Rhodes (city)

This article is about the Greek city of Rhodes. For other uses, see Rhodes (disambiguation).
Rhodes
Ρόδος

View of the harbour.

Seal
Rhodes

Coordinates: 36°26′N 28°13′E / 36.433°N 28.217°E / 36.433; 28.217Coordinates: 36°26′N 28°13′E / 36.433°N 28.217°E / 36.433; 28.217
Country Greece
Administrative region South Aegean
Regional unit Rhodes
Municipality Rhodes
 • Municipal unit 19.481 km2 (7.522 sq mi)
Highest elevation 25 m (82 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Metro 86,199
 • Municipal unit 49,541
 • Municipal unit density 2,500/km2 (6,600/sq mi)
Community
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 851 00
Area code(s) 2241
Vehicle registration PO,PK,PY
Website www.rhodes.gr

Rhodes (Greek: Ρόδος, Ródos, [ˈroðos]) is the principal city and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.[2] It has a population of approximately 90,000 in its metropolitan area. Rhodes has been famous since antiquity as the site of Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The citadel of Rhodes, built by the Hospitalliers, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, which in 1988 was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city of Rhodes is a popular international tourist destination.

Geography

The city of Rhodes is situated in the north-east tip of the island and forms a triangle from north to south. It is the smallest municipality of the island in terms of land area and the largest in population. It borders the Aegean Sea to the north, the east and the west and with the municipalities of Ialysos and Kallithea in the south.

Climate

In Köppen climate classification, it is classified as hot-summer Mediterranean climate. The lowest recorded temperature −3 °C (27 °F) and the highest recorded temperature was 42 °C (108 °F).

Climate data for Rhodes (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.0
(71.6)		 22.0
(71.6)		 27.4
(81.3)		 30.6
(87.1)		 34.8
(94.6)		 36.2
(97.2)		 39.0
(102.2)		 41.2
(106.2)		 35.4
(95.7)		 33.2
(91.8)		 28.4
(83.1)		 22.8
(73)		 41.2
(106.2)
Average high °C (°F) 14.9
(58.8)		 15.2
(59.4)		 16.9
(62.4)		 20.2
(68.4)		 24.3
(75.7)		 28.4
(83.1)		 30.5
(86.9)		 30.6
(87.1)		 28.3
(82.9)		 24.4
(75.9)		 20.1
(68.2)		 16.6
(61.9)		 22.5
(72.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.7
(53.1)		 12.0
(53.6)		 13.6
(56.5)		 16.7
(62.1)		 20.5
(68.9)		 24.7
(76.5)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.9
(80.4)		 24.6
(76.3)		 20.6
(69.1)		 16.4
(61.5)		 13.4
(56.1)		 19.0
(66.2)
Average low °C (°F) 8.6
(47.5)		 8.7
(47.7)		 10.0
(50)		 12.7
(54.9)		 15.8
(60.4)		 19.8
(67.6)		 22.2
(72)		 22.6
(72.7)		 20.5
(68.9)		 16.8
(62.2)		 13.1
(55.6)		 10.4
(50.7)		 15.1
(59.2)
Record low °C (°F) −4.0
(24.8)		 −1.6
(29.1)		 0.2
(32.4)		 5.2
(41.4)		 8.6
(47.5)		 12.6
(54.7)		 16.8
(62.2)		 17.0
(62.6)		 10.6
(51.1)		 7.2
(45)		 2.4
(36.3)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −4.0
(24.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 147.8
(5.819)		 117.7
(4.634)		 75.3
(2.965)		 24.0
(0.945)		 14.0
(0.551)		 2.9
(0.114)		 0.1
(0.004)		 0.1
(0.004)		 7.1
(0.28)		 64.3
(2.531)		 88.4
(3.48)		 145.3
(5.72)		 687.0
(27.047)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.5 9.0 6.7 3.4 1.9 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.9 4.5 6.3 10.8 44.2
Average relative humidity (%) 70.1 69.8 69.0 65.9 63.6 57.4 56.5 59.4 60.8 66.9 72.0 72.1 65.3
Source: NOAA[3]

History

Apollo Temple at the Acropolis of Rhodes.
Rhodes city, around 1490.
Gate d'Amboise to the medieval city.
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes.
Close-up view of the Palace.
Gate of the Virgin, part of the Fortifications of Rhodes.

The island of Rhodes is at a crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This has given the city and the island many different identities, cultures, architectures, and languages over its long history. Its position in major sea routes has given Rhodes a very rich history. The island has been inhabited since about 4000 BC (Neolithic Period).[4]

Classical period

The city of Rhodes was formed by the cities of Ialyssos, Kamiros and Lindos in 408 BC,[4] and prospered for three centuries during its Golden Age, when sea trade, skilled shipbuilders, and open-minded politicians of the city kept it prosperous until Roman times. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was built by the Lindian sculptor Chares between 304 and 293 BC,[4] which took 12 years and was completed in 282 BC. The statue represented their sun god Helios, which stood at the harbour entrance. The ancient city had a well-constructed sewage system as well as a water supply network as designed by Hippodamus. A strong earthquake hit Rhodes about 226 BC, badly damaging the city and toppling the Colossus.[4]

Roman period

In 164 BC, Rhodes came under Roman control.[5] It was able to keep its beauty and develop into a leading center of learning for arts and science. The Romans took from the Rhodians their maritime law and applied it to their shipping. Many traces of the Roman period still exist throughout the city and give an insight into the level of civilization at the time.[5] According to Acts 21:1, the Apostle Paul stopped at Rhodes near the end of his third missionary journey.

