlords to a mer-
chant from Edessa. Today, a debate rag-
es in debt-torn Greece whether a new
Colossus of Rhodes should be erected.
A depiction of the Colossus of Rhodes, standing
astride the entrance to the port, by 18th c. artist
Georg Balthasar Probst.
© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE
| LEGEND |
A Glorious
Family
Sports hero Diagoras and his offspring represent the pinnacle of courage,
virtue and honor. B Y J o h n L e o n a r d
R
hodes was renowned in ancient
times not only as a place of great
artistic talent and philosophical
intellect, but also for its highly accom-
plished athletes, the most famous of
whom was the 5th c. BC boxer Diago-
ras. Like today, athletes who won their
events in the Olympic Games, or the
other major festivals on the ancient
sports circuit, were much-admired
stars, whose home communities cele-
brated them as local heroes. Diagoras’
fame as a “periodonikes” (winner of
44 w w w.gREECE-is.com
all four major games) was particularly
far-reaching: he had triumphed twice
at Olympia, four times at Isthmia and
had also “taken home the gold” at Del-
phi and Nemea. He was victorious nu-
merous times at lesser athletic contests
throughout ancient Greece, including
those in his native Rhodes, Athens, Ar-
gos, Thebes and at Aegina, too, where
he was a six-time champion! A statue
of Diagoras was erected at Olympia,
an honor much like the present-day
induction of a great athlete into his/
her respective sport’s Hall of Fame. As
the public’s esteem for Diagoras grew,
it was claimed that, as a descendant of
the god Hermes, he possessed divine
power.
The Classical poet Pindar, writ-
ing after Diagoras’ victory in the 79th
Olympiad (464 BC), pays homage to
the boxer (Olympian Ode 7), whom he
describes as a burly, principled athlete
who doesn’t cheat and “walks a straight
course on a road that hates arrogance,
knowing clearly the sound prophetic

wisdom of his good ancestors.” Diago-
ras’ virtuous character appears to have
been as important a part of his fame as
his athletic prowess. He hailed from a
well-to-do Ialysos family and was the
progenitor of a line of victorious ath-
letes. Two of his sons, Damagetos (452,
448 BC) and Akousilaos (448 BC),
were Olympic pankration and/or box-
ing champions, while a third, Dorieus,
earned three consecutive Olympic vic-
tories in the pankration (between 432-
424 BC), as well as eight at Isthmia and
seven at Nemea. In addition, two of his
grandsons were Olympic champions.
Diagoras’ sons and grandsons were
also commemorated with statues at
Olympia, according to the eyewitness
account of the Greek traveler Pausanias
(2nd c. AD).
After their victories in 448 BC,
Damagetos and Akousilaos reportedly
ran to the grandstands, plucked their
father out of the audience, hoisted him
onto their shoulders and paraded him
before a cheering crowd. One spectator
– implying that Diagoras had reached
the pinnacle of happiness, success and
honor that one could hope to experi-
ence in life – shouted out, “Die, Diag-
oras; you will not ascend to Olympus
besides.”
© VISUALHELLAS.GR
Diagoras’ daughter, Callipateira, One spectator –
also became famous, as the only wom-
an who managed to enter and observe implying that Diagoras
the actual Olympic games – from had reached the
which women were banned due to the pinnacle of happiness,
male athletes’ nudity. Pausanias re-
cords: “She, being a widow, disguised success and honor
herself exactly like a gymnastic train- that one could hope
er, and brought her son to compete at to experience in life
Olympia. Peisirodus, for so her son was
called, was victorious, and Callipatei- – shouted out, “Die,
ra, as she was jumping over the enclo- Diagoras; you will not
sure in which they kept the trainers ascend to Olympus
shut up, bared her person. So her sex
was discovered, but they let her go un- besides.”
punished out of respect for her father,
her brothers and her son, all of whom
had been victorious at Olympia. Nev-
ertheless, a law was passed that in the
future trainers should strip before en-
tering the arena.”
Diagoras’ legend lives on today in
Rhodes. In Pindar’s timeless words,
“That man is prosperous, who is en-
compassed by good reports.” A local
football club and the Rhodian airport
have both been given his name, while
on the western seafront of Rhodes
Town, at Archimandriti Chrisanthou
Square, stands a bronze statue group
of the proud parent Diagoras, carried Crowning the Victors at Olympia, oil on canvas, c.
aloft by his equally proud sons. 1777-84, by James Barry.
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 45
 | HISTORY |

Under
the Watchful
Eye of Helios
Rhodes’ ancient and medieval monuments tell the story
of an island prized by all.

BY John Leonard
 The partially reconstructed Temple of
Pythian Apollo (3rd-2nd c. BC), on the
hill of Monte Smith. This was the area of
the city’s ancient acropolis, adorned with
shrines, large temples, public buildings and
underground places of worship.

© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

 | HISTORY |

R
hodes is one of the most en-

chanting Greek destinations
that visitors today can select.
On this singular island, one comes face
to face with Greece’s more recent past,
where the most appropriate start to ev-
ery “story” told by a medieval tower, a
soaring minaret, a crenellated wall or
an arched gateway marked with a he-
raldic emblem seems to be “Once upon
a time in Rhodes…” Not every archi-
tectural or archaeological trace reveals
a perfect, fairytale existence, but these
contrasts make our understanding even
more realistic. All around are signs of
the Rhodians’ struggles with war, their
need for constant vigilance and the re-
lentless passage of time. Simultaneous-
ly, strength, prosperity, elegant foreign
influence and far-reaching Rhodian au-
thority are also evident. This is a stra-
tegically located, resource-rich island
whose landscape and urban architecture
remain criss-crossed with the vestiges
of multiple cultures – from trade-bent
Minoans and Mycenaeans in the Bronze
Age, through despotic Persians in the
Classical era, to the covetous empires
of the Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders,
Ottomans and even modern-day, pre-
WWII Italians. Rhodes was not always
subject to outside powers, however: af-
ter freeing itself from the grip of Athens,
which had dominated the Aegean in the
5th c. BC, and prior to the encroachment
of the Romans, Rhodes reached an ex-
traordinary zenith during Hellenistic
times (4th-2nd c. BC). It became an
autonomous maritime giant that essen-
tially ruled the seas in the Eastern Med-
iterranean through its enormous fleet
of merchant ships and widely respected
code of maritime laws.
Early Seafaring
Everywhere one looks, whether at
the fortified port of Rhodes Town or
among the age-old settlements, castles
and watchtowers that ring the coasts,
Rhodes’ timeless relationship with the
sea is clear. Naturally, as an island,
Rhodes was first occupied by seafar-
ers: Neolithic travelers of the 6th mil-
lennium BC, who brought with them,
or acquired locally through seaborne
Relief of a “triimiolia,” a symbol of Rhodian naval power, carved in180 BC by the famous sculptor
Pythokritos into a rock face at the base of the acropolis of Lindos. The triimiolia was a typical type of
Rhodian warship of the era, which combined the qualities of a trireme with a schooner (hemiolia).
trade, volcanic obsidian and other for-
eign goods from neighboring islands
or mainland areas both near and far.
Typical of Rhodes’ Stone-Age sites are
the rock shelters of the northeastern
Kalythies region, including Erimokas-
tro Cave, where archaeologists uncov-
ered the fossilized bones of dwarf ele-
phants. Aghios Georgios Cave (5300
BC-4000/3700 BC) contained bone or
chipped-stone tools and stone grinders
used for harvesting and processing ce-
reals, meat and other foodstuffs. Also
found were mollusc shells; the bones
of fish, wild fauna (deer, hares, fox-
es, birds) and domesticated animals
(sheep, goats, cattle, pigs); ceramic
bowls; and spindle whorls for weaving.
Altogether, it seems the earliest Rhodi-
ans were farmers, fishermen, hunters
and craftsmen who migrated around
the island depending on the season and
availability of food resources.
The Rise of Cities
From earliest times, people settled
mostly in northern Rhodes and along its
eastern shores – a general pattern that
continued throughout the island’s histo-
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
ry. The first proto-urban settlement was
Asomatos (2400/2300 BC-2050/1950
BC), a northwestern, Early Bronze
Age coastal site, where small and large
buildings, some with hearths and stor-
age rooms, covered an area of only about
100 square meters. During the Late
Bronze Age, as Minoan and Mycenaean
immigrants arrived, larger towns, refer-
enced in Homer’s Iliad, arose at Ialysos
(modern Trianda), Kamiros and Lin-
dos, which went on to become the set-
tings for the great Dorian-founded cit-
ies of Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic
Rhodes. In 408 BC, the three principal
communities joined forces to create a
new city-state at Rhodes Town, which,
some 2,500 years later, still remains the
capital and nerve center of the island.
The Laocoön Group, a marvelous work of
Rhodian sculpture (1st c. BC-1st c. AD), which
greatly influenced Michelangelo and other
Renaissance sculptors. Created by three Rhodian
artists, Agesander, Polydorus, and Athenodorus.
The original stands in the Vatican (Pio Clementino
Museum); a plaster cast is displayed in the
Palace of the Grand Master in Rhodes.

48 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| HISTORY |

Rhodes reached an
extraordinary zenith
during Hellenistic
times (4th-2nd c.
BC) – becoming an
autonomous maritime
giant that essentially
ruled the seas in the
Eastern Mediterranean.

© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE

| HISTORY |

Far-Reaching Fame
Mythologically, Rhodes was said
to have emerged from the sea as a gift
from Zeus to Helios, god of the sun,
whose wife, Rhodos, daughter of Po-
seidon, bore him seven sons. Three of
Helios’ grandsons, Ialysos, Kamiros
and Lindos, were the eponymous he-
roes of the island’s main cities. More-
over, the Telchines, semi-divine inven-
tors of smithing, kept a workshop on
Rhodes, a place praised by Pindar and
widely known for its supreme artistry,
especially in the sculpting of bronzes –
epitomized by the legendary Colossus
of Rhodes. Pliny attributed the famous
marble statue “Laocoön and His Sons”
to the Rhodian artists Agesander, Poly-
dorus, and Athenodorus. The Winged
Victory (Nike) of Samothrace may also
have been produced by this trio, or by
Pythokritos of Lindos.
Rhodes was equally famed as a
center of philosophy, rhetoric and lit-
erature. Prominent philosophers and
rhetors who either originated from or
frequented the island included Eudemos
(Rhodes); Aeschines (Athens); Panaitos
(Lindos); Posidonius, Apollonius Mal-
akos and Molon (Asia Minor). Among
the well-known students attending here
were Julius Caesar and Cicero. Today,
the survival and usual arrangement of
Aristotle’s works are largely credited
to Andronicus of Rhodes (1st c. BC).
Cleobuline of Lindos (ca. 550 BC) is
remembered as a philosopher, poetess
and writer of riddles; Apollonius Rhodi-
us penned the epic poem Argonautica;
and Posidonius, the Stoic-turned-Peri-
patetic philosopher and one of antiqui-
ty’s greatest thinkers, also researched,
taught and wrote about physics, geog-
raphy, history and many other subjects.

Ruins at the archaeological site of Kamiros, one

of the three city-states founded by the Dorian
settlers of Rhodes. The people of Kamiros lived
and prospered through agricultural production.

50 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 Three of Helios’ grandsons,
Ialysos, Kamiros and Lindos,
were the eponymous heroes of
the island’s main cities.

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 51

The ancient odeon on the hill of Monte Smith (2nd c. BC). It held about 800 people and is believed to have served as both
a venue for musical events and as a place of exposition and teaching for the famous orators of Rhodes.
Rhodes Town
The walled medieval Old Town
is truly an impressive sight. Visitors
should allow plenty of time to explore
its broad avenues and narrow, laby-
rinthine alleys. From an ancient ar-
chaeological perspective, there are few
visible in-situ remains to take in, apart
from the foundations of a temple of
Aphrodite (3rd c. BC), just inside the
Liberty Gate, and occasional remnants
of the city’s Byzantine fortifications.
In its heyday, Rhodes also possessed
sanctuaries of Demeter, Artemis, As-
clepius, Dionysus and other deities.
A star attraction is the Archaeo-
logical Museum. From the moment
you enter the courtyard of this 15th c.
building – constructed by the Knights
of St. John as their Hospital – you’re in
another world, passing beneath vaulted
ceilings, climbing stone staircases and
perusing a vast arrangement of arti-
facts presented in numerous chambers.
Here one can see the discoveries of Ital-
ian and Greek excavations at Ialysos,
52 w w w.gREECE-is.com
Kamiros, Lindos, Rhodes Town and
smaller sites: pottery, jewelry, sculp-
ture and figurines compete for your
attention with grave steles and floor
mosaics depicting lively mythological
figures, such as Eros on a dolphin or
Bellerophon riding Pegasus about to
strike Chimera. These latter exhibits
are found in a cool, shady courtyard
adorned with sculptural and architec-
tural fragments, a tranquil fishpond
and two gurgling water fountains. Ad-
joining this pleasant refuge are the
excellent new Prehistoric Gallery, the
informative Epigraphical Collection
and a reconstructed 18th/19th c. Otto-
man residence – all located within the
former 15th c. Villaragut Mansion (now
part of the museum).
Small displays of ancient artifacts
and a superb series of colorful Roman
mosaics – brought to Rhodes from Kos
by the Italians – can also be seen in the
restored Palace of the Grand Master.
West of the walled city, the ancient
acropolis on Monte Smith – an enor-
© VISUALHELLAS.GR, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
mous, mostly unexcavated archaeolog-
ical preserve of some 12,000 sq.m. – is
well worth a visit. There, in addition to
panoramic views, one finds monuments
of the 3rd and 2nd c. BC, including a re-
stored stadium, formerly flanked by a
gymnasium and library; a reconstruct-
ed odeon; and the Doric Temple of
Apollo Pythios, partly re-erected by the
Italians prior to 1943, but now encased
in decaying scaffolding. In two spots to
the north are large column drums and
entablature blocks marking the site of
the Doric Temple of Athena Polias and
Zeus Polieus, protectors of the city, and
an intriguing subterranean complex of
interconnecting rooms carved in the
bedrock (the “Nymphaia”), where an-
cient Rhodians worshiped. In honor
of Helios, after 408 BC their principle
deity, the people of Rhodes also staged
a festival every four years, the Halieia,
which included athletic contests in the
stadium. Excavations have revealed
that the Hellenistic city developed on a
gridded Hippodamean plan.
| HISTORY |

Marble head of Helios,

the Sun God, the
Rhodians’ main deity.
A representative work
Visitors to the
of the Museum
Rhodian of
Baroque
Prehistoric
style, Thera never
it is particularly
cease to be amazed
noteworthyby the
for its
masterpieces of prehistoric(2nd
expressiveness
ceramic work.
c. BC, Archaeological
Museum of Rhodes).

Ialysos
The complex of sites that compos-
es ancient Ialysos, whose Late Bronze
Age settlement was one of the most
important centers in the Dodecanese,
now lies largely obscured amid modern
development. Rising above the coastal
plain, however, stands Ialysos’ ancient
acropolis on Mt Filerimos, the view
from which is unsurpassed. A winding
road ascends to its summit, occupied
by a Doric-facaded fountain-house (4th
c. BC); an amphiprostyle Doric Temple
of Athena (3rd/2nd c. BC); the ruins of
an Early Christian church (5th/6th c.
AD) and a Byzantine monastery chapel
(10th/11th c.); a Byzantine fortress (11th
c.); the small medieval Chapel of Aghios
Georgios Chostos; and a reconstructed
monastery of the Knights Hospitaller
(14th c.), whose Gothic church has a dis-
tinctive bell tower.
Long a target of archaeological in-
terest, Ialysos was first explored in
| HISTORY |
1868-1871 by Sir Alfred Biliotti, Brit-
ain’s vice-consul, who unearthed tombs
on the hill of Moschou Vounara con-
taining pottery and jewelry – the first-
known Mycenaean collection in the
world, preceding even Heinrich Schlie-
mann’s discoveries at Mycenae (1876).
Subsequent early 20th-century investi-
gations by Italian and, more recently, by
Greek scholars (since 1978) have shown
the Ialysos area was occupied from the
Middle Bronze Age through at least
Classical times. Mt Filerimos served as
a peak sanctuary, before its reoccupa-
tion in the Proto-Geometric era (from
ca. 1050 BC), while settlements and
cemeteries were established in its shad-
ow. The large Late Bronze Age town,
comparable to Akrotiri on Santorini,
flourished ca. 1600 BC-ca. 1300 BC,
serving first the Minoans, then the My-
cenaeans as a major trade station and
maritime gateway between the Aegean
and the East. Adjacent Archaic-Clas-
sical Ialysos was home to the famous
Olympic boxer Diagoras of Rhodes.
Kamiros
The extensive ruins of Kamiros,
southwest of Ialysos, occupy a hillside
overlooking the sea and the mountains
of nearby Asia Minor. Although most of
the remains in this grid-planned city
date from Hellenistic-Roman times,
with some Early Christian presence,
finds of Late Bronze Age and Geometric
date reveal the site was first occupied in
the 14th c. BC, then resettled in the 9th
c. BC, as a hilltop shrine to Athena Ka-
meiras. The town thrived in the 7th-6th
c. BC, experienced a period of rebuild-
ing after an earthquake in 226 BC, then
gradually declined, abetted by another
quake in 142 BC. Kamiros was known
for its epic poet Peisander (ca. 648 BC),
who first described Heracles wearing a
lion’s skin, and as the first Rhodian city
to mint its own coins (6th c. BC).
 The Doric Temple of
Athena, constructed ca.
300 BC on the highest
point of the acropolis of
Lindos, in place of an
earlier temple.

© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE


Plate found at Kamiros. Inside is depicted
the duel between Menelaus and Hector
during the Trojan war (610-600 BC,
British Museum, London).
Fragment of a wall painting from Ialysos
with red lilies on a white ground (17th c. BC,
Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).
Clay female portrait from Kamiros,
with traces of paint (1st half of 5th c. BC,
Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).
56 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| HISTORY
Excavations by Biliotti (1852-1864)
and the Italians (from 1928) exposed
three main districts: the agora, with a
temple of Pythian Apollo (3rd c. BC),
two sanctuaries and two public baths;
a rising residential zone of densely
packed courtyard houses reminiscent of
those in Delos, separated by narrow side
streets and a broad central avenue; and
the triple-terraced acropolis, adorned
with an unusually long (204m) Doric
stoa (colonnaded, covered walkway or
visitors’ hostel; 3rd c. BC) and a Doric
temple of Athena (3rd c. BC) installed on
top of a previous Classical one. Beneath
the stoa, an enormous Archaic-era res-
ervoir was discovered that originally
held 600 cubic meters of water, enough
for several hundred households.
Lindos
The acropolis of Lindos, perhaps
the most picturesque place in Rhodes,
juts up from the sea, flanked by two
natural harbors. The surrounding re-
gion was inhabited from earliest times,
although archaeological evidence on
the acropolis itself has so far only at-
tested to use beginning in the 9th c. BC.
Local worship of Athena Lindia led to
the promontory’s development into a
formal sanctuary, with a 6th c. BC am-
phiprostyle Doric temple, later rebuilt
ca. 300 BC. A monumental entrance-
way (propylon), installed around the
same time, followed by an elegant Doric
stoa, also adorned the site, while a the-
ater with twenty-six tiers of seats can
be seen carved into the hill’s western
slope. At the foot of the steep Hellenis-
tic staircase accessing the citadel gate,
a relief sculpted on the face of the ver-
tical rock by the renowned Pythokritos
(early 2nd c. BC) depicts an ancient trii-
miolia and recalls the Lindians’ former
maritime might.
Roman remains on the acropolis in-
clude the Ionic Stoa of Psythiros (2nd
Info
R h o d e s A r c h a e o l o g i c a l M u s e u m : Megalou Alexandrou Square • Αdmission €8
• Tel. (+30) 2241.365.257 • Οpen daily 8:00-20:00. Ia ly s o s : Tel. (+30) 2241.092.202 • Αdmission €6.
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L i n d o s : Tel. (+30) 2244.031.258 • Αdmission €12, open 08.00-20.00.
|
c. AD) and a Diocletian-era temple (late
3rd c. AD). Lindos’ military defenses
date from at least the Hellenistic era, but
were augmented first by the Byzantines
and then by the Knights Hospitaller,
who strengthened the castle on the rock
with crenellated walls and four large
towers (14th c.). Caves, elaborate family
tombs and other sites around the acrop-
olis were reused for numerous Early
Christian and Byzantine churches.
Excavations at Lindos were initial-
ly conducted by Danish archaeologists
(1902-1905), which the Italians contin-
ued prior to WWII, along with exten-
sive restorations. Less ambitious but
more accurate restorations have more
recently been carried out by Greek cul-
tural authorities (1985-2008).
Around the Coasts
Although many visitors choose to
concentrate on Rhodes’ main historical
sites, a tour around the island’s coast,
taking in the enormous array of other
significant scenic remains, is well worth
consideration. Most evocative are the
ruined castles, usually perched on pre-
cipitous crags, including those of Kritin-
ia, Monolithos, Asklipio and Farakleos.
The Rhodian countryside is diverse and
impressive, with historic spots lying
around every bend, often signposted
with intriguing labels such as the “Old
Silk Factory” east of Kattavia. The south-
ern end of the island is another world:
open, relatively quiet and featuring one
of the largest sand beaches imaginable,
connecting Prasonisi Islet to the Rhodi-
an mainland. Just beside it, the fortified
settlement of Vroulia (7th-6th c. BC),
made visitor-friendly with EU funding,
lies near-forgotten, awaiting further
governmental support before opening to
the public. On the east coast, the moun-
taintop 16th c. monastery of Tsampika,
with its panoramic view of the Rhodian
sea, is also well worth the trip.
| THE KNIGHTS |

The Age of
the Crusaders
Under the rule of the Knights
of the Order of St John, Rhodes
became Christianity’s most defiant
outpost in the East.

BY GEORGIA NAKOU

F
or over two centuries, between 1309 and 1522, the is-
land of Rhodes was a sovereign state under the rule of
the Knights of the Order of St John. It minted its own
currency and boasted a commercial port to rival Venice, act-
ing as a gateway between Europe and the Holy Land.
The medieval city of Rhodes, contained within the forti-
fications built during the Crusaders’ rule, is today the largest
active medieval town in Europe and is protected as a UNES-
CO World Heritage Site.
The Order of St John (or, the Order of Knights of the Hos-
pital of Saint John of Jerusalem, to give its full name) was
founded during the First Crusade as a monastic order with
a medical mission. Its monks ran a hospital for Christian
pilgrims in Jerusalem, and were hence known as the Hospi-
tallers. Under the threat of Muslim invasion, the brotherhood
became increasingly militarised and began to provide armed
escorts for pilgrimages. Its members swapped their monks’
habits for armor and eventually became a multinational elite
fighting force answering only to the Pope. When Jerusalem
fell to the Arabs in 1291, the Hospitallers moved first to Cy-
prus and then found a new base on Rhodes. According to one
account, they besieged the island for three years before it
surrendered; in another version of events, they purchased it
(along with neighbouring Kos and Leros) from the Genoese,
who had tired of defending the islands from pirate raids. The

The Siege of Rhodes by the Ottomans, 1480.

Oil on wood, from the Municipal Museum of Épernay, France.

58 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 © VISUALHELLAS.GR

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 59

The fortifications of the harbor of Rhodes as seen in a 1862 engraving. In the foreground stands the imposing Naillac Tower,
built during the rule of Grand Master Philibert de Naillac (1396-1421).
Knights of St John established their
new headquarters on Rhodes in 1309.
Under the Knights of St John,
Rhodes became a bastion of the Chris-
tian West right on the border with the
Muslim world, and a defensive out-
post against the raids of the Barbary
pirates. During the Crusades, the
Knights prospered and invested their
wealth in fortifying Rhodes. They
brought the most skilled craftsmen
and master builders to transform the
existing Byzantine citadel into what is
today one of the finest surviving ex-
amples of Gothic defensive architec-
ture. The surviving walls run almost
4k in encircling the Old Town. They
are 12m thick each and sometimes
they are either doubled or tripled.
What’s more they are all surrounded
by a moat.
Over the years, the walls were
continually rebuilt and upgraded to
cope with new military technologies,
including the introduction of the can-
60 w w w.gREECE-is.com
non in the mid-15th century. A network
of secret tunnels linked the city to the
surrounding countryside, allowing
supplies to be brought in during a siege.
Outside the citadel of Rhodes Town, the
island’s 50 villages were guarded by 11
castles, making up a formidable defen-
sive network. The mouth of the harbor,
which became one of the busiest in the
Mediterranean, was protected by a sub-
merged chain, which could render it
impassable to enemy ships. Arriving by
ferry today, you get an idea of the sense
of awe that the fortified city would have
inspired in its would-be attackers.
When the legendary conqueror Suleiman the
Magnificent rode into town after days of sacking,
it is said that his horse waded ankle-deep in the
blood running down the cobbled streets.
© sOURCE: N. Kasseris, Rhodes, Nymph of Helios, Rhodes1997 – FROM: E. Flantin, L’ Orient, 1853)
City quarters
The Knights were organized into eight
“Langues” (tongues), each named after
the part of Europe where its members
hailed from, including France, Ger-
many, England, Spain and Italy. Their
commander was known as the Grand
Master. Each Langue was responsible
for guarding a section of the defensive
walls. The Knights attracted to Rhodes
not only their own extensive retinue,
but also many wealthy merchants who
were able to use the safe port to trade
across the Mediterranean. The offi-
cial written languages of Rhodes un-
 The Grand Master Pierre d ‘Aubusson inspects the repairs of the fortifications.
(Taken from the book The Knights of Rhodes by Elias Kolias, Ekdotike Athenon, 2007)

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 61

© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE
der the Crusaders were French, Latin
and Italian, but the language spoken
by the new inhabitants on the narrow
cobbled streets was probably a kind of
“Esperanto” of the time, mixing Italian,
Spanish and French.
The walled town was divided into
three sectors: the administrative quar-
ter, which was centered around the Pal-
ace of the Grand Master, at the highest
point of the city; the Kollakio, which
was inhabited by the Knights; and
the Bourgo (lower town, or Chora in
Greek), where the rest of the population
62 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| THE KNIGHTS |
lived, including the Greek and Jewish
communities and the secular Franks.
The protection offered by the
walled city was formidable. In 1480,
the citadel of Rhodes was able to with-
stand a two-month siege by a Turkish
army of 70,000, despite being defended
by a much smaller force of 600 knights
and 2,000 soldiers. The Turks returned
with a much larger force in the summer
of 1522. Over a grueling six months, the
knights inflicted on their besiegers an
astounding 73 deaths for every one that
they suffered, but eventually they were
Grand Master Pierre d’Aubusson welcoming
Prince Djem in Rhodes. Miniature from a 15th
century French manuscript. (Paris, Bibliothèque
Des Arts Decoratifs)
forced to surrender and leave the island
for good, along with a large part of the
Greek population.
When the legendary conqueror Su-
leiman the Magnificent rode into town
after days of sacking, it is said that his
horse waded ankle-deep in the blood
running down the cobbled streets. The
violence was such that the Sultan or-
dered his army to stand down at once.
This marked the end of an era. Sev-
eral notable monuments were added
during the subsequent Ottoman occu-
pation, and large parts of the medieval
city were destroyed in an explosion in
1856. However, the buildings erected
by the Knights still dominate the city,
either in their original form or as lov-
ingly restored by the Italian adminis-
tration of the early 20th century, which
stripped them of all anachronistic ad-
ditions.
The Old Town preserves the medi-
eval street layout and is mostly pedes-
trianized, allowing visitors to explore at
their leisure a living monument.
Silver gigliato of the Knights of Rhodes, 1319-
1346, obverse depicting the Grand Master in
adoration of the cross. Rhodes, 14th century.
c r e at i n g m em o r i e s f o r a l i f e t i m e !

Lindos, 851 07 – Rhodes, Greece | www.lindosblu.gr | info@lindosblu.gr | Tel.: (+30) 2244.032.110

| ARCHITECTURE |

A Terrible Beauty
The architectural legacy of the Italian Detail of the Governor’s
Palace (Palazzo del

οccupation of Rhodes. Governatore) which today

houses the offices of the
Prefecture of the South
Aegean.
BY Yiannis Chrysafis

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

| ARCHITECTURE | 1

W
hat would Rhodes be like to-
day without those architec-
tural works from the era of
the Italian occupation (1912-1943)? In
all likelihood, it would be less striking
and less picturesque. The town’s noted
buildings, so important today, might
not have been preserved or renovated,
instead perhaps succumbing years ago
to the deterioration of time. Visitors
would not gather, as they do today, to
take in the impressive seafront spec-
tacle of the Foro Italico at the port of
Mandraki, with all the imposing ad-
ministrative buildings that combine
Byzantine, Venetian, Renaissance, Ot-
toman and local architectural elements
in a distinctively eclectic style. And the
2
Old Town – already having undergone
Ottoman interventions, including the
installation of cemeteries around its
walls – might simply have been allowed
to collapse, palace and all; or it might
have suffered that common Greek fate
of being abandoned to unfettered and
unregulated redevelopment, like so
many other once beautiful places.
Such contemplation, of course, does
not absolve the Italian conquerors of
Rhodes, nor does it negate the hard, au-
thoritarian methods of “Italianization”
they applied in the Dodecanese, espe-
cially after the rise of fascism. It simply
recognizes the immense importance of
the architectural character and sense of
spatial order they left stamped on the
contemporary face of Rhodes.
Although the Italians landed on

3 4

1. The Grand Hotel of Roses (Grande Albergo

delle Rose) opened its gates in 1927. Fully
renovated, it still operates as an hotel and houses
Casino Rodos.

2. Foro Italico in the time of Mario Lago. Visible

on the left are the New Market (Nea Agora),
the Bank of Italy (Banca d’ Italia di Rodi), the
House of Fascism (Casa del Fascio) and the
Courthouse.

3. The large fountain at the entrance to the

Kallithea Thermal Springs (Terme Calitea).

4. The western side of the Governor’s Palace

(Palazzo del Governatore).

66 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 5 5. The New Market, with its Eastern architectural
influences, is home today to shops and small
eateries that serve ouzo and meze.

6. The distinctive Art Deco architecture of

the Rhodes Aquarium, designed by Αrmando
Bernabiti and built in 1934-35.

7. Mario Lago, governor of the Dodecanese from

1922 to 1936, whose goal was the Italianization
of the locals.

8. Cesare Maria de Vecchi, governor of the

Dodecanese from 1936 to 1940

6
the island in 1912 during their conflict
with the Ottoman Empire, most of their
architectural works on Rhodes were
carried out during the era of Mussoli-
ni (who took power a decade later) and
reflect the attitude of his fascist regime
toward urban space. The past – the an-
cient past as much as the Middle Ages
and the Renaissance – became raw ma-
terial for fascist rhetoric, as Dr. Medina
Lasansky points out in her book “The
Renaissance Perfected: Architecture,
Spectacle & Tourism in Fascist Italy.”
In the 1920s and 30s many leading
architects, archaeologists, historians
and city planners of Rome collaborat-

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, PERIKLES MERAKOS, ALEKOS MARKOGLOU ARCHIVE

ed to showcase ancient monuments and
historic sites of the former Roman Em-
pire in the light of the Duce’s vision of
modern Italy as a metropolitan power
center. Public spaces, commercial fa-
7 8 cilities, churches, theaters, bridges,
schools, sports facilities, villages and
entire cities were either built or re-
stored in Italy, as well as in the Italian
territories in the Aegean and northern
and eastern Africa. The central motif
for this extensive building program
was antiquity, both on a theoretical and
practical level, and its apparent aim
was the promotion of fascism. The es-
thetics of this movement were not uni-
form, as the ruling Italians appointed
to their ranks and glorified, on a case
by case basis, ultra-modernists, ratio-
nalists, neo-historians and representa-

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 67

The Governor’s Palace, the Elli Building and a statue depicting a deer, the emblem of Rhodes, in the late 40’s.
tives of the Novecento.
However, the main thrust of ev-
eryone involved was the “cleansing”
(or “liberation,” as they called it) of
the past. Thus, the restoration and/
or reconstruction of the traces of the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance in-
cluded their redesign – their selective
representation carried out according to
a specific viewpoint, one that fit the re-
gime and its values. Whether in Rome,
Tuscany, Rhodes or Libya, the regime’s
architects were summoned to create
a “purified” version of the past that
would extol the present.
In the beginning, the Rhodians re-
garded the Italians as liberators from
the Ottoman yoke and saw their arrival
as a harbinger of the island’s desired
union with Greece. These hopes were
quickly dashed. Rhodes’ new overlords
put the Dodecanese Islands under the
authority of Italy’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, calling themselves the “Gover-
no dele Isole Italiane Dell Egeo,” or the
68 w w w.gREECE-is.com
Government of the Italian Islands of
the Aegean. In aspiring to gain control
over the Eastern Mediterranean, they
began a broad program of Italianiza-
tion of the region and its inhabitants.
These aims were served by a series of
appointed governors, who applied ei-
ther a “carrot” or a “stick” policy.
The first civilian governor of the
Italian Islands of the Aegean, and the
one who left the most lasting impres-
sion on Rhodes, was the diplomat Ma-
rio Lago (1924-1936), who led his coun-
try’s efforts to impose Italian culture
and to alter the ethnic make-up of the
Whether in Rome, Tuscany, Rhodes or Libya,
the Italian fascist regime’s architects were
summoned to create a “purified” version of the
past that would extol the present.
© NIKOLAOS STOURNARAS/SIMEON DONTAS ARCHIVE
local population, while simultaneously
attempting to banish the Greek lan-
guage, culture and Orthodox religion.
Lago erected many public buildings;
undertook numerous beautification
projects in Rhodes’ historical center;
restored medieval monuments; found-
ed rural settlements; and adopted eco-
nomic reforms – including measures
to promote tourism. He was a pioneer
in his time. Perhaps his most import-
ant legacy is the master plan he insti-
tuted for the city of Rhodes, which was
comparable to those adopted in all the
major cities of the West. During Lago’s

© NIKOS KASSERIS
Today, the refurbished Kallithea Springs (Terme Calitea) are a protected historical monument.
tenure, the monuments of the Old Town
were identified and protected; all the
land in the immediate area around the
city walls was declared a “zona monu-
mentale” (monument zone) and con-
struction came under tight controls.
Large areas (e.g., the Ottoman ceme-
teries) were forcibly seized for reasons
of public interest, while the new town
established outside the walls followed
the popular Italian model of the gar-
den city, endowed with a modern in-
frastructure, including roads, water
and sewer systems, street lighting and
administrative and military buildings.
Most of the projects completed
during this period bear the stamp of
Florestano di Fausto (1890-1965), the
most important architect of fascist It-
aly. In the space of three years (1923-
1926), and before he suffered a rift
70 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ARCHITECTURE
with Governor Lago, Di Fausto had
designed or redesigned an astonish-
ing fifty buildings in the Dodecanese
– houses, public buildings, churches,
markets, schools, barracks – of which
thirty-two had been completed or were
under construction in 1927. Among the
achievements that can still be admired
today are the Foro Italico, the city’s
new administrative center at Mandra-
ki and the Italian (formerly Ottoman)
Club, a lounge for Italian officers and
senior civil servants. The Courthouse
was restored in a style clearly influ-
enced by Renaissance architecture.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint
John (known today as the Metropolitan
Church of the Annunciation), with its
characteristic bell tower and its famed
sarcophagi of the Great Magistrates,
was built in the New Town as a repli-
|
ca of an older, Hospitallers-era church
destroyed in 1856. Other buildings in-
clude the Maritime Administration and
the Grand Hotel of the Roses, with its
distinctive dome, which continues to
operate as a hotel and which consti-
tutes one of the major landmarks of
touristic Rhodes.
Equally important was the Italians’
conservation work in the Old Town,
especially their intervention at the Pal-
ace of the Grand Master of the Knights
of Rhodes, which they restored and
turned into a museum (it remains one
today). Notable, too, are the archaeo-
logical surveys, excavations and resto-
ration works carried out by the Italians
at several sites in Rhodes, mainly at
Ialysos and Lindos, and elsewhere in
the Dodecanese Islands.
Lago was succeeded by Cesare Ma-
ria De Vecchi (1936-1940), one of the
Quadrumvirs in Mussolini’s central
ruling tetrarchy. He imposed unequiv-
ocally brutal political oppression, par-
ticularly as the Second World War and
the Greco-Italian War approached.
Wanting to further emphasize the “glo-
ry” of the Knights and their presence in
Rhodes, and by association to extend
that glory to the regime of which he
was a founding member, De Vecchi had
public buildings and new constructions
cladded with “pietra finta” (faux stone),
as a visual reference to the period of
the Knights. Characteristic examples of
this treatment include the Hotel Ther-
mae and the Palazzo Littorio, which
later became the City Hall.
On March 7, 1948, the inhabitants
of Rhodes celebrated the incorpora-
tion of the Dodecanese Islands into the
Greek State – in front of public build-
ings that were founded during the pe-
riod of Italian occupation. Freedom
replaced fascist oppression. Seven de-
cades later, there are few residents re-
maining on the island who experienced
the Italian occupation, but the younger
generations – without forgetting the
past – live with, and take full advan-
tage of, the legacy of architecture and
urban planning from those years. It is a
heritage that enriches their daily lives.
| MEMENTOS |

THE WAY IT WAS

Τhe author of the book “Rhodes - One Hundred Years Of Photography
1850-1950” has dug through archives and private collections
to bring us one-of-a-kind snapshots of the island’s storied past.

BY S i m e o n D o n ta s

72 w w w.gREECE-is.com
T
he island of Rhodes is fortunate
to have been photographed like
almost no other. In the mid-19th
century, Rhodes was subject to foreign
rule – a mere province of the Ottoman
Empire. Nevertheless, the island’s rep-
utation for ancient and knightly glo-
ry had captured the imagination of
both Greek and foreign travelers, with
Rhodes becoming a regular stop on the
Grand Tour. A few of those who came
brought with them their own camera
equipment.
The photographic history of Rhodes
began in 1850, when Claudius Galen
Wheelhouse, an English surgeon and
amateur photographer, took the first
photo – of the Rhodian knights’ Naillac
Tower, before its collapse in an earth-
quake. Then, in 1853, British diplomat
Dominic E. Colnaghi produced some
calotypes; in 1857, Scotsman James
Graham immortalized the Street of the
Knights; and in 1862, Francis Bedford,
escorting the Prince of Wales on an ed-
ucational tour, took three photographs
of the island. In their wake came many
photographers, amateur and profes-
sional, who managed to stop time with
their cameras and deliver the past to to
us, imprinted on photographic paper. In
their photos, we can find a story of an
island at the cusp of change – from oc-
cupation to freedom, from war to peace.
Bedford photograph
(Left) A panoramic view of the Old Town from
the Naillac Tower, prior to its destruction.
This splendid photograph was taken by the
Englishman Francis Bedford on May 15, 1862,
as he accompanied the Prince of Wales (later
King Edward VII) on an educational journey
through the Near and Far East.
BAREFOOT SUMMER
A boy at the seashore, photographed by the
Nobel laureate George Seferis. Children were
always a focus of the poet-diplomat’s interest,
and he took this photo during a visit to Rhodes
with his wife in 1955.
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 73
 | IN PICTURES |

THE TWILIGHT OF THE OTTOMAN ERA

The Marine Gate, photographed by French architect Lucien Roy, in 1911,
one year before the conquest of the island by the Italian army.
The period of Ottoman rule represented for Rhodes a time
of decline and of nostalgia for the greatness of antiquity.

74 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | IN PICTURES |

Deer and Wolf

The entrance to the port at Mandraki, with the deer symbolizing Rhodes
and the wolf symbolizing Rome. The Italian conquerors, believing that they would remain
on the island forever, invested in the construction of imposing buildings and a sweeping
renovation of the New Town.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 75
 | IN PICTURES |

FINDING JOY
Photographer Maria Chrousaki captures a moment when orphaned children, taken in
during the Greek Civil War, dance in school celebrations at the Pedoupoli (“Children’s
Home) in the village of Kalathos. These homes were founded in 1947, on the initiative
of Queen Frederica, to protect children in rural communities from the paidomazoma (the
mass round-up and transportation of children to Communist countries) during the war.

76 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | IN PICTURES |

Joining Greece
March 31, 1947. One of the most striking photos of Antonis Pachos. A crowd that includes public
officals has gathered to observe the lowering of the British Union Jack and the raising of the Greek
flag over the Governor’s Palace. So began the transition period of Greek military rule on the island
that would continue until March 7, 1948, when Rhodes officially became part of the Greek state.
Visible in the foreground, kneeling, is the first elected Mayor of Rhodes, Gavriil Haritos.

Dancing Peasants
A celebrant in traditional vraka breeches dances in a church courtyard in the village of Embonas in
1927. Religious celebrations and festivals were the main source of enjoyment and entertainment
for the local population. The sight of ordinary peasants in traditional costumes was striking to both
villagers and foreign visitors.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 77
 | THEN & NOW |

The Tourism Chronicles

In the beginning were the Italians... Then the jet-set arrived,
making Rhodes the “in” place to go. In their wake came the charter
crowd of the 1970s. What does the future hold?

BY Olga Char ami

© ANTONIS PACHOS ARCHIVE

Aristotle Onassis takes Winston Churchill for a ride, in 1959.

78 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 since the 1970s.
great numbers
the acropolis of Lindos in
Tourists have been visiting

© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece on the set of “The Guns of Navarone” (1960) at Epta Piges, with cast members Gregory Peck,
B
ack in the 1920s, an Italian
documentary titled “L’Estate a
Rodi” was made. It can be seen
on YouTube. Its purpose was not sole-
ly tourism promotion; it was filmed
and shown in the framework of Fascist
propaganda. It was, however, the first
time Rhodes had been presented to a
European cinema audience. In the film,
the camera zooms in on Italian public
buildings and Italian farming villages
and their new settlers, on the Old Town
where the Italians were carrying out
extensive restoration, and on the Rho-
dians themselves, shown dancing in
traditional dress or going about their
daily lives.
It had been Mussolini’s dream to
make Rhodes a resort for Italians.
80 w w w.gREECE-is.com
David Niven, Anthony Quinn and others.
During their occupation, the Italians
built the military airport of Maritsa
(which served as the island’s main air-
port for 40 years); the hydrotherapy fa-
cilities at Kallithea; a racetrack; a golf
course; and numerous hotels, the most
lavish of which was the Grande Alber-
go delle Rose, advertised as “the hotel
with 160 rooms and 80 bathrooms.” Its
guests came in by hydroplane not only
from Italy but from Egypt, Israel and
elsewhere as well.
Despite their desire to remain on
the island for good, the Italians were
forced to leave after surrendering to
the Germans following the Battle of
Rhodes in 1943. They left behind some
impressive works, made even more
noteworthy by the fact that the rest of
© ANTONIS PACHOS ARCHIVE
the country had been devastated by
bombardments. Their “legacy” also in-
cluded the special tariff and tax regime
for the Dodecanese, which was kept
in place even after Rhodes, along with
the other Dodecanese islands, was for-
mally united with Greece. Up to 1981,
when Greece joined the EEC, visitors to
Rhodes could buy tax-free items such
as drinks, cigarettes and brand-name
clothing items, which were not even
imported into the rest of the country.
This gave enormous impetus to do-
mestic tourism. Many still remember
the elegant umbrellas and, in particu-
lar, the suits, tailored on the island for
much less than they would have cost in
Athens.
In post-war Greece, tourism was

Famous Canadian model Dayle Haddon poses with a Lindos resident and her donkey,
during a fashion shoot for Vogue Magazine in 1976.
seen as the quickest way to achieve
economic growth, raise the morale of
the Greeks, westernize society and in-
troduce new lifestyle models. Rhodes
was one of the few destinations where
all the ingredients to achieve this were
already in place. Bright sun, perfect cli-
mate, long beaches and fascinating an-
tiquities, in fact all the main elements
of Greece’s “identity,” feature here,
along with stunningly exotic architec-
ture dating to the time of the Knights
and the periods of Ottoman and Italian
rule.
The film industry, too, helped ad-
vertise the uniqueness of Rhodes. Cin-
emagoers, at first in Greece but soon all
over the world, began to see – on the
silver screen – cyclists riding along
© JACQUES MALIGNON/CONDE NAST/GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE
impressive coastal streches, bathers
swimming in crystal-clear waters, and
Rhodes soon became
couples falling in love in the great Ro- a destination for the
tunda at Kallithea. In rapid succession international jet set.
a number of Greek and international
movies were made here, facilitated by
Aristotle Onassis
low production costs, while the mayor could be seen eating
at the time, Michael Petridis, who is octopus at the Alexis
still fondly remembered by many Rho-
dians, also lent a helping hand by invit-
Τaverna with Winston
ing celebrities for holidays at the luxu- Churchill.
ry “Hotel of the Roses”. Thanks to films
such as “Anna Roditi” (1948), “Surprise
Package” (1960) with Yul Brynner, “The
Guns of Navarone” (1961) with Grego-
ry Peck and Antony Quinn, “Cruise to
Rhodes” (1960) and “Kiss the Girls”
(1964), parts of the island became fa-
mous on a global scale.
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 81

© EPA/EIRINI ELEFTHERAKI
The Greek National Tourism Orga-
nization also made a significant con-
tribution by restoring buildings and
erecting the Rhodes Xenia, one of a se-
ries of modern hotels at the forefront of
efforts to promote tourism. Local busi-
nessmen also built a number of luxury
hotels. “The Italians left us 700 beds
and today we have 100,000,” says Vass-
ilis Minaidis, honorary president of the
Association of Rhodes Hoteliers, which
was established in 1949. “The big tour
operators got in on the action in the
1960s, when the charter flights began.
At the time, most visitors were from
Sweden. They came from Stockholm in
propeller-driven aircraft in 7-8 hours.
Shortly after, the Germans began to ar-
rive, on vessels from Yugoslavia, book-
ing through Touropa, the forerunner of
today’s Tui.”
Rhodes soon became a destination
for the international jet set. Aristotle
Onassis could be seen wandering about
or eating octopus at the Alexis Taverna
with Winston Churchill; David Gilm-
our bought a house in Lindos, another
Pink Floyd member, Richard Wright,
met and later married Franka, owner of
the legendary Qupi Bar in Lindos, while
Boney M and ABBA, two of the biggest
groups of the time, appeared at the
Aquarius Club in Rhodes Town. Even
Today, Faliraki is more of a family destination.
The Water Park, seen here, is one of the biggest
in Europe.
82 w w w.gREECE-is.com
the Palace of the Grand Master hosted
European beauty contests!
This was also the time of the phe-
nomenon known as “kamakia” (lit.
“harpoons”), lotharios dressed in
bell-bottoms and half-open shirts that
invariably revealed a gold chain hanging
from the neck, who were a big hit among
liberated northern European females.
“Rhodes was a real hot spot in the 1970s.
Greek women rarely had pre-marital
sexual relations. In contrast, romances
with foreign women were a daily occur-
rence,” says 62-year-old Yiannis Klou-
vas, these days the President of the As-
sociation of Restaurateurs, then owner
of the some of the top discotheques on
the island, who is married to a Finnish
tourist he met at the time. “But it wasn’t
British tourists having fun in Faliraki; this resort
became for a time the symbol of “bad” tourist
behavior before local authorities took steps to
clean up its image.
just the sex. We took them dancing, we
showed them around the island and so
there were many love affairs.”
The phenomenon also had social
implications, for Rhodian philanderers
suddenly had an incentive to remain
on the island instead of going to sea to
earn a living. At the same time, they
were initiated into a cosmopolitan cul-
ture and – albeit unwittingly – became
magnets of attraction for tourism, since
many of these northern European wom-
en would come back for more, bringing
their female friends with them. Many
foreigners had already begun to set-
tle permanently on the island, but the
“kamakia” phenomenon reinforced this
trend, as it was not uncommon for local
men to marry their summer loves.
In the 1980s, Rhodes’ tourism im-
age began to change after a new law
was passed, permitting the erection of
small, lower category accommodations.
Where in previous decades large lux-
ury hotels had dominated, the island
now filled with rooms to let, managed
by people with no experience whatso-
ever in tourism. Bed supply gradually
exceeded demand and tour operators,
who were always waiting in the wings,
took advantage of the low standard of
services to reduce prices.
© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE
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hospitality units in Greece A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, our “boutique” hotel welcomes you to a
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A river of humanity seems to flow through the streets of Old Town.
July 2000: Young English tourists
have sex in public in the alleyways of the
village of Faliraki and drunken women
dance topless on the hoods of cars. Dis-
orderly crowds of tourists wander about,
bottles in hand. They will never learn
anything about the real Rhodes, nor will
they remember who or how many they
slept with the previous night. Beginning
around 1995, several tour operators had
discovered in this once quiet village an
amazing beach, numerous cheap rooms
for rent and a handful of bars. They
promptly voted it the perfect destination
for young UK tourists wishing to live
for a week or two without constraints.
84 w w w.gREECE-is.com
In 2002, a total of 431,481 passengers
arrived on a record number of charter
flights from the UK; this represented
one-third of all charter flights that year.
By 2005, the village had fully adapted to
its new guests (from English breakfast
in the cafés to soccer games on giant
screens, you felt that you were in the UK)
and the locals were constantly reporting
cases of vandalism. “It wasn’t the En-
glish in general, but certain hooligans
who created the problem for tourism. At
first they would go to Trianta Beach at
Ialysos. By the time they started head-
ing to Faliraki they were out of control.
I personally told the British ambassador
“During the day
Faliraki is a family
destination where
kids play on the beach.
After sunset the
nightlife is still very
lively, though without
the excesses of the
past.”
that they would have to get rid of them;
they had become insufferable,” explains
Mr. Minaidis.
The first allegations of rape and
the first accidental deaths due to alco-
hol prompted negative reports in the
British media. Local organizations re-
sponded and the tour operators were
forced to change their plans. Faliraki
was “cleaned up” overnight, as the locals
say. And for three or four years it looked
like it had been closed down for good.
“Today Faliraki lives in two worlds”
says Aikaterini Gogou, president of the
the  Association of  Qualified  Tourist
Guides of the Dodecanese. “One is that
of the large, well-respected hotels and
the other is that of the rented rooms.
During the day, it is a family destina-
tion where kids play on the beach. After
sunset, the nightlife is still very lively,
though without the excesses of the past.
The place is now very well policed.”
The idea of two worlds applies to
the island in general. There is, indeed,
a Rhodes of deluxe facilities, boutique
hotels and a well-deserved reputation
for amazing natural beauty and stun-
ning historical attractions, but there’s
also the Rhodes of rooms for rent at
cut rates, of cheap package trips and
of an infrastucture straining to cope
with the two million tourists that ar-
rive each year. Nevertheless, Rhodes is
still a welcoming cosmopolitan desti-
nation whose ageless appeal has always
brought the crowds. The island has
always coped in the past and will un-
doubtedly find answers for the future.
experience
GREECE IS

RHO D ES

THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS

From sandy beaches to verdant mountains and from ancient temples to luxury resorts, the fourth largest
island in Greece has a variety of options to offer its visitors.
Rhodes by painter Antonios Von Santorinios-Santorinakis / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

85
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |

the world in a stroll

Medieval walls enclose an enchanting

microcosm, a place where different eras,
cultures and architectural styles meet.

BY Olga Char ami

Museum of Rhodes.
Archaeological
now houses the
the Knights, which
the Hospital of
The courtyard of
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

T
ime is locked out. Everyone else
is within: ancient Greeks, Byz-
antines, Ottomans, Jews and
Italians. This is, however, the roman-
tic view; in truth, they are not alone,
these wonderful ghosts. With them are
tourists in their thousands, archaeol-
ogists, tour guides, artists, permanent
residents, business people and touts,
all continuing to write the history of the
Old Town of Rhodes, a story which has
been unfolding for the past 2,400 years.
88 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |
And this is why I approach those mighty
walls, four kilometers long, with some
trepidation about what I will find. How
harmoniously does the glorious and in-
triguing past coexist with the intensely
tourism-oriented present? The monu-
mental with the commercial? The Old
Town’s designation as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site (assigned in 1988) with the
mass nature of a global brand name in
tourism which was already being devel-
oped as early as the 1950s?
At any rate, these are my thoughts
as I pass through Liberty Gate, one of
the 11 gates affording access to the Old
Town and the first that you encounter
when coming from the harbor of Man-
draki. It’s early in the morning, and
I’ve already checked that there are no
cruise ships in the harbor; otherwise I
would see nothing but people. My first
impression is one of awe. I suddenly
find myself in a time of knights: only
porous sandstone and cobbled streets
 | ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN
as far as the eye can see. It is not easy
to absorb this. You have the feeling that
if you take a few more steps, you’ll see
modern buildings, ugly ones perhaps,
or at least something completely out of
place. Or that gently pushing a wall will
result in its collapse, as if it were some
flimsy film set at Cinecittà – especially
if you know that Italians, too, have left
their mark here. After they seized the
island from the Turks in 1912, they saw
themselves as successors to the knights
|
and set about restoring or reconstruct-
ing many of the medieval buildings. But
In the cool of the evening, the Old
have no fear, no wall will collapse and Town’s narrow streets and squares (like
there is nothing ugly, at least not in the Hippokratous Square, pictured here)
fill with sightseers.
northern part known as the Kollakio,
or Knights’ Quarter.
The Knights Hospitaller of St. John
captured Rhodes in 1309. In the Old
Town, where they established their ad-
ministrative center, there was already a
fortified Byzantine settlement occupy-
ing 175,000 square meters which had
© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 89
I enter high-ceilinged
halls with period
furniture and
chandeliers as well as
enormous fireplaces
featuring coats of
arms. When I emerge
into the courtyard,
I feel somewhat
disoriented, both in
time and space.

90 w w w.gREECE-is.com

© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
been built on the site of an ancient city
that dated back to 408 BC. The Knights
expanded the area of the town to
420,000 square meters and protected
it with three lines of defensive fortifi-
cations. This was also how they hand-
ed it over to the Ottomans, after a long
siege in 1522. The new rulers made only
slight alterations to the fortifications
but changed the use and form of the
buildings, converting some churches
into mosques. When the Italians occu-
pied Rhodes in 1912, they restored the
Knights’ Quarter to its former state.
This area, named Kollakio, accounted
for one-third of the old city. The re-
maining part, known as the Bourgo,
was where the common people lived.
One of the imposing rooms of the Palace of the
Grand Master, restored by the Italian rulers in the
early 20th century.
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |
The amalgam resulting from the co-
existence and the exchange of different
populations over the centuries is what
makes the Old Town of Rhodes unique.
“You don’t really need a guide here.
Even if you haven’t read anything, even
if no one has explained anything, you
can see the history all around. Like an
illustrated children’s book,” says Aikat-
erini Gogou, president of the Associa-
tion of Qualified Tourist Guides of the
Dodecanese.
And the truth is that, in just one
block, you can see: ancient ruins; a Byz-
antine church; an Ottoman mosque;
and a plaque honoring the Fascist lead-
er Mussolini. “Everything is part of the
history of Rhodes. And we must respect
everything. For instance, some visitors
become angry when they see the plaque.
But this, too, is a piece of Rhodes. The
squares you see today are the results of
German bombardments; they weren’t
there before,” Aikaterini explains.
MARIA KOLLIA
A lifetime IN THE OLD TOWN
Archaeologist Maria Kollia, president of
the Association for the Preservation of
Rhodes’ Architectural and Cultural Her-
itage, has lived in a beautiful house on
the Street of the Knights for more than
45 years. She remembers when fellow
residents used to festoon the street with
their drying laundry (a custom that is
prohibited today) and she recalls, too, the
milkman bringing fresh milk to her door-
step every day. “People envy me for living
here,” she says, “but they can’t imagine
some of the problems I have with the
house. The limestone walls retain humid-
ity like a sponge. It’s almost impossible
to keep warm in the winter because the
structure is nearly five meters high. But
I wouldn’t for the world change the fact
that I live in a place that is full of mem-
ories and history. This is more or less
the spot where the Sanctuary of the Sun
God was located, and the Head of Helios
itself was found almost right beneath my
house.” - m a r i a k o r a ch a i
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 91

THE KNIGHTS’ QUARTER
After entering through the Liber-
ty Gate, you get the first hint of what
a palimpsest the Old Town is in Symi
Square and Argyrokastrou Square next
to it. In just a small radius are the ruins
of a Temple of Aphrodite, a preserved
section of Hellenistic fortifications,
the 11th-century Church of Our Lady
of the Castle, the old arsenal of the
Knights (which houses a fine collec-
tion of folk art) and the Municipal Art
Gallery. A little further on is the Man-
sion of Hassan Bey and the Inn of the
“Tongue” of Auvergne, in the beautiful
garden of which there is a café. The
inns were where the Knights gathered,
each one corresponding to the language
(“tongue”) they spoke. Most are located
on the celebrated Street of the Knights,
This Turkish coffee shop on Sokratous Street has
been in business since the 14th century.
92 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |
© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE
AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
“You don’t really need a guide here. Even if
you haven’t read anything, even if no one has
explained anything, you can see the history all
around,” says tourist guide Aikaterini Gogou.
which begins here, next to Museum Fully immersed in the atmosphere,
Square and the Arnaldo Gate. A jewelry I am now walking along the cobble-
store, clothes and souvenir shops and stoned Street of the Knights, which
a bank are housed in medieval build- has remained unchanged for centu-
ings. A group of street artists have set ries. Most of the buildings house offices
up their easels. Two young wandering of the archaeological service or serve
musicians rehearse, seated on the steps as homes for archaeologists and em-
next to the Archaeological Museum ployees of the ephorate of antiquities,
– the former Hospital of the Knights. the only people with the right to live
There, you simply don’t know what to here. As a result, visitors can’t see the
admire the most – the building itself, interiors, except for that of the Inn of
with its impressive two-story gallery the “Tongue” of France, which hous-
and spacious inner courtyard, or the es the French Consulate and on occa-
marvelous Hellenistic sculptures on sion hosts cultural events. I observe
display inside. the blazons, the architectural details
 Exploring the
side streets
of Bourgo,
the Old Town
neighborhood
where the
common people
lived.

on the façades, the statue of the Vir-
gin Mary in the 14th-century Church
of the Holy Trinity, and I feel that an
unwritten law imposes silence and
discretion. Those around me probably
feel the same thing; you could hear a
pin drop. Until, that is, the sound of a
car abruptly shatters the enchantment,
even though no vehicles are allowed in
the Old Town. The law, however, has
never been enforced for the permanent
residents.
The Street of the Knights ends at
the Palace of the Grand Master, which
served as the Knights’ administrative
center. Much of the edifice was rebuilt
by the Italians who, some say, made it
even more impressive. I enter high-ceil-
inged halls with period furniture and
chandeliers as well as enormous fire-
places featuring coats of arms. I walk
on mosaic floors dating back to the
Hellenistic period, which the Italians
brought from Kos. When I emerge into
the courtyard, I feel somewhat disori-
ented, both in time and space.
94 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |
A good way to return to the pres-
ent is to stroll atop the walls. The walk
begins in the Palace courtyard but is
permitted only between 12:00 and
15:00; that is to say, at the worst possi-
ble time, when the Rhodian sun can be
merciless. After 30-40 minutes, you
reach the Red Gate to the south of the
town. Along the way, you’ll be reward-
ed with a view over parts of the new
town and the sea, too.
Another way to come back to the
here and now is to leave the Old Town
via the exquisite D’Amboise Gate, tak-
ing in the formidable bastions or, even
better, walking down in the medieval
moat, which has been turned into an
attractive park much loved by locals.
There, on the “border” between old
and new Rhodes, children and dogs
play freely, peddlers set up stalls, cy-
clists enjoy a ride and street artists
sing or paint. At the park stands the
aptly named “Medieval Moat Theater,”
which hosts marvelous performances
in summer.
© PERIKLES MERAKOS
GIORGOS
TRIANTAFYLLOU
the art of icons
“Children that grow up on tourism-orient-
ed islands like Rhodes don’t believe that
you can make a living from art. We’ve
been trying to change this over the past
few years by opening up our workshops,
inviting international artists and orga-
nizing events in which the public can
participate.” Giorgos was taught the art
of painting religious icons in the monastic
community of Meteora in central Greece
and then went to Italy to study the fresco
method of mural painting. So far, he has
done icon work for 30 churches across
the island. Passionate about his art, he
shows tourists who are interested in Byz-
antine churches around and then takes
them back to his workshop where they
get to make their own fresco paintings to
take back home. “The churches are one
of the most authentic aspects of Rhodes.
For centuries, they were the places
where the neighborhood gathered, and
today we want to make them places for
people from around the world to come
together.” - m a r i a k o r a ch a i
 advertorial

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The hotel’s themed architecture is an attraction in its own
right, with every floor boasting a unique design and each
of the 11 suites reflecting different aspects of the natural
beauty and history of Rhodes. Using environmentally-friendly
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© PERIKLES MERAKOS
THE BOURGO
From the Palace of the Grand Mas-
ter, you can continue in a southerly di-
rection along Orfeos Street or Panetiou
Street and enter the area known as the
Bourgo, which was separated from the
Kollakio by a pre-existing Byzantine
wall. Initially, this was the area inhab-
ited by Greeks, but during the period
of Ottoman rule, it was Jews and Turks
who lived here – the Greeks, who were
expelled from the Old Town, founded
Mandraki. Later, they all coexisted
here, just as they do today. About
2,000 people reside within the walls,
including many Rhodian Muslims. It
is estimated that a further 6,000 work
here during the summer.
I wander along the alleyways, spot-
ting sections of the Byzantine wall as
well as humble homes with sachnisia
96 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |
(overhanging enclosed wooden balco-
nies), small porticos, arches and hid-
den courtyards. These narrow walk-
ways are full of fragrances, colors and
sounds.
The imposing Suleymaniye Mosque,
originally built in 1522 and reconstruct-
ed in 1808, suddenly comes into view
and takes my breath away. I enter the
Muslim Library just opposite and gaze
at Arabic and Ottoman manuscripts,
unable to understand a word. Next door
is the Clock Tower, built by Fethi Pasha
in the mid-19th century. The tower now
houses a café and for €5 you can enjoy
a coffee and climb to the top, where you
can see the Kollakio and Palace on one
side and the Bourgo on the other, as well
as the walls by the harbor and the sea
beyond it all; it is a panorama not easily
forgotten. Today, however, not every-
LEFTERIS SKARPETAS
Inspired craft
Lefteris practically grew up in his father’s
goldsmith’s workshop. Today, he’s one
of the propagators of the age-old craft
of jewelry-making that flourished on the
island until the mid-20th century, when
there were still a number of jewelers
working here, many involved in export-
ing as well. Their designs used motifs
related to Rhodes, including the stag,
the knight’s cross and the rose. Inspired
by the fascinating medieval landscape
in which he lives, Lefteris has moved
beyond these older designs. “I’ve lived in
the Old Town for 20 years and I’m still in
awe of it,” he says. “You can’t help but be
moved by what you see in this well-pre-
served town: the battalions, the blond
hue of the rocks, the arches. One of my
most recent pieces is a pair of earrings
shaped like the Old Town’s street lamps.
For the older generations, Rhodian jewel-
ry was like an ambassador for the island.
By creating modern designs with historic
references, I want to continue what they
began and prompt younger genera-
tions to wear accessories that relate to
Rhodes.” - m a r i a k o r a ch a i
Local celebrities Areti Georgoudiou and her
parrott Rico never tire of posing for tourists. This
talking bird might say “I love you” or curse at you,
depending on his mood.
 Like an Eastern bazaar,
Sokratous Street has always
been a lively shopping
area. It terminates near the
Suleymaniye Mosque.

© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, GEORGE TSAFOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE
AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
Only archaeologists and employees of the local ephorate of antiquities are allowed to stay in the restored
houses on the Street of the Knights.
thing I see out there is a welcome sight.
The cruise ship pulling in is the signal
that the Old Town will soon be crammed
with thousands of tourists. I hurriedly
descend and take Sokratous, the main
shopping street.
I don’t need anything, but I find
myself ready to start shopping. Ex-
pensive jewelry and brand-name bags
hang next to gaudy souvenirs, tin suits
of armor and tourist sandals. A river of
people sweeps me eastward and among
the thousands of objects for sale I spot
a few stores, including some antique
shops, that look like they might be
worth a visit. I also spy some Ottoman
fountains adorned with carved ara-
besques. Sokratous Street ends at Ip-
pokratous Square with its marble foun-
tain, which is always full of pigeons and
is the main rendezvous spot in this part
98 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN
of the Old Town. In the narrow streets
around here – Miltiadou, Platonos,
Evripidou – there are dozens of bars
and clubs which at night make the Old
Town unrecognizable, even to the point
of insult.
On the steps of the Castellania, once
the Commercial Court of the Knights
and now the Municipal Library, cou-
ples flirt, students pass their time and
tourists rest. A faceless crowd and
countless touts reveal to me the other
face of the Old Town, one which I had
hoped to avoid but that becomes even
more intrusive as I make my way along
Aristotelous Street and into Evreon
Martyron Square. Here the restaurant
barkers are completely unrestrained
as they loudly pitch the specialties of
their respective eateries: moussaka,
tzatziki, Greek salad. One has enlisted
|
There are many reminders in the Old Town of the
long years of Turkish rule.
the assistance of a parrot and another
is trying to get tourists to promise they
will come in the evening. “Do you real-
ly believe you’ll get them to come like
this?” I ask him. “They always come,”
he replies with a laugh.
LOST IN THE ALLEYWAYS
My suffering ends a few meters fur-
ther on. I sit down on the steps of Our
Lady of the Bourgo, a 14th-century
church built in the Late Gothic style,
now mostly in ruins. The boys playing
football in front of me are bragging
incessantly about their favorite team,
Diagoras F.C. Fortunately, there is
still plenty of Old Town to see. South
of Sokratous and Aristotelous streets,
life continues at a steady pace, whether
there is a cruise ship in the harbor or
not, whether it is summer or winter. All
 advertorial

t h i s p r e m i u m b e a c h f r o n t p r o p e r t y j u s t r e o p e n e d f u l ly r e v a m p e d ,
w i t h d e d i c a t e d a d u lt a n d f a m i ly z o n e s a n d s i g n a t u r e p a c k a g e s
Rhodes welcomes a brand-new resort destination in a An idyllic holiday location
spectacular beachfront location. The completely revamped There’s both an adult zone and a dedicated family zone.
four-star Amada Colossos Resort in Kallithea, just 10k The Family Zone features a full-scale water park and
from the medieval Old Town and 12k from Rhodes Interna- age-appropriate activities at three different young persons’
tional Airport, reopened in July 2017. It boasts uninterrupt- clubs.
ed views of the Aegean and a magnificent, 430m sandy The resort has six swimming pools, a beach volleyball
beach, with exclusive seafront access for hotel guests. court, a tennis court, a gym, a games room, and indoor
The property has 17 room types and a choice of mountain and outdoor entertainment areas with daytime and evening
or sea views. Studios have direct access to a swim-up pool programs.
while the resort’s five villas all come with private pools. Couples seeking the ideal wedding venue can exchange
vows at the resort’s stunning sea-facing gazebo and enjoy
A selection of dining experiences a romantic honeymoon right here afterwards.
Amada Colossos Resort offers a selection of 16 food and Amada Colossos Resort, a member of Colossos SA
beverage outlets, including six restaurants, an old-school and franchised by LTI, is operated by Louis Hotels. It is
Greek café and a patisserie, as well as pool and cocktail expected to become one of the most luxurious all-inclusive
bars. resorts in the Mediterranean.

For further information and bookings, visit www.amadacolossosresort.com


© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE
you need to do is… get lost.
This is what I do. With no idea
where the nearest gate is, I simply stroll
along the alleyways. I recognize the
Muslim households from the shoes left
outside the doors. People greet me with
“kalimera,” not “moussaka.” Children
play in the streets and grandmothers
sit on the steps outside their home or in
yards filled with flowers, chatting away.
I walk past the Kahal Shalom Syn-
agogue, Byzantine churches, mosques,
fountains, brothels and boutique
guest-houses – all in one small area. In
Arionos Square, I admire the soft curves
of the 16th-century Yeni Hamam, where
up until a few years ago the locals could
enjoy a Turkish bath, just like in the old
100 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| ΤΗΕ OLD TOWN |
days; now they’re eagerly awaiting its
renovation. The coffee shops under the
trees next to the hamam are in no way
associated with the unpleasant aspects
of mass tourism; in the evening, they
turn into high-quality bars with good
music and impeccable service.
Still further south, near St. John’s
Gate, is the Kokkini Porta Rossa, a qui-
et boutique hotel that has been open
for three years and has helped trans-
form an entire neighborhood previous-
ly suffering from a bad reputation. Its
owners, Nikos Voulgaridis and his wife
Angela, convince me with what they’ve
achieved that the Old Town, despite
some tourism excesses, is still finding
ways to endure and remain magical.
Argyrokastrou Square, near Liberty Gate,
is the first charming Old Town spot most tourists
see and, naturally, a popular stop for selfies.
The beautiful fountain originally adorned
the courtyard of an paleochristian church
in the village of Arnitha.
NIKOS KASSERIS
Forty years of photography
His camera lens has immortalized both
the important events and everyday life
on the island since the ‘70s. There have
been exhibitions of his work in Greece
and abroad, and he has published several
books of photography. In 1999, just
before the turn of the millennium, he
invited three renowned photographers
from Magnum Photos to Rhodes. They
documented the effects of the tourism
boom, visited traditional houses and
discovered the island’s unspoiled beauty.
Mr. Kasseris explains why he chose to
show off Rhodes as it is in the winter:
“When tourist activity ceases in the
medieval town, the houses are so close
to each other that you can hear the lives
of others. It reminds me of the neighbor-
hood feel that it had back in 1960, when
I first arrived – and, of course, there’s
also the goosebumps that you get when
you’re walking within this imposing scen-
ery of history and symbols. Sometimes
you think you can even hear the clatter of
horses’ hooves.” - m a r i a k o r a ch a i

In search of a building with the intention of creating
a hotel in the Old Town of Rhodes, we came across a
house which we instantly knew was what we wanted.
The homey feeling when we walked into it, together
with its touching history, made our decision easy.
Where the house currently stands there was once
a stately knight’s residence with a small church dedi-
cated to Saint John. When the Turks occupied Rhodes
in 1522, the house became home to Turkish, Jewish
and Greek families, all living together. Their different
origins and religions didn’t stop them from caring for
each other and raising their children together in the
shade of the mulberry tree. The rooms of our hotel
bear the names of some of these residents: Gülbin,
Katina, Deniz, Irini, Orhan, Michalis.
Our hotel is the first building one sees when en-
tering the Old Town from the Gate of St. John. The
• Kokkini Porta, Old Town, Rhodes 85131, Greece • Tel. (+30) 2241.075.114
• Fax (+30) 2241.075.111 • Email: welcome@kokkiniporta.com • www.kokkiniporta.com
advertorial
pitched battles fought here in days long gone made
locals change the name of the gate to “Kókkini Porta”
(Greek for “Red Door”). Throughout the restoration,
the building’s character and peculiarities were re-
spected: the creaks from the wooden floor boards, the
smell of the lime plaster, the roughness of its stones,
the 300-year-old mulberry tree. At the same time, we
added our own welcoming touches: furniture, lighting,
art objects and soft carpets give every space a warm,
familiar atmosphere. Today, luxury has been tempered
with simplicity and modern design elements appear
alongside old collectable items.
We have made a small hotel for just a few select
guests who enjoy our personal attention and care, and
who value the notion that this house has been offer-
ing serenity and warmth to its residents, permanent or
temporary, for centuries.
© ILLUSTRATION: IGNATIOS MANAVIS
 [ POI N TS OF I N T ER E ST ]
Palace of the Grand
Master
Once the magnificent headquarters
of the Order of the Knights of St
John, its spacious halls are rich with
medieval decoration recreated by
Italian restorers, including columns,
capitals and Hellenistic, Roman and
Early Christian mosaic floors, which
the Italians themselves brought in
from Kos. The ground floor hosts a
permanent exhibition of artifacts
dating from the early Christian
era to the period of Ottoman rule.
Truly unique experiences can be had
in the Palace, such as the concert
scheduled for 2/9, with Renaissance
songs by the Mixed Choir of Rhodes
and the Berthold Gymnasium choir
from Freiburg, Germany. • Tel. (+30)
2241.365.270 • Open 8:00-20:00
• Tickets €6
Street of the Knights
This is the most beautiful street of
the Old Town, with the “inns” or
lodgings of the different languages
(or “tongues”) of the Knights Hospi-
taller, where meetings were held and
visitors accommodated. In the Inn of
the Tongue of France is the French
consulate, which often organizes
exhibitions. The Inn of the Tongue
of Spain, the largest of all, also hosts
various events. The first building
you encounter at the lower end of
the street was constructed by the
Italians and now houses the tourist
information center.
Decorative Arts
Collection of Rhodes
The city’s renovated ethnographic
museum is housed in a Hospi-
taller-era building known as the
Arsenal. It contains objects of folk
art and everyday use, including
colorful pottery, wood carvings and
furniture. • Open Tue-Sun 9.00-17.00
• Tel. (+30) 2241.070.253 • Tickets €2
The Synagogue
In the 1930s, some 6,500 Jews lived
in Rhodes, where they operated six
synagogues. Today, the community
has dwindled to 20 people, whose
one remaining Synagogue (Kahal
Shalom), founded in 1577, is the old-
est in Greece. Accompanied by Sep-
hardic-Rhodian music, you can tour
the building and see artifacts of daily
life belonging to the community. For
the Jewish holidays of September or
on special occasions (weddings, etc), SHOPPING BY maria korachai
a guest rabbi is in attendance. • Tel.
(+30) 2241.022.364 • Open Sun-Fri,
10.00-15.00
Our Lady of the Castle
Believed to have been built in the
11th century, this Byzantine-style
church was converted by the Knights
into a three-aisled Gothic house of
worship, and then into a mosque by
the Ottomans. • Open Tue-Sat, 9:00-
17:00 • Tickets €2 EOLOS SABIN
Here you’ll find refined Sabin and her husband
Municipal ART Gallery jewelry made by Greek Vangelis create unique
A fine collection of modern Greek artisans using natural wooden accessories
art, hangs in a gorgeous Italian materials, such as like bags and bowties.
building on Symi Square. You can precious stones. Also In her shop, you’ll
admire the works of leading artists on sale are objects also find wooden
including Yannis Tsarouchis, Nikos d’art, decorative sunglasses as well
Engonopoulos and Theophilos, ceramics and objects as knitted bags by
observing how the socio-political with practical uses. • 44 other designers. • 6
changes of the 19th and 20th centu- Sokratous • Tel. (+30) Sofokleous • Tel. (+30)
ries influenced Greek art. • Τel. (+30) 2241.024.203 699.250.6147
2241.023.766 • Open Mon-Fri, 8.00-
21.00 • Tickets €2
IAKOVOS SANDALS
Ottoman monuments If you’re looking for leather sandals like those worn
Six mosques stand in the Old Town by the ancient Greeks, head to the family workshop
of Rhodes. Most impressive is the Iakovos Handmade Sandals (22 Aristotelous • Tel.
Suleymaniye Mosque, while most (+30) 2241.034.464), operating since 1946. For
distinctive is the Mehmet Aga more modern designs and funky touches, opt for
Mosque, built entirely of wood. The Exis (89 Sokratous • Tel. (+30) 2241.024.418).
most unique interior decoration you
can find, however, is that of the Ibra-
him Pasha Mosque, which still opens
its doors for prayer three times a day.
Also worth a visit is the Hafiz Ahmed
Agha Library, with a collection of
manuscripts and photographs. • Tel.
(+30) 2241.074.090
• Open Mon-Sat 9.30-15.00
Byzantine churches
About 30 Byzantine churches exist in
the Old Town, but they are not reg-
ularly accessible. The only time you KOUNAKIS WHEN IN GREECE
can enter them is the last weekend of JEWELRY This Greek brand,
The third generation of known for its modern
September, during the Open Doors
event organized by the non-profit Kounakis jewelers con- souvenirs and travel
tinues the family tra- gadgets, was founded
organization Rhodes International
dition of goldsmithery in Rhodes. Apart from
Culture & Heritage Society.
with fine creations that the company’s regular
take traditional Rhodian selection, the shop
art one step further. At here is also stocked
© PERIKLES MERAKOS
their shop, you’ll also with Rhodes-specific
find well-known watch souvenirs featuring em-
A €10 ticket will grant you access and jewelry brands. blems and landmarks
to the Palace, the Archaeological • Pindarou & 26-28 of the island. • 153
Museum, the Decorative Arts Byzantiou • Tel. (+30) Sokratous • Tel. (+30)
Collection and Our Lady of the 2241.030.276. 2241.030.374.
Castle Church.
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 103
 © SAKIS GIOUMPASIS

A bird’s eye view of the New Town,

which stands on the very end of the
northern part of the island, with a
beach unfolding across the entire
tip of the peninsula.

104 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | NEW TOWN |

A Beautiful Crush
The more modern part of Rhodes town may get crowded and
crazy, but that’s no reason to snub locations like Mandraki,
rich both in history and in things to do.

BY Maria Kor achai

M
andraki, perhaps the New
Town’s most photographed
spot, smells like sunscreen.
The sun is at its zenith and the ther-
mometer is hovering at 40ºC, yet none
of the hundreds of tourists sunning
themselves seems to care. The foot traf-
fic follows the contours of the coastline,
making for interesting people-watch-
ing, and the sea is right there when
the need for a refreshing dip arises.
Many hold their phones aloft to snap
their own postcard shots: of the two
columns crowned by the bronze stags
that are the symbol of Rhodes (some
TripAdvisor users comment they ex-
pected them to be much bigger); of the
fortress of Saint Nicholas; of the medi-
eval windmills; and of the great bastion
walls that separate the old and new
chapters of the island’s history. Mean-
while, in defiance of the frenzy of pic
clicks, a street artist tries to pause time
the old-fashioned way. He’s painting a
small watercolor of the port with the
castle in the background at the small
easel he’s set up on the promenade. He’s
also filtering reality, as there’s no sign
in his painting of the huge yacht an-
chored beside the two smaller wooden
sailboats he has included.
Rhodes’ New Town, this amazing
combination of medieval battlements,
eclectic 20th-century architecture, tall
modern buildings, sandy beach and
turquoise waters, has room for ev-
eryone. The settlement started grow-
ing outside the castle walls after 1522
when the Turks occupied Rhodes and
threw all other nationalities out of the
Old Town. Today, what you see around
you is indicative of just how busy
things are: traditional caique fishing
boats alongside luxury mega-yachts;
bicycles darting around tour buses;
a row of cheesy restaurants trying to
attract business with garish photos of
Greek salad and moussaka; barkers
shouting for custom outside bars and
cafés festooned with big bamboo arm-
chairs.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 105
Wine and good | NEW TOWN |
company on
pedestrianized Kosti
Palama Street.

© PERIKLES MERAKOS
 Many hold their phones
aloft to snap their own
postcard shots of the two
columns crowned by the
bronze stags that are the
symbol of Rhodes.

Great photos can also be taken

at night, when the monuments are
illuminated by warm lights imitating
the tones of the sunset.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 107

One of the most charming edifices in town housing the offices of the Prefecture of the South Aegean.
One of the establishments that
stands out in this sprawl is the Aktaion,
an officer’s club during the Italian occu-
pation and now an attractive café and
pastry shop with what is arguably the
best shade in town: on the menu you’ll
read about the enormous Ficus benjam-
ina that has been growing in its court-
yard since 1947. I get a cup of orange
juice – there are several spots along the
beach that serve fresh fruit juices to go
– and take a moment to examine Eleft-
herias (Liberty) Square, once the hub of
new Rhodes as it was developed by the
Italians and today an interesting spot
to wait for your friends or your date.
Here is Evangelismos Church, a replica
(built in 1925-29) of the Church of Saint
John that once stood beside the Palace
108 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| NEW TOWN |
of the Grand Master. Inside the modern
version, you can see murals painted by
the celebrated Greek artist Photis Kon-
toglou and his students in the period
between 1951 and 1961.
There aren’t many cities where the
port authority, the regional authori-
ty offices and the post office are pic-
ture-worthy. Here, though, they are
located in well-preserved eclectic man-
sions built by the Italians during the
1912-1943 occupation to house their ad-
ministrative services. Perhaps the most
unusual of these Italian buildings is
the one that today hosts the Aquarium.
Built in 1934-1936 and standing on the
island’s northernmost tip, it combines
elements of vernacular and art deco
architecture. It also has an amazing
© PERIKLES MERAKOS
underground tunnel, added in the final
year of construction.
“Nice to meet you,” a little girl tells
a langoustine as I explore the exhibits.
Walking around this dark, rocky laby-
rinth, you see tanks of all sizes holding
species of fish and crustaceans, rare
and common, most native to the Med-
iterranean but some which have emi-
grated here from the Indian and Pacific
oceans.
Back at street level, you can fore-
go the mundane souvenirs being sold
along the coastal strip and buy a por-
trait of yourself instead from one of the
artists at Rimini Square. The half-hour
sitting goes by in a flash, and they al-
ways capture the contentedness you
feel sitting in the shade, listening to the
song of the cicadas and looking up at
the castle which, from this particular
vantage point, is covered in a cascade
of bougainvillea and other flowers.
Monte Smith, the hill that formed
the acropolis of ancient Rhodes, is the
perfect spot to enjoy the sunset. The
hill is a protected archaeological site,
so it has not been developed. This was
not a fortified site in ancient times; in-
stead, it served as a place for sanctuar-
ies, temples, ancient public buildings
and subterranean spaces of worship,
and there are some impressive ruins
to be seen. The benches dotted around
afford romantic roosts for love birds of
all ages, and there are beautiful views
over the city and out to sea, stretching,
on a clear day, all the way to the coast
of Asia Minor.
As soon as night falls, the city’s
streets come awake with packed ta-
bles, inside and out, at its suddenly
animated all-day bars. You can choose
between the tourist joints where cock-
tails are served with the obligatory
paper umbrella and pineapple slice, or
the watering holes on the two pedes-
trianized roads where the locals have
been gathering for the past two or three
years: Kosti Palama Street for its pretty
bars illuminated by small lanterns ar-
ranged across the branches of trees, or
Theodoraki Street for the louder beat
of house and dance music, and light
shows.
It may seem a little surreal, but this
Even though you hear them speak- deck actually exists and is the most
ing English, German, Swedish, French popular diving point on Rhodes.
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 109
Once the hub of new
Rhodes as it was
developed by the
Italians, Eleftherias
(Liberty) Square is
an interesting spot
to wait for your
friends or your date.
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU

The Orthodox Cathedral

of the Annunciation.

A beachfront promenade overlooking the windmills of Mandraki and the fortress of Aghios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas).
and other foreign languages, when
Greeks are out they tend not to mingle
with the tourists – a surprising phe-
nomenon in Rhodes, which has a rep-
utation for its randy romeos (known in
Greek as kamakia, meaning harpoons
for the way they got girls) and mixed
marriages.
Back in the 1960s, when this was the
island of the quick fling, the New Town
was full of discos and young men would
go out to pick up tourists, as Greek fam-
ilies were still quite conservative and
did not allow the daughters out at night
without a chaperone. These young men
tended to sport large sideburns, garish
shirts open to their bellybuttons, flared
jeans and belts with loud buckles. With
their reputations riding on the num-
ber of women they’d “bag,” they had all
sorts of strategies, including learning
| NEW TOWN |
© PERIKLES MERAKOS
pick-up lines in different languages and
finding ways to make an impression on
the dance floor. “The clubs would play
a few disco songs and then a lot of slow
songs. We’d spot the girl we wanted and
then ask her to dance just before the
program changed. We’d whisper in her
ear: ‘Do you like Rhodes?’ Or ‘Want to
go somewhere else after?’” says Yiannis,
who experienced that era in full. “The
kamakia helped tourism and we got a lot
of repeat female visitors.”
The AIDS epidemic soon put a stop
to all that. Today, the representatives of
the age of free of love are in their 50s
and 60s and look back fondly on those
days of madness, romance and thrills
that were like a window onto the rest of
the world. Denizens of the deep at Rhodes Aquarium.
“Are there any kamakia left?” I ask
him. “Only on Facebook!” he answers.
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 111
 | lindos |
© PERIKLES MERAKOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

Eternal Star
This cosmopolitan town, with its famed ancient acropolis,
is literally the hottest place on Rhodes.

By Olga Charami

112 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 The whitewashed houses
of Lindos and, crowning the
landscape, the acropolis.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 113

© PERIKLES MERAKOS
T
he “Christina,” the private yacht
of the late Aristotle Onassis, ly-
ing at anchor in the sea below
the rock of the acropolis; David Gilm-
our strumming his guitar in a pebbled
courtyard; Brigitte Bardot strolling
among pure-white houses on a winding
backstreet; these images could be black-
and-white photos on the wall of the his-
toric Mavrikos restaurant, an old favor-
ite in Lindos since 1912, but they’re not
– because “none of us thought to take
photographs. We just took such scenes
as part of ordinary life here,” explains
chef and owner Dimitris Mavrikos.
Lindos was worshipped by the in-
ternational jet set as early as the 1950s.
It was then what Mykonos is today. Lo-
cals watched as, in just a few years, their
village was transformed into a dazzling
destination known around the world.
“Onassis, Niarchos, Kennedy – they all
passed through here. The FIAT tycoon
Giovanni Agnelli had his own table at
the restaurant. I remember him with his
114 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| lindos |
flowered swim trunks and Timberland
shoes – which then were like gold for us
– asking my father every morning what
he was cooking that day. Every summer,
we were brimming with VIPs: from well-
to-do Europeans to Hollywood stars. At
first, we gawked at them, awestruck,
but after a while we got used to them. It
seemed very natural to see Sophia Loren
passing by, or Yul Brynner, or Barbra
Streisand. I’ll never forget the first time
Pink Floyd came into the restaurant.
The waiter didn’t recognize them and
told me he wouldn’t serve those scruffy
characters,” recalls the chef.
“The strange thing,” Mavrikos con-
tinues, “was that they didn’t go around
the rest of the island, except for the
occasional stroll around the Old Town.
They were all especially interested in
Lindos.” It’s not difficult to understand
why. Its architecture, evoking more the
Cyclades than the Dodecanese, its three
beaches with crystal clear waters and
above all, literally as well as figuratively,
It is possible to get away from the crowds
and the shops.
the acropolis, on rocky cliffs 116m high,
where traces of ancient Greeks, Byzan-
tines and the Knights of St. John all co-
exist, are reasons enough to love Lindos.
The roots of the town’s cosmopoli-
tanism are lost in the mists of time. The
acropolis served as a center of worship,
starting sometime in the Bronze Age,
and the two adjacent natural harbors
aided the ancient city in becoming a
great naval power in the 6th c. BC under
the tyrant Cleobulus. In the time of the
Byzantines and Hospitallers, the acrop-
olis was transformed into an impregna-
ble castle, which, for a while, operated
as a fortified settlement in its own right.
Through the centuries, the town of Lin-
dos persisted in exactly the same pro-
tected spot where it is today, nestled into
 Traces from every
era reinforce just
how strategic the
acropolis was through
the ages: remnants
of the Hellenistic-era
sanctuary co-exist
with Early Christian
chapels and Byzantine
churches. The view
in all directions is
amazing.
© GEORGE TSAFOS, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF THE DODECANESE

The Temple of Athena

Lindia, high on the
acropolis.

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 © CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU

Pebbled floors and arched doorways with relief decorations are what characterize the courtyard of a typical captain’s house in Lindos.

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 © CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU

One of the features of the traditional Lindos house is the raised sleeping platform, or soufas.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 117

the hollow below the citadel – exhibiting
even now much the same layout as it had
in the past.
Today, Lindos is still one of the most
popular destinations on Rhodes. A
stream of humanity seems to flow per-
petually through its central street. But
not at midday. Then, the sun god Helios,
worshipped on the island in antiquity,
“prohibits” any movement. Along the
town’s stone-paved lanes, even the cats
forego their prowling. Merchants shel-
ter within their shops; visitors foolhar-
dy enough to be outside rest on stone
benches or within shady passageways
until the midday heat has passed. The
sun’s blinding rays are reflected off
whitewashed houses and little breeze
penetrates the labyrinthine interior of
Lindos – a village surrounded by barren
mountains – where temperatures can
reach 50 degrees Celsius.
This is why traditional Lindian
dwellings, known as “kamarika,” essen-
tially represent prototypical bioclimatic
architecture. Constructed of straw, sand
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| lindos |
and lime, their walls reach thickness-
es of 50cm. Externally, the walls are
given uneven surfaces to create shade
and drive away the heat. They also have
skylights to allow air to circulate, a large
interior arch and pebble-mosaic floors,
called “hochlakia.” In the old days, the
village wasn’t white with limewash as it
is today; instead it was various shades of
ocher. “Most homes underwent several
interventions in the 1980s and 1990s,
however others remain in their original
state,” says the architect of the Ephorate
of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, Ma-
ria-Christina Georgali.
In the 16th century, after the depar-
ture of the Knights, shipping flourished
again in Lindos. The following centu-
ry saw the construction of the famous
Lindian sea captains’ houses, which
combine details from earlier traditional
dwellings with the medieval architecture
of noble Rhodians. “Today, about thirty
of them remain. Most have been bought
by Europeans. They are maintained in a
very good state and many have all their
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
The alleys of Lindos are lined with shops offering
a wide selection of items.
original furnishings, as well as sundry
items brought back by the captains from
their journeys around the Mediterra-
nean,” says archaeologist Charistoula
Giakoumaki.
Behind the high limestone walls and
monumental gateways, there are peb-
ble-mosaic floors in various patterns,
both in the courtyards and the rooms;
arched doorways with relief decorations
bearing Byzantine, medieval and Ot-
toman elements; wide pointed arches;
painted ceilings; and elevated wooden
platforms (soufas) on which the bed was
placed. The most impressive features
are perhaps the carved doorways and
the captain’s “towers,” special rooms lo-
cated above the doorways, which locals
say let captains watch the sea.
The Papaconstantis and Markoulit-
 This is where the Apostle Paul is said
to have landed, bringing Christianity.
Today, the beach here is among the most
popular on the island.

St Paul’s Bay, below the

acropolis of Lindos, is a
stunning place for a swim.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 119
| lindos |

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
sa Houses now belong to the Greek State
but are not open for visitors. Several oth-
ers, however, can be rented during the
summer, offering a unique accommo-
dation experience. They are managed
by Sheila Markiou, who came to Lindos
from the US in the 1970s and never left:
“I fell in love with the place at first sight.
Even today, when I return from shop-
ping in Rhodes Town and take the last
turn on the road, I look towards Lindos
and say ‘Ah! How beautiful it is...,’ even
though I’ve lived here forty years.”

WALKING AROUND
Cars are prohibited in the village.
So are motorcycles and scooters, al-
though locals disregard this ban. Park-
ing lots exist at both village entrances;
from there, one continues on foot. The
entire historic district of Lindos, which
includes several neoclassical buildings,
is a preserved area under the protection
of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Locals
lament that, even if they only want to
patch a wall, they have to get a permit.
However, to get a good look at the archi-
tecture being preserved, it’s necessary
to get off the main street, which is so
thickly packed with eateries and tourist Traditional architecture made optimal use of the limited space available in the village.
shops (each displaying so many items
for sale) that they virtually hide every
inch of the whitewashed walls.
Indeed, on every side there are bou- the main square. Outside the village, a of the Hellenistic-era sanctuary share
tiques, jewelry shops, souvenir stalls grave known as the Tomb of Cleobulus the acropolis with Early Christian cha-
featuring “ancient Greek” sandals and overlooks the sea. pels and Byzantine churches. The view
vendors hawking fresh juice. Even the The main street leads to the path in all directions is amazing. To the south
Church of the Panagia, built in the 14th to the acropolis. The steep climb to the is the beach of St. Paul, the second an-
century to replace an older church and castle gateway takes about fifteen min- cient natural port, which, from above,
expanded by the Knights (the bell tow- utes. For those who’d rather not walk, looks like a swimming pool. The Apostle
er bears their heraldic emblem), usually donkeys are available, although the ride Paul is said to have landed here, bring-
boasts a crowd. Further along the same is as much a tourist attraction as it is a ing Christianity. The beach is among the
street, the “Traditional House” is open transportation option. most popular on the island, and the fore-
to the public and operates as a folklore Along the ascending road, ped- court of its small Byzantine church is a
museum – with objects from daily life in dlers display woven tablecloths spread frequent wedding spot for foreigners. To
the past centuries – and, of course, as a here and there on the ground. Visitors the east, there are impressive cliffs; to
souvenir shop as well. enter the castle through a gate built by the north, the beach of Megalos Yialos.
Near the southwest entrance to Lin- the Knights of St. John (erected on top For most people, however, it is enough
dos is the ancient theater. Harder to of a Byzantine fortification) and climb to sit on the steps of the Hellenistic stoa,
reach is the ancient necropolis, which a lengthy staircase. Traces from every in the shade of the columns. The breeze
locals call “Kampana,” although some era reinforce just how strategic this that usually blows here offers a welcome
funerary monuments can be seen above place was through the ages: remnants respite from the heat.

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| STOPS |

BUZZING AROUND

Beyond the medieval city and the beaches,

a whole world of sights and experiences awaits.
BY Olga Char ami

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 OLD-WORLD RETREAT
Designed by architect Pietro Lombardi and
built by the Italians in 1929, the luxurious
facilities of Kallithea Springs, located just
9k from Rhodes Town, have been attracting
crowds of visitors ever since. Now restored
to their former glory, they make for an
idyllic inter-war period setting, with their
two rotundas (the bigger one boasting a 14m
dome), flower-covered pergolas, a patio and
even a fountain with a figure of Eros. The
healing properties of the water (“tsilone-
ro” as the locals used to call it), have been
known since antiquity. The water had a lax-
ative and diuretic effect, and people would
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
camp in the area in order to use it. The ther-
apy had to be followed for about 15 days: pa-
tients would drink the Kallithea water, often
mixed with spring water from the island of
Kos. They’d take walks around the gardens,
enjoy their meals to live music, and when the
water took effect, they’d hurry to one of the
82 toilets in the complex! Today, Kallithea
Springs retains its cosmopolitan air, often
hosting weddings, art exhibitions and other
events; when night falls, many just come to
drink at the bar, right next to the sea.
• Open8:00-20:00 • Admission: €3 • Tel. (+30)
2241.037.090 • www.kallitheasprings.gr
G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 123
 | STOPS
HOUSE OF PLATES
The stone-paved alleys in the village of Koskinou, just 7k
from Rhodes Town, are pleasant for strolls. The houses here
are among the few in Rhodes that retain the old-style archi-
tecture. You can see large limestone doorframes (pyliones)
leading to flower-filled patios, and even the newer houses
are painted in bright colors. Indoors, they have pebble
floors, and usually a main room with a big arch and auxil-
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|
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
iary spaces. The piatelotichos – a big wall covered with the
typical Rhodian decorative plates – is impressive, and so is
the roof made from wooden beams covered with patelia, a
clay-rich soil that doesn’t absorb water. You can see all these
in the Koskinou Traditional House, built in 1902. Of the
residences on the island that are open to the public it’s one
of the most impressive. • Tel. (+30) 2241.062.205
CREATIVE TRIO
Rhodes used to have a great pottery
tradition – centered around the village
of Archangelos – and was best known
for its decorative plates; all the more
reason to stop by the Artistic Village, a
multipurpose space where Nikos Simia-
kos, his wife Themi and their son Yannis
create works of art made out of clay,
iron, glass, wood and other materials.
Here you can watch the artists at work,
both in the ceramic workshop and the
painting atelier, and check out their
small ceramic art exhibition space. You’ll
also find paintings, sculptures, decora-
tive objects and even jewelry for sale.
• Afantou, 23rd km Rhodes-Lindos Road
• Tel.(+30) 2241.052.038
• www.artisticvillage.gr
Into the Wild
Just outside Rhodes Town, a
mere 3k along the road to Lindos,
you’ll reach Rodini Park, one of
the oldest landscaped parks in
the world, thought to be the site
of a school run by the great orator
Aeschines. Lose yourself in this
green oasis with its flowing water,
wooden bridges and ancient
plane trees with their enormous,
gnarled trunks, and don’t be
surprised if you encounter deer,
peacocks or ducks. Rodini Park
was also the site of a Hellenistic
necropolis dating from the 3rd c.
BC; beautifully decorated tombs
can still be seen – such as the
impressive 28m-long Tomb of the
Ptolemies. Opt for sneakers or
hiking boots, as many spots are
slippery and the dense vegetation
can make a stroll here seem like
a mini-adventure.

© PERIKLES MERAKOS

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 125
 | STOPS |

COOPERATIVE INSPIRATION
Damon Papakiriakou is a painter, sculptor and musician. After
spending several years in Denmark, he returned to his homeland
and created an idiosyncratic space called Art Park outside the
village of Archipoli (33k from Rhodes Town). On an estate with
olive trees, where all you can hear are the sounds of birds and
cicadas, artists from all over the world come to work, drawing
inspiration from nature; many leave behind one of their works as
a gift. You might see them in action as you visit the park’s per-
manent sculpture and painting collection or browse through the
temporary exhibits. Don’t skip the artworks adorning the garden:
each one was created by two artists, one Greek and one Turkish,
as a symbol of friendship between the two peoples.
• Tel. (+30) 697.281.5547

Bee Museum
At the Bee Museum, just outside the village of Pastida
(15k from Rhodes Town), you can see the inner work-
ings of bee colonies thanks to transparent beehives.
Through a brief but interesting tour and interactive
activities – including exciting games for children
– you’ll also learn about Rhodes’ centuries-long
apiculture tradition, as well as the importance of bees
in general. The museum shares a roof with Melisso-
komiki Dodecanisou, a company that produces honey
and honey-based products, collaborating with 70
beekeepers from Rhodes and the surrounding islands.
Don’t forget to visit the outdoor apicultural park and
stop by the shop to buy honey!
• Open daily 8:30-17:00, Sun. 9:00-13:00 • Admission: €3
• Tel. (+30) 2241.048.200 • www.beemuseum.gr

Tsampikos (for boys) or Tsampika (for girls)

is one of the most common first names in
Rhodes. While it’s extremely rare in the rest
of Greece, children here are often baptized
in honor of the locals’ beloved Virgin Mary,
Panaghia Tsampika, a miracle worker in mat-
ters of fertility. The Monastery of Panaghia
Tsampika, with its 14th-c. chapel, is located
between the villages of Kolymbia and Arch-
© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, PERIKLES MERAKOS

angelos, 30k from Rhodes Town, on the exact

spot where once stood the ancient temple
of Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to
whom women sacrificed small animals in the
hope of an easy labor. To visit the monastery,
you’ll have to climb 300 steps; childless
women climb them barefoot as a declaration
of faith. It’s worth the effort, because the

PRAYING
view from up there is breathtaking. The icon
of the Panaghia Tsampika, which is consid-
ered miraculous, can be found in the newer

FOR FERTILITY monastery by the road, surrounded by votive

offerings, including wax figurines of infants.

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| STOPS |

THE FILERIMOS PILGRIMAGE

There are many reasons to make the 15k
drive from Rhodes Town to Filerimos but
in the end, what you’ll probably remember
most vividly are the incessant mating cries
of the male peacocks. In their company,
you’ll climb the hill where the ancient city
of Ialysos was situated and where today
stands the 14th-c. Monastery of Kyra
tou Filerimou (Lady of Filerimos). Around
this restored Gothic church, dedicated to
the Virgin Mary, you’ll see the ruins of an
ancient temple of Athena and of an early
Christian church. At the base of the hill,
take the Path of Golgothas: a stone-paved
footpath with 14 sculpted Stations of the
Cross, which will lead you to a massive
cross with an unobstructed view over part
of the island and, in the distance, the
Turkish coast.
• Ialysos • Τel. (+30) 2241.092.202 • Οpen daily

8:00-20:00 • Admission: €6.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 127
 | stops
THE UNSPOILT VILLAGE
Most people probably haven’t seen High Season (1987), a film
starring Jacqueline Bisset and Irene Papas and featuring the
picturesque square of the village of Lachania, with its 1703
Ottoman fountain and its well-kept alleys. Anyone that travels the
70k here from Rhodes Town, though, is sure to be mesmerized.
By the early 1980s, Lachania had become almost dormant as
most of its residents had emigrated to the US and Australia. It
was foreigners who began to rent these empty houses and who
gradually took up the task of restoring them. Nowadays, about
20 non-Greeks live in the village permanently and another 50
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|
© SHUTTERSTOCK, CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, PERIKLES MERAKOS
come and go throughout the entire year. “They rehabilitated
Lachania, and it was for them that my grandfather opened the
café in 1982,” says Michalis Christodoulou, a young man who
runs the Platanos Taverna with his father and his brother. There,
next to an enormous plane tree (as well as the 19th-century
Aghios Georgios Church and a fountain dating from 1801), you
can sit and try eggs with french fries, this simplest of dishes that,
thanks to top-quality ingredients, has become a specialty here.
• Tel. (+30) 2244.046.027
• www.lachaniaplatanostaverna.com
MASTER OF HERBS
Michalis Dramountanis is a child of nature. He grew up on
his father’s farm and has chosen a similar path for himself:
he owns three fields near Kremasti, amounting to a total
of 1.5 hectares, which you can visit. Using entirely natural
methods, he grows around 20 species of medicinal herbs,
such as sage, marigolds and purple ruffles basil, which he
uses as the main ingredients for the oils and wax-based
ointments he prepares. “I plant trees that help each plant
and I leave the surrounding vegetation intact, as it would
happen in nature – she knows best,” he says. You can find
his products in various shops, or you can call him.
• Tel. (+30) 694.924.1422
Midday escapade
Located 26k from Rhodes Town, Epta
Piges (Seven Springs) is the ideal place
to find yourself at midday during the
summer: the ravine, where water gushes
from seven different spots, is crowded
with plane trees creating cool shade.
Back in 1930, the Italians made sure to
exploit the spring waters, installing an
aqueduct to transport water to what was
then San Benedetto (now Kolymbia),
4k to the east. Today, this is the main
attraction of the area. The water is chan-
neled into a narrow, high, 150m-long
tunnel and is captured by a small dam,
forming a lake. Feel free to take off your
shoes and follow the same trajecto-
ry. The water is ankle-deep and the
temperature in the dark tunnel is always
cooler than outside. If you prefer to stay
dry, there’s also a footpath.

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 129
 © CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
1

2 3

| stops |

A MOUNTAIN HAVEN
This thick pine forest, at an altitude of 800m on Mt Profitis Ilias, will make you forget that you’re on
an island. The 9k route starts at Eleousa (36k from Rhodes Town) and passes the 15t-c., four-apse
1. The exterior of the restored
Chapel of Aghios Nikolaos Fountouklis, where it’s worth stopping to see what’s left of the Byzantine Elafos Hotel and Café.
murals that were painted over by the Italians. Further ahead, you’ll reach a plateau with an unob-
structed view of the coast. Here, you’ll find two buildings of particular interest: Elafos and Elafina 2. The hotel retains much
of its past splendor.
(meaning “buck” and “doe,” respectively). They were named after the fallow deer that live in this
forest. Built between 1929 and 1932 and styled after north Italian chalets, they were initially used to 3. The Chapel of Aghios Nikolaos
host officials who visited the island. Elafos has been restored and now operates as a hotel and café; Fountouklis dates from the 15th
it is popular with locals, especially in the winter. In the summer, you can sit and cool down in the century.
square before either continuing on the dilapidated Villa de Vecchi, which was the country home of an
Italian governor, or following the path to the village of Salakos. • Elafos Hotel • Tel. (+30) 2246.022.280 •
www.elafoshotel.gr

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All-year hospitality with a personal touch,
for business or leisure!

35-37, Kos Street, Rhodes Town, Dodecanese 85100 Greece

Tel.: (+30) 22410 97000 | www.mediterranean.gr

| STOPS
Italian GHOST TOWN
The island’s Italian rulers established four farming villages,
which they populated with settlers: San Benedetto (present-day
Kolymbia), San Marco (now Aghios Pavlos), Peveragno (Kalam-
onas) and Campochiaro (Eleousa). Their goal was to control
agricultural production and to impose their rule on the island’s
countryside. Eleousa, located at the foot of Mt Profitis Ilias
(36k from Rhodes Town), is an especially interesting sight.
Built in 1935, it was home to the northern Italian foresters who
replanted and looked after the forests. Among the deserted
buildings, you’ll see the Church of Aghios Charalambos, as well
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© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU
|
as an impressive building which used to be the village’s market
house, featuring galleries, arched windows and rooms with big
fireplaces. Next to it stands a building that first operated as a
cinema, then became the Fascist Party headquarters (Casa del
Fascio) and was finally converted into a sanatorium in 1947. The
third building you’ll see was once a school; today, it houses the
fire service. A few meters further ahead, you’ll also come across
a huge tank that gathers water from the Kokkinisti spring. This
is one of the few habitats of the gizani, a small freshwater fish
endemic to Rhodes.
FOURNI

| Be ache s |

BAYWATCH
From crowded sandy stretches
to the rare quiet corner, the coast of Rhodes
is dotted with great places to swim.

BY Olga Char ami

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 Kallithea

Ladiko
Afantou

Kritinia Kolymbia
Tsampika
Stegna
Agathi

Fourni

Kiotari Pefki
Gennadi
Lachania

Plimmiri
Aghios Georgios
Prasonisi

© PERIKLES MERAKOS

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 135

Anthony Quinn
North
At the northernmost end of the
island, Rhodes Town has a big beach
stretching across the entire tip of the
peninsula, with the Aquarium at its
center. The western part tends to get
more wind in the summer, while in the
winter, it’s the turn of the eastern part,
which reaches all the way to the build-
ing known as the Elli, from which this
beach takes its name. A favorite with
locals and visitors staying in the town,
the beach is packed with umbrellas
and sunbeds; interestingly the reclin-
ers all have their backs turned to the
sea, as is also the case on other beach-
es on the island that are exposed to
powerful winds. One of the landmarks
here is the “Trampoline,” a concrete
diving platform built by the Italians
in the 1930s and renovated in 2007, a
structure standing a few meters from
the shore that rises from the water like
a stairway to heaven. Zefyros is an-
other city beach, located near the new
marina on the town’s eastern flank. It’s
very popular with locals and has many
tavernas and cafés.
136 w w w.gREECE-is.com
West
Largely rugged and wild, the west-
ern coast is notorious for its strong
summer winds and powerful currents,
which may put bathers off but which
are a blessing for kite-surfers and
windsurfers, such as those you’ll find
on the beaches of Ixia and Ialysos.
Both of these spots have watersports
centers that rent out equipment; on
a typical summer day, the skies here
are full of sails, while beach bars offer
umbrellas, loungers and other creature
comforts.
There are no proper beaches on
the craggy southern end of the west-
ern coast, but there are plenty of small
coves around Glyfada and the village
of Kritinia, where you can dive off the
rocks into the crystal-clear waters –
keep an eye out for sea urchins. Further
south, just below the village of Mono-
lithos, you’ll find the quiet Aliki beach,
a local secret. Last but not least, the
pretty beach in Fourni is also quiet, at
least by Rhodes’ standards, with coarse
sand and pebbles, a few nice caves and
a refreshment stand.
© PERIKLES MERAKOS
East
Rhodes town
to Kolymbia
Rhodes’ eastern coast is its busi-
est and offers everything from sandy
stretches to craggy bays and from fam-
ily tavernas to beach bars. The beach
at the historic hydrotherapy center in
Kallithea is small, with rocks to dive
off, a diving school and a bar. South of
here, you’ll find a succession of small
rocky coves that have no beaches to
speak of but which are very popular
among young people keen to show off
their diving skills.
In addition to the famous Water
Park (www.water-park.gr), ranked by
TripAdvisor users among the best in
the world, Faliraki Bay boasts three
beaches: the pebbly one located in front
of the big hotels, the central beach that
is family-friendly (with fine sand and
shallow waters) and the third, Man-
domata, which is a nude beach.
Anthony Quinn is one of the is-
land’s most popular beaches, named
after the famous actor who fell in love
with it while filming The Guns of Na-
 | B EACHES |

TIPS
• If you’re traveling with children, Agathi and
Tsampika are ideal, as they have sand and
shallow waters.
•Ialysos on the western coast near Rhodes
Town and Prasonisi on the island’s southern
end are the best windsurfing and kite-surfing
beaches.
• Afantou and Stegna have some great
tavernas where you can enjoy a meal after
your swim.
•For people-watching and watersports fun,
Faliraki and Kolymbia are your best bet.
•For absolute peace and calm, head to
Mavros Kavos and Aghios Georgios on the
southeastern coast.
• To end your day with an aperitif in idyllic
surroundings, choose either Kallithea or St.
Paul in Lindos. These beaches are also great
for snorkeling as they have rocky seabeds.

TSAMPIKA

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 137

© CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, PERIKLES MERAKOS
FALIRAKI
ALIKI
varone and even tried to buy it. It’s
small and crowded, so it is unlikely
you’ll find a free lounger at noon, and
also not particularly kid-friendly, as
there are rocks in the surf. Ladiko, the
beach right beside it, is also small and
rocky.
On the huge beach of Afantou,
you’ll find undeveloped stretches and
you’ll also see the big smooth pebbles
that are used in making Rhodes’ fa-
mous mosaic floors. There are a few
cafés and refreshment stands here that
offer loungers and necessary supplies.
The first part of the beach is known as
Traounou; there is a cave here that is a
popular nighttime beach-party spot.
In nearby Kolymbia, there are two
beaches, both very popular and offer-
ing watersports and tavernas.
138 w w w.gREECE-is.com
IALYSOS
East
Tsampika to Prasonisi
Tsampika has gorgeous fine
sand, a rarity on Rhodes, and is also
equipped with umbrellas, sun loungers
and refreshment stands. Hotels are not
allowed to be built here, and because
its waters are quite shallow, it’s perfect
for families with children. At Stegna,
you’ll find some very good tavernas and
a family atmosphere. In Agathi, the
waters are warm, the sand is relatively
fine and there are a couple of refresh-
ment stands, as well as a view of Ferak-
los Castle.
Lindos has three beaches and all
are developed and have facilities. These
are Megalos Yialos, Mikros Yialos,
and St. Paul’s (the last lies beneath
the Lindos acropolis and boasts a love-
| B EACHES |
ly beachfront bar-restaurant). Slightly
further south is Pef ki, a sandy beach
that draws a more sophisticated crowd.
Kiotari and neighboring Genna-
di are both huge beaches with small
pebbles and coarse sand, lots of tav-
ernas and cafés, watersports facilities
and plenty of other activities. Next
comes Lachania, known for its laid-
back beach bar that plays rock music
and serves yummy cocktails. It’s a long
beach with a smattering of holiday
homes, but there’s also a large stretch
without loungers, umbrellas or cafés, if
you’re looking for a spot of solitude.
Plimmiri, a good way further
south, is also relatively quiet and has
a good taverna, and from here to Pra-
sonisi there are two “secret” beach-
es few people know about – Aghios
Georgios and Mavros Kavos. Don’t
bother trying to reach them without an
off-road vehicle, though, as there’s a
grueling 5k dirt road leading down to
them. If you can get there, it is worth
making the trip because they are ex-
tremely quiet and have fine sand and
shallow waters, as well as shade from a
row of cedars. Make sure to take plenty
of water, though.
South
Located at Rhodes’ southern-
most end, 100k from Rhodes Town,
Prasonisi is one of the most famous
windsurfing and kite-surfing beaches
in Greece, if not the world. An islet
during the high tides of winter, during
the summer Prasonisi is connected to
the mainland by a sandbar that creates
two distinct bays with different weath-
er conditions. One gets a lot of wind
and waves while the other is usually
calm with little or no chop. There are
several surfing schools on the beach;
if that’s not your thing, you can walk
across to the islet instead and explore
its late 19th-century lighthouse.
 taste
GREECE IS

RHO D ES

KEEPING IT REAL
Once an agricultural island acclaimed for its food products, Rhodes still boasts a rich culinary heritage that’s being kept alive
by local producers and passionate cooks.
A composition with fish by Rhodes-based painter Manos Anastasiadis. Tempera paint on cardboard.

139
| FOOD |

BACK TO THE ROOTS

Local products and time-honored recipes are helping to keep
the traditional cooking of Rhodes alive.

BY N E N A D I M I T R I O U p h oto s VA N G E L I S Z AVO S

140 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 Pulses, vegetables, honey,
bread, wine and cheese
are among the high-quality
products that Rhodes
continues to produce.

G R E E C E IS • R HO D E S 2 0 1 7 141

| FOOD |
The recipe was for rabbit with
meatballs. After lighting the
wood oven, she started chop-
ping up a piece of rabbit with two knives,
mincing it finely. She set this meat aside
and prepared the rest of the animal for
baking. Once the rabbit in the oven was
almost done, she took a spoonful of juice
from the baking tray and added it to the
chopped meat mixture before kneading
it into meatballs.”
This tip for adding pure flavor is
from the eyewitness testimony of Gi-
orgos Troumouchis, executive chef at
the Elysium Hotel in Kallithea and one
of the co-creators of Makria Myrodia
(Enduring Aroma), a book on Rhodes’
culinary heritage. It is not, however, an
idea he had but rather something he saw
done in the kitchen of a village house.
During the five years it took to complete
the book, a small group of passionate
cooks, photographers and friends col-
lected and recorded more than 250 rec-
ipes unique to this island. They visited
all of Rhodes’ 42 villages – some of them
several times – identifying, by word of
mouth, the best cooks in each location
and then asking them to prepare the is-
land’s traditional dishes.  Lenten bread was made with a blended
The volume (available only in Greek)
that came out of this project is a detailed
record of the island’s food culture, deliv-
ered by what is perhaps the last genera-
tion to have learned their cooking skills
entirely from their elders.
Myriad influences
Varied landscapes and, of course,
the Italian occupation, have shaped
1. Matsi is the traditional type of pasta
produced on the island.
2. The Women’s Cooperative of Apollonas makes
some of the best melekounia sweets on Rhodes.
3. Kapamas, a traditional dish of kid goat stuffed
with rice and ground meat.
4. Ramona Pinni is the owner of “Gis Kattavias”
(Earth of Kattavia), a small-scale company that
makes traditional pasta from locally-grown wheat.
5. Loppia are a local variety of beans. They are
particularly pale, small and tasty, in part because
they survive on rainwater alone.
142 w w w.gREECE-is.com
1
the different cuisines across the island.
The south, for example, was a vast field
of grain, while the island’s interior was
a paradise for wild leafy legumes and
dairy producers. Lindos has always been
associated with seafood, and Kattavia is
renowned for its pulses, particularly its
white loppia beans. In the past, almost
every family had its own vegetable gar-
den, animal pen, wheat field, beehives
and grape vines, and all of these can still
be found on the island, though to a much
lesser extent since the economic focus
turned to tourism.
Rhodes’ traditional cuisine has an
incredible variety of pastas, thanks to
an abundance of cereals and grains.
Families always had enough not just to
feed themselves, but also their horses
and donkeys. Hay and a large ladleful
of barley ensured that the animals were
strong enough to turn the millstone all
day long. Once the threshing and win-
nowing was done, the grain was taken
to the nearest watermill for grinding
so that each family had its own supply
of flour. It was customary to bake bread
even during the Easter fast, flavoring
it with myrtle berries and mastic. This
flour of wheat and rye or barley to which
was added black sesame seeds, crushed
up together with other spices. This same
mixture was also used to make loaves
that were baked, sliced and then baked
again to create delicious rusks, often
served crumbled as a porridge with milk
for a hearty breakfast or dinner.
Depending on the shape and the
method that would be used for cooking
6. Yiaprakia, the local dolmades made of vine
leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, are the most
popular meze.
7. For more flavor, Rhodians would add a garlic
paste to fried fish.
8. Executive chef George Troumouchis (left)
and chef Stamatis Misomikes (right) at Noble, a
restaurant that serves creative modern cuisine
based on traditional recipes of Rhodes.
9. Despina Hastali from the village of Apollonas
talked to us about what the islanders used to eat.
 7
8
4
5
2

9
6
3

© Photos: 1,6,7: ANDRIANA PAPATSI, KONSTANTINOS ZAVALIS, KOSTAS ADROULAKIS/BOOK: MAKRIA MIRODIA - GIORGOS TROUMOUCHIS - KOSTAS KAPSANAKIS

them, the different types of pasta had
different names – makarounia, matsi
and koulouria are just a few. Pasta could
be boiled in meat broth or in plain water,
it could be served with meat, or a simple
butter sauce with grated cheese, or with
crisp-fried onions, a topping known as
“syvrasi.” A dish called “loukoumi me
pilafi,” handmade pasta served with
pork, cumin and myzithra cheese, is a
regal dish that you’re unlikely to find in
any taverna – on or off the island. All
the pasta was, of course, made by hand,
even the “kritharaki,” or orzo. There are
a few cottage industries producing these
local pastas today; they are sold at tradi-
tional food shops in town.
The island’s main cheese used to be
myzithra, made from fresh goat’s and
sheep’s milk and rennet from a goat’s
stomach. This blend was boiled over a
fire of mastic wood, which has a wonder-
ful aroma and helped temper the strong
odor of the milk. The cheese was then
placed in small hand-woven baskets,
which were in turn buried under piles of
wheat in granaries so the cheese would
keep its moisture. “Synoro” (border)
was an amazing cheese from Lardos; it
took its name from the fact that it was
neither soft nor hard. Unfortunately, no
one makes it anymore.
The Rhodians of yesteryear did not
eat meat very often, but when they did
it was an indulgent feast, with lots of
sauces or with stuffings to accompa-
ny meats that were baked for hours to
Made with sesame
seeds, honey,
sweet spices and
almonds and
packed with healthy
calories, traditional
“melekounia” sweets
are as good as any
energy bar.
144 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| FOOD |
achieve tender perfection. Goat, for ex-
ample, would be cooked with potatoes,
chickpeas or loppia beans; it was usu-
ally stuffed at Easter, but other times
of the year it might be made into a stew
with onions or simply roasted. Many of
the island’s tavernas still serve dishes
like “kapamas” (goat stuffed with rice,
ground meat and cumin) or stewed kid
goat with shallots.
There’s no shortage of seafood on
the island; after all, nothing beats a big
fresh fish on the grill. In the tavernas
of Stegna, you should ask whether they
have “rosettia,” a small light orange fish
with a single big bone and very sweet
flesh, usually served with “skordalia,” a
strong garlic paste. Another dish wide-
ly prepared on Rhodes and similar to
those found on other islands in the Do- an important treat
In the melodic Rhodian dialect, fruit
decanese is the classic “dolmadakia,”
stones and seeds are known as
vine leaves stuffed with rice, known “kounes,” which explains why the
here as yiaprakia. The dish you will find name “melekouni” has been given
in every single taverna and kafeneio, to a special wedding sweet made
however, is “pitaroudia.” Every part of with sesame and honey. According
the island has its own version of this to local tradition, the abundance of
crispy fritter, which may or may not sesame seeds symbolizes fertility,
while the honey represents the union
contain meat and is made with either
between the couple. In the past, the
flour or powdered chickpeas. Basically, ladies of a village would gather at
this is a flavor-packed hush puppy made the bride’s house a week before the
with batter, cheese, eggs, onion, tomato nuptials to prepare the sweet. They
and anything else the garden may yield. would toast the sesame seeds, warm
These fritters were the perfect snack the honey and add all sorts of sweet
while toiling in the fields; they were fill- spices and whole almonds. This
gooey mess was then flattened out
ing and didn’t require a plate. “Pispili”
by hand or rolling pin to a thickness
is equally handy, though much simpler; of about one centimeter and cut into
it’s a chunk of bread stuffed with fresh bite-sized diamonds. This treat is still
herbs and vegetables. made this way, in a process that can
It was necessity that gave rise to take as long as five hours, by some
these recipes, and it was ingenuity, housewives and small cooperatives
sparked by frugality, that helped evolve - it’s served at most major cele-
the island’s delicious cuisine. Some
brations and remains very popular.
We tried some that came from the
Rhodian dishes may have disappeared workshops of the Apolloniatises
off the menus over the years, but even
though local production cannot always
Women’s Cooperative in Apollonas.
When it’s made correctly, melekouni
cover the needs of the island’s big restau- is very fragrant, soft and chewy.
rants, you can still find plenty of local Get a few as a snack – packed with
healthy calories, they’re as good as
products in the food you’re eating: de-
licious pulses (like chickpeas and split-
any energy bar.
peas), goat’s cheese, sourdough bread, Apolloniatises Women’s Cooperative:
handmade pasta, extra virgin olive oil, Apollonas • Tel. (+30) 2246.091.284
wine from Embonas, and honey scented
with the sage and thyme that blankets
store: 68 Apostolou Pavlou,
Analipsi, Rhodes Town
the island’s hills – all the ingredients • Tel. (+30) 2241.064.322
that will flavor your vacation.
 | GRAPE |

DAYS OF WINE
AND RHODES
A storied past and a healthy present are good indicators
for what lies ahead for the wines of this island.

B Y Y i a n n i s K a r a k a s i s , M a s t er o f W i n e

S
trategically positioned between East and West,
Rhodes was one of the first Greek islands to engage in
the cultivation of grapes. A plethora of archaeological
finds and historical proof attests to the importance of Rhodi-
an amphorae in transporting wine from the island and tells
us that these were distinguished from others by an engraving
of a rose (“rodo” in Greek) or of Helios, the sun god. This was
a form of branding, confirming that the wine was made from
Rhodian grapes, and a precursor of the Appellation of Origin
system that was established many centuries later in Europe.
Helped by its strong maritime presence, Rhodes was the
biggest wine exporter in the region as far back as the 7th c.
BC. The first written reference we have for Rhodian wine
comes from the great Attic orator Aeschines, a rival
of Demosthenes, who was exiled to Rhodes in 330
BC. In a letter, he says that he stayed in a small
house with a garden in the area of Kamiros and
that his friends treated him to olive oil, honey and
a wonderful wine that was far superior to that
of Athens.
Rhodian wine went from strength
to strength, thriving even after the
Knights of St John occupied the island
in the early 14th century. The 1522 con-
quest by the Ottoman army of Suleiman
the Magnificent signaled the start of a
very difficult period in grape cultivation
that only really ended when the Italians took control of the
island in 1912.
Mt Attavyros, 1215m high, is at the center of Rhodes’
grape-growing heartland, a beautiful, Natura 2000-protect-
ed area, with verdant valleys, pine forests and a cypress forest
in Embonas that is a designated natural monument. The best
vines grow at an altitude of 650-700 meters. The vineyards
are low-yield and are exposed to the Aegean’s strong norther-
ly winds that moderate the high temperatures and provide a
favorable climate for high-quality grapes.
The island’s main varieties are Athiri and Amorgiano,
together with two Muscats, the petits grains
(“small-berried”) and the Di Trani, a clone of
Muscat introduced by the Italians from Puglia.
In the limestone-rich soil of Attavyros, there
are Athiri vines over 70 years old, growing
from their own roots rather than from Amer-
ican – resistant to phylloxera – rootstocks,
as the spread of this pest in the Dodecanese
stopped at Kos and never reached Rhodes.
The wines made from the old Athi-
ri vines are like a completely different
variety; they stand the passage of time
well, acquiring a more concentrated and
layered character. Five years in the bottle
often transforms them into smoky wines
with an impressive mineral presence.

7th c. BC oenochoe (wine jug) from Rhodes, decorated with figures of goats, fallow
deer and ibex. Paris, Musée de Louvre.

146 w w w.gREECE-is.com
© GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 147
 | GRAPE |

The modern bottling facilities at CAIR. Panayiotis Alexandris at work in his vineyards.

© VANGELIS ZAVOS, CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU

As far as reds go, the dominant variety is Amorgiano,
which is in fact a Mandilaria that bears this name here be-
cause locals believe it came from the island of Amorgos. Tra-
ditionally, it gives rustic wines with aggressive tannins, an
intense color and high acidity that are tough to enjoy when
they are still young. The abundance of this variety means that
it is often blended with other grapes to smooth the edges of its
rugged nature.
Rhodes has two Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
wines. PDO Rhodes refers to white wines (with a minimum
of 70 percent Athiri blended with Malagousia and Assyrtiko),
rosés and reds (70 percent Mandilaria minimum with Mav-
rothiriko), while it has also included sparkling wines since
2011. PDO Muscat of Rhodes is made from white Muscat
Blanc and Muscat di Trani. Despite the abundance of native
varieties, winemakers also cultivate international grapes,
foremost among them the Grenache Rouge, whose high yields
has resulted in problems with quality.
Rhodes’ wine industry is intrinsically linked to the ac-
ronym CAIR (Compagnia Agricola Industriale Rodi), a win-
ery established in 1928 by a group of Italian investors. This
winery was responsible not only for keeping grape cultivation
alive, but also for making Rhodes one of the few wine-produc-
ing areas in Greece whose vineyards expanded after World
War II. The company came under the ownership of the Bo-
dossakis Group after the Dodecanese islands became part of
the Greek state in 1947. In 1957, it was sold to the Dodecanese
Association of Agricultural Cooperatives.
CAIR became wildly popular as a sparkling wine producer,
with its Velvet and Rosé Reserve labels constituting impres-
sive examples of complex sparkling wines. Before Greece’s
burgeoning middle class discovered imported champagnes,

WINES TO TRY
CAIR Velvet 2005
A complex sparkling wine
made using the traditional
champenoise method, it is an
interesting blend of Char-
donnay and Athiri, delivering
citrus and floral aromas in
combination with brioche
notes. Creamy, full-bodied
and complex, it is an excellent
food wine.
CAIR Rodos 2400
This is 100 percent Athiri,
with an intense aroma of pear
and banana. Rich in flavor de-
spite its low alcohol content,
highly refreshing and with a
lingering aftertaste, it is proof
of Athiri’s potential.
Alexandris
White 2015
An Athiri produced from old
own-rooted vines, it brings a
burst of flowers to the nose.
Tight and structured, it will
evolve over the next three
years to reveal a greater
complexity of aromas and
textures.
Alexandris World
Citizen 2013
This is a fascinating blend of
Mandilaria with the cosmo-
politan Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cabernet Franc that ma-
tures in new oak barrels. The
Mandilaria is derived from
a small-berried clone that
blends beautifully with the
Bordeaux varieties to produce
a condensed and powerful
wine with great ageing po-
tential. It is best paired with
flavorful meat-based dishes.

148 w w w.gREECE-is.com
Yiannis Kounakis at the traditional maturation cellar of Kounakis Winery.

every bottle of CAIR was a “cause for celebration” according

to an old ad, and annual sales reached 1.5 million bottles. For
several years now, the company has been focusing on quality
still wines as well, such as the Rodos 2400, launched in 1992
to celebrate 2,400 years since the founding of Rhodes Town.
Rhodes’ other big producer is Emery, founded in 1923 and
named after Emery d’ Amboise, the 41st Grand Master of the
Knights of St John, who served in that position from 1503 to
1512. The company is now run by the third generation of the
Triantafylloy family. It’s been producing wine since the mid-
1960s and built its current winery – one of the biggest in
Greece – in 1974 in the village of Embonas, at an altitude of 700
meters. The vineyards, cultivated on the northwesterly slopes
of Mt Attavyros, are renowned for the quality of their Athiri
and Amorgiano grapes.
There are, in addition, a few small artisanal wineries in
Rhodes, such as the Alexandris Family Winery, which has
been around since 1968 and is producing some very interest-
ing wines under the direction of third-generation winemaker
Panayiotis Alexandris, a graduate of Montpellier’s famed uni-
versity. The winery has around four hectares of vines produc-
ing just 20,000 bottles a year, with each label representing
about 2,000 bottles. Aged examples of own-rooted Athiri from
an altitude of 700 meters that matures for 11 months on the
lees are more powerful than what we expect from this vari-
ety, with an intense smokiness and a long aftertaste. There are
other interesting small wineries as well, including Kounakis
and Tatakis.
The island’s lengthy history in winemaking is well known
and its potential for producing high-quality wines is great.
Rhodes has yet not achieved the same success as other Greek
islands like Santorini, Paros or Cephalonia; nonetheless, it is
an outstanding wine tourism destination offering a plethora
of exciting wines, made from both indigenous and interna-
tional varieties.
 | R E S TA U R A N T S |

TRIED AND TRUE

Rhodes has no shortage of dining options. Our shortlist
was compiled on the merits of quality, originality and the local
element, whether in terms of recipes or ingredients.

BY N E N A D I M I T R I O U p h oto s VA N G E L I S Z AVO S

Broccolino

150 w w w.gREECE-is.com

Blue Fin
MARCO POLO
mansion
AVANTIS
Avantis made its debut in
1983 as a classic beach-side
taverna. With a loyal clien-
tele, it has evolved into
a modern restaurant special-
izing in charcoal-grilled fish
– the grill master is not just
an artist in his craft, but also
a very colorful character –
and other seafood. Its lobster
and other seafood pastas are
exceptional.
€€ • Afantou Beach
• Τel. (+30) 2241.051.280
ARTEMIDA
This is a solid example of the
classic Greek taverna, where
the entire family is involved
in day-to-day operations. A
clean and tidy establishment,
both up front and in the
kitchen, it serves house-
hold staples like casseroles
that have been cooked in a
wood-fired oven for 10-13
hours, stuffed vine leaves, the
traditional local pitaroudia
(chickpea fritters) and roast
suckling pig. The mother is
always responsible for the
dessert – pancakes served
with a sweet orange preserve.
€ • Psinthos
• Τel. (+30) 2241.050.003
Blue Fin
Located beside the sea, the
fine-dining restaurant of the
Aquagrand Hotel is a great
place for dinner with a view.
It serves modern interna-
tional cuisine with Greek
notes, from the mains to
the desserts. Start with the
fish broth with handmade
seafood ravioli, followed by
€ less than €20; €€ less than €50; €€€ over €50
a new version of the classic
Greek “kleftiko” lamb, where
the meat is tenderized in a
sous vide for hours instead
of the traditional method of
burying it in embers. For des-
sert, try the traditional rav-
ani syrupy cake with a Greek
coffee mousse and Turkish
delight. You’ll find plenty
of Greek and international
wines on the list, though
we recommend something
local so you can explore the
island’s distinctive terrior.
€€€ • Aquagrand Resort,
Lardos-Lindos Regional Road
• Τel. (+30) 2244.049.100
BROCCOLINO
The first things you’ll notice
when you enter this tradi-
tional house, where Cristina
and Elia – a cool couple from
G R E E C E IS
PRICE INDEX
(P er
person, excl. wine)
PARAGA
Italy – have been cooking up
a storm for the past 14 years,
are its shady courtyard, its
colorful, exotic mural and
the mosaic-inlaid tables. All
the food – hailing mostly
from the Emilia-Romagna
region – is full of flavor and
includes fresh pasta, salads
with local ingredients and
more sophisticated recipes
like the shrimp tartare with
white-fleshed peaches. On
the list of must-tries is the
truffle-and-provolone gnoc-
chi served with fresh tomato,
creamy mozzarella and basil.
Desserts include a very mem-
orable tiramisu. Broccolino
serves only Italian wines.
€€ • Lindos • Τel. (+30)
2244.031.688
• R HO D E S 2 0 1 7 151

TO FRESKO
If you’re in the Afantou area
and yearning for fresh fish,
this is an excellent option.
The owner’s husband is a
fisherman who provides the
fresh catch that is served in
this simple family taverna.
Fresh salad, boiled wild
greens and grilled octopus
complete the no-frills menu.
Give the house wine a miss
and order bottled ouzo, beer
or a soft drink instead.
€€ • Afantou Beach
• Τel. (+30) 2241.053.077
KOZAS
Not an inch of wall has
been left uncovered in this
restaurant, which is abun-
dantly adorned with shells,
clay cooking pots, garlands
and shelves stuffed with all
sorts of pantry staples. The
owner, Dimitris Kozas, is one
152 w w w.gREECE-is.com
| R E S TA U R A N T S
MAVRIKOS
of those hyper-creative types,
forever rushing in and out of
the kitchen, seating guests,
serving the complimentary
appetizer of sourdough bread
with local olive oil and sea
salt, and recommending
wines. Despite the crush that
tends to prevail here, the
staff’s good mood is conta-
gious. The fish stew made
with the daily catch and
seafood is inspired, as are the
linguini with sea urchin, the
lentil risotto with crispy fried
onions, the baby octopus and
the fresh shellfish. This is not
the place for a quiet meal, but
it is one of the island’s best
fish restaurants.
€€ • Stegna • Τel. (+30)
2244.022.632
|
SυMI
LOUIS
Louis’ kafeneio is the first
café you’ll see in the main
square of Kattavia village,
with tables arranged in the
shade of a huge tree. It’s
the perfect place for lunch.
The cuisine here is no-frills:
Greek salad, omelet, sausag-
es, a couple of dishes of the
day and roasts, and a few
grilled meats. At night, it’s
packed with surfers return-
ing from Prasonisi.
€ • Kattavia • Τel. (+30)
6956.138.169
MARCO POLO
MANSION
In 2001, Efi and Spyros, a
well-traveled local cou-
ple with impeccable taste,
opened a small bed-and-
breakfast in a Venetian build-
ing in the Old Town and ini-
tially cooked only for guests.
They took the restaurant up a
notch, however, in 2008 and
now it’s hard to find a table in
the gorgeous courtyard that
serves as the dining area.
The kitchen and wait staff are
perfectly synchronized so the
service is swift. The menu is
inspired by the food of Tusca-
ny, Andalusia and southern
France, with lots of dishes of
the day. Try the seafood salad
of octopus, shrimp and par-
mesan, the baked bream with
a bouillabaisse sauce and
vegetables, or the beautifully
prepared tagliata. Don’t go
without a dessert of straw-
berry or peach tiramisu,
saffron panna cotta or lemon
semifreddo. The liqueurs are
all homemade.
€€ • 40-42 Aghiou Fanouriou,
Old Town • Tel. (+30)
2241.025.562

| R E S TA U R A N T S
AVANTIS
PERIGIALI
MAVRIKOS
Listed in every guide about
the island, lauded by the New
York Times and renowned for
all the celebrities that have
dined here, Mavrikos is as
famous as the acropolis of
Lindos. The family has been
in the restaurant business
since 1912, when the grandfa-
ther ran a bistro in Marseille.
Today the cuisine, which
pays homage to the local food
heritage while also including
modern elements, is focused
on fish. Try the bulgur with
minced octopus and nutmeg
or the calamari sautéed with
beetroots and saffron. Opt for
one of the reasonably priced
wines from local producers.
€€ • Lindos • Τel. (+30)
2244.031.232
|
Melenos Lindos
Exclusive Suites
One of the top accommo-
dation options in Lindos
boasts an equally high-
quality restaurant, located
on a rooftop overlooking
meandering cobbled streets
and gardens blooming with
bougainvillea and fragrant
herbs. With a view of the
acropolis, the design motif
here is ethnic Moroc-
can – with bright colors,
candlelight and streams
of cloth – while the food is
both homey and creative.
Try, for example, the lamb
cutlets with an artichoke
puree and a lemon sauce.
We recommend booking a
table in the first sitting so
as to enjoy the sunset and
the view of the acropolis.
€€€ • Lindos • Tel. (+30)
2244.032.222
advertorial
We look forward
to meeting you!
Since we first opened in 1994, Terpsis Restaurant
in Pefkos (also known as Pefki) on Rhodes has
acquired an excellent reputation for fine Greek cuisine.
We pay attention to those finer points which make all the
difference: sourcing the best possible fresh ingredients;
making your surroundings as attractive and comfortable
as possible; and choosing tableware specifically for each
individual dish. Dining under the stars in our beautiful
garden, you’ll enjoy the best of our country’s produce,
all served to the soft tones of Greek music.
With so much to offer, Terpsis Restaurant is just a cut above
the rest. As well as serving delicious food, it is important
to us as Greek hosts that our guests receive a warm
welcome and friendly personal service. As the proud owner
of this establishment, I am always at my restaurant in the
evenings, and several other members of my family are also
here to make you feel at home.
Many of our customers become friends, not just regular
patrons, returning to spend evenings with us and to enjoy
our hospitality night after night, year after year. 
We are open from May through October and our kitchen
produces delicious dishes from 17:00 to 23:00 every day.
− Vangelis Ioannides, Owner
Terpsis Restaurant
• Pefkos - Lindos 85107, Rhodes • www.terpsis.com
• Tel: (+30) 2244.048.140 • Email: info@terpsis.com

NOBLE
Even though its stands 11
stories above sea level, it
is the food rather than the
view that sets Noble apart,
as it serves creative and
modern versions of local
rustic recipes. Executive chef
George Troumouchis studied
old cookbooks to create a
menu of previously “lost”
dishes, which are executed
by the talented chef Stamatis
Misomikes. The two experts
recommend the pitaroudia
(chickpea fritters), the sun-
dried octopus, the squid with
rice and traditional dishes
that have been deconstructed
or subjected to molecular
techniques, cooked sous vide,
using smoke or liquid nitro-
gen. They also recommend
the well-priced “passport
menu,” with dishes inspired
by different Aegean islands,
such as the spaghetti with
sea urchin from Kalymnos,
scallops with cured louza
pork from Mykonos, and the
Symi shrimp. The wine list
154 w w w.gREECE-is.com
NOBLE
is arranged by geographical
provenance, with selections
from Greece and other parts
of the world. Live piano mu-
sic accompanies every meal.
€€€ • Elysium Resort and Spa,
Kallithea
• Τel. (+30) 2241.045.700
PARAGA
This is one of the few places
on the island where you
can try the local cuisine in
its purest form. The owner,
Yiannis Efthymiou, is a stick-
ler for tradition: the restau-
rant has four wood-fired
ovens, all the food is served
in earthenware dishes and
the beverages are from local
wineries or the local VAP
soft-drinks company. The
cheeses are from Rhodes and
the bread is made tradition-
ally and served with shoots
of fresh myrtle and mastic.
Specialties include the nanny
goat stew, a heavy yet deli-
cious dish, and the kapamas,
baked goat or lamb stuffed
with rice. Dessert consists of
Terpsis
yoghurt with fruit preserve:
watermelon, damson or
apricot.
€ • Apollonas
• Τel. (+30) 2246.091.247
PERIGIALI
This taverna is located right
at the end of Stegna Beach,
at a spot used by fishermen
to anchor their caiques. The
owners are low-key folk who
opened this place to cook
for their friends rather than
to make a fortune. Under
the shade of the fruit trees,
they serve homemade bread,
beans with wild greens and
fried onions, squid cooked
in its own ink and a special-
ty called rouzetia (pearly
razorfish), small fish that
hide in the sand. These are
fried and served either plain
or with a garlic sauce. It is
a meze you will only find in
Rhodes.
€ • Stegna
• Τel. (+30) 2244.023.444
PIZANIAS,
THE SEA STAR
Considered by locals to be
the best fish taverna in the
Old Town, Pizanias is named
after the grandfather who
opened it in 1970. Now it is
in the hands of his grandson,
Yiannis. Make sure to try the
small fried fish or the grilled
octopus – both delicious. You
can also preorder the excel-
lent fish stew when you make
your reservation. The wine
list has 50 options, mostly
Greek whites with a few
international labels. Dessert
is yoghurt with sweet fruit
preserve.
€€ • 24 Sofokleous,
• Tel. (+30) 2241.022.117
SYMI
This is a minuscule tradition-
al kafeneio in the New Mar-
ket of Rhodes, with tables
on the sidewalk. The smiling
owner, Irini, is the grand-
daughter of the original pro-
prietor and serves omelets,
eggs and yoghurt with honey
 Kozas
for breakfast; the lunch menu
includes by ouzo and meze
such as small fried fish, fried
potatoes, fava split-pea dip
and octopus marinated in
vinegar.
€ • New Market, Rhodes • Τel.
(+30) 2241.022.881
TERPSIS
Located for the past 23 years
on the main road of Pefki
overlooking the sea, Terpsis
is known for its excellent
service. It has a lovely green
courtyard with a fountain
and serves modern Mediter-
ranean cuisine influenced by
international trends. Try the
batter-fried cod with a pars-
ley sauce, the red porgy (or
other white-fleshed fish) in a
sauce of tropical fruits. There
are 23 selections on the wine
list, but the bottled house
wine is recommended. €€ •
Pefki • Τel. (+30) 2244.048.140
Stani Ice cream
This is arguably the best
ice cream you’ll have on
the island. It’s a thick,
smooth cream, made
using the same recipe for
decades. The man behind
Stani, Ibrahim Sarri Hasan,
was a dairy farmer who
started trading in milk
some time after World War
II. We don’t know when
he invented his ice cream
recipe, but the first store
opened in 1974. There are
four today, which Ibrahim’s
grandchildren manage
(there are also three fran-
chise stores on Rhodes
and one on Symi). The
ice cream comes in more
than 30 flavors, with cream
being the most popular.
• 28 Aghias Anastasias
• Afantou Beach, Rhodes
• Tel. (+30) 2241.030.991 • Tel. (+30) 2241.051.280
• www.avantisfishrestaurant.gr
 | SPONSORED |

ELECTRA
PALACE RHODES
Reach out and touch the sea at
the beachfront Electra Palace
Rhodes. Only a ten-minute drive
from the cosmopolitan city center
and the UNESCO-listed Old
Town, Electra Palace Rhodes is
the perfect backdrop for a stylish
retreat, inviting guests to explore
authentic Greek hospitality
served with gentle sophistica-
tion and originality. Located
literally on the water’s edge, it
boasts magnificent sea views and
colorful sunsets and offers an
abundance of amenities: elegantly
appointed rooms and family
suites, restaurants showcasing
different cuisines, a collection of
signature bars, a private beach
with an chic wooden sundeck, a
holistic spa, a professionally run
crèche and a children’s club.
Trianta Beach,
Tel. (+30) 2241.092.521,
www.electrahotels.gr

AMADA COLOSSOS

As a guest at Amada Colossos, you’ll never run out of

dining options with the wide variety of restaurants on
offer. Start your day with a hearty buffet breakfast at one
of the two main restaurants, but save room for a deli-
cious lunch of Asian, Italian or Greek food to be enjoyed
at one of three chic venues. In the evening, you can opt
for a seafood experience at the resort’s romantic seaside
restaurant, serving freshly caught fish from the Aegean
Sea. www.amadacolossosresort.com/en/

BOUTIQUE 5 HOTEL & SPA

With Kiotari Beach as a backdrop, dinner at the Impres-
sions Restaurant sure is a show-stopper. Add some live
music, attentive service, a fine wine list and high-cali-
ber gastronomy, and you’ve got a unique dining experi-
ence. The skilled chef gives a modern twist to Greek and
Mediterranean dishes that will bring you back again and
again. If you’d rather have an intimate romantic dinner,
Impressions’ haute cuisine can also be enjoyed in the pri-
vacy of your own room.
www.boutique5.gr

156 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | SPONSORED |

PRINCESS ANDRIANA
The Moonlight à la carte restaurant and VIP lounge is a
superb combination of design, service and gastronomy in an
atmosphere oozing elegance. Using the finest ingredients, the
chef prepares Mediterranean dishes with a personal twist
and original touches, from the small and imaginative starters
to the delightful desserts. To complement your dining expe-
rience, there is a carefully selected wine list with both local
and international options for you to choose from.
www.princessandriana.com

ELAKATI 

In this luxury boutique hotel, every detail counts. Its restaurant
Elakati Kitchen Bar is tastefully designed with an emphasis
on hospitality. Dishes vary according to availability of produce
and, even though they are inspired by traditional recipes, follow
modern gastronomic trends. Choose one of the two degustation
menus or the à la carte menu and enjoy your meal with one of
the signature cocktails on offer. www.elakati.com

HOTEL MEDITERRANEAN


Only a few meters from the shore, Thalassa Restaurant RODOS PARK SUITES AND SPA

stands out for its bold Mediterranean flavors served in a
At the Galaxy Roof Lounge Bar, glamour, cool lounge music and
pleasingly decorated setting. For lunch, you can choose
magical views combine to provide you with an ideal fine- din-
from the à la carte menu and for dinner you can indulge
ing experience. If you’re a fan of Mediterranean dishes, head
in the rich buffet or opt for the table d’hôte. Classic Greek
to the restaurant Il Parco, next to the garden and the pool or,
dishes and Mediterranean delicacies, accompanied by
alternatively, to La Brasserie which serves a delectable fusion of
wines from Greek vineyards, are combined in this con-
Mediterranean and international cuisine. At the end of the day,
temporary menu.
www.mediterranean.gr
relax with a classic cocktail or a fine spirit at the stylish
L’ Agence Lobby Bar. www.rodospark.gr

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 157
 | SPONSORED |

Lindos blue

Dining at the elegant restaurant Five Senses means pan-

oramic sea views and a canopy of twinkling stars. The
executive chef’s fresh take on modern cuisine gives new
meaning to the word “ambrosia,” through fixed and à la
carte menus inspired by Greece and hidden gastronom-
ic treasures from around the world. Try the fakorizo (a
dish made with lentils and rice), kakavia (a fish soup),
yiaprakia (stuffed vine leaves) and other modern rendi-
tions of local dishes, as well as several popular dishes
from around the world. For your “nectar,” take your pick
from an extensive wine list that includes sparkling, dry
and dessert wines. www.lindosblu.gr

RODOS PALACE

At an elegant setting under the starry sky, 12 Nissia

(12 islands) is ideal for a fine dining experience. The
executive chef and his team get their inspiration from
local recipes from 12 different islands and execute them
with a modern touch, using premium ingredients from
selected suppliers. The restaurant’s attentive staff are
eager to spoil you and will gladly suggest the best among
flavorful dishes and a wine list
comprised of excellent selections.
www.rodos-palace.gr

SHERATON
HOTEL
At Sheraton’s signature restau-
rant L’Onda the executive chef
showcases Italian cuisine with a
contemporary twist, using only the
freshest ingredients predominantly
sourced from artisan producers.
Try authentic Italian dishes such
as ravioli, vitello tonnato, grilled
octopus and freshly baked pizza
and pair them with wine from a
carefully curated list. For Greek
cuisine, opt for the Thèa Restau-
rant, boasting unrivaled views
over the Aegean Sea. Its menu
includes favorites like Greek salad,
grilled feta cheese in a herb crust,
saganaki prawns, chicken souvlaki
on a lemongrass skewer, foll0wed
by a delicious galaktompoureko
(milk custard pie) dessert. www.
sheratonrhodesresort.gr

158 w w w.gREECE-is.com
 | SPONSORED |

KOUNAKIS JEWELS
AND WATCHES
Founded in 1954 by Fotis Ma-
nousakis, one of the first jewelers
in what was then a fledgling
market in the Old Town, the
Kounakis brand is now in the
hands of the family’s third
generation, which is committed
to continuing and enriching
this family tradition. Current-
ly operating three luxurious
boutiques in the Old Town, as
well as a fourth at the Lindos Blu
Luxury Hotel & Suites, Kounakis
offers its international clientele
not only exquisite handmade
jewelry inspired by Rhodes, but
also valuable watches from top
international brands, including
Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bre-
itling, Officine Panerai and TAG
Heuer. www.kounakis.gr

COCO-MAT
Sleep on nature worldwide

COCO-MAT was founded 28 years ago with the goal of creat-

ing the best natural sleep products, constructed solely through
sustainable methods because our respect for our planet is as
great as our respect for our clients. Since 2012, COCO-MAT has
been actively supporting the Pillow Positive Project by helping
to give strength back to women who have undergone breast
cancer surgery. To date, COCO-MAT has given away more than
6,000 heart-shaped pillows in regions where the brand has a
presence. Currently, COCO-MAT has 108 stores and franchises
located in 17 countries. There are stores in major cities including
New York, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Beijing, Amsterdam,
Seoul, Milan, Barcelona, Munich, Athens and Frankfurt. You
can read more about the brand and the Pillow Positive Project at  Tel. (+30) 2241.075.712, www.roubetiuomo.gr
www.coco-mat.com
Roubeti Boutique
Featuring some of the biggest brands in men’s fashion
such as Armani and Armani Jeans, Burberry, Etro, ZZe-
gna, Hugo Boss and Moncler, Roubeti Uomo has been a
one-stop shop for stylish clothes, shoes and accessories
since it first opened in the center of Rhodes Town in
1991. Quality and elegance are the words that best de-
scribe the Roubeti Uomo shopping experience, with both
classic styles and all current fashion trends represented
in the boutique’s collections. 6 Cyprus Square,

G R E E C E IS • R H O D E S 2 017 159
 Your one-stop
source for inside
information
on what

is all about.