Byzantine period

In medieval times, Rhodes was an important Byzantine trading post, as also a crossroads for ships sailing between Constantinople and Alexandria. In the early years of the divided Roman Empire, the Isaurians, a mountain tribe from Cilicia, invaded the island and burned the city. In the 7th century AD it was captured by the Arabs. The latter were the ones who removed the scattered pieces of the Colossus from the port and moved them to Syria where they destroyed them to make coins. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the native noble Leo Gabalas took control of the island, but after his death and succession by his brother John, the island was briefly occupied by the Genoese before being returned to the Emperor of Nicaea, though ushering in a new, but short-lived, Byzantine period.

Knights' period

The Knights Hospitallers captured and established their headquarters on Rhodes when they left Cyprus[6][7] after the persecution of the Knights Templar in 1307. Pope Clement V confirmed the Hospitallers possession of the Island in 1309. The Knights remained on the Island for the next two centuries.

In 1444, the Mamluk fleet of Egypt laid a siege to Rhodes, but the Knights aided by the Burgundian naval commander Geoffroy de Thoisy beat off the Muslim attack.

After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 the Ottoman Empire began a rapid expansion and in 1480 Sultan Mehmet launched an invasion of Rhodes commanded by Mesic Pasha. The defenders repelled Turkish attacks from both landward and seaward sides and the invaders left the Island in defeat. The defeat halted a concurrent invasion of the Italian peninsula by Ottoman forces and prevented possible Muslim incursion and control of Western Europe.

After the Ottoman defeat in 1480 the Knights Grand Master, Pierre d'Aubusson, oversaw the strengthening of the cities over the next few decades. By the time of his death in 1521 Rhodes possessed the strongest fortifications of any Christian Bastion in the World. The Knights continued naval attacks launched from Rhodes on Muslim merchants until 1522 when the newly enthroned Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent led a second Siege of Rhodes in 1522.

The vastly outnumbered Knights made a spirited defense of the city and inflicted heavy casualties upon the Ottoman besiegers. In December 1522 the Knights and Suleiman came to terms and the Knights were allowed to leave the city with all the wealth they could carry, in return there would be no retribution upon the inhabitants of the city and they would be allowed to continue to freely practice Christianity. On January 1, 1523 the Knights departed from the island, leaving it to Ottoman control.

Ottoman period

View of Suleiman Mosque.
View of the Market (Nea Agora) of Mandraki, built during the Italian period by Florestano Di Fausto.
Evangelismos church at the port, by Florestano Di Fausto.
Palazzo del Governo, another work of Di Fausto, now the Prefecture of the Dodecanese.

In the Ottoman era, new buildings were constructed: mosques, public baths and mansions for the new patrons. The Greeks were forced to abandon the fortified city and move to new suburbs outside its walls. The city maintained its main economic function as a market for the agricultural products of the interior of the island and the surrounding small islands.

After the establishment of their sovereignty οn the island, the Ottoman Turks converted most of the churches into mosques and transformed the major houses into private mansions or public buildings. This transformation was a long-term process that aimed to adapt the buildings to the Ottoman way of living. The Knights period façades with their sculptured decorations, the arched gates and hewn stone walls were enriched with the random character of the Ottoman architecture adapted to the local climate and culture. Ιn this process most οf the architectural features of the existing buildings were preserved. The most characteristic additions were the baths (usually in the back of the buildings) and the enclosed wooden balconies οn the façades over the narrow streets.In this way most of the buildings of the Hospitaliers' period in the Medieval Town were well preserved. The result was a mixture of oriental architecture with imposing western architectural remains and more recent buildings, which were characteristic of the local architecture of the time.

An interesting example of the Ottoman architecture is the building of the Hafiz Ahmed Agha Library.

Ιn the 19th century, the city was the capital of the Eyalet of the Archipelago, but the decline of the Ottoman Empire resulted in the general neglect of the town and its buildings, which further deteriorated due to the strong earthquakes that often plague the area.

Italian period

In 1912 Italian troops took the island over with the rest of the Dodecanese Islands, and established an Italian possession known as Italian Islands of the Aegean in 1923.[8] Father of Italian Rhodes can be considered the Italian architect Florestano Di Fausto. He, in agreement with governor Mario Lago, was author of the city plan of 1923, choosing to respect almost totally the walled town, only demolishing the houses that were built on and around the city walls during the Ottoman era. He also turned the Jewish and Ottoman cemeteries into a green zone surrounding the Medieval Town.[8] At the same time, he designed the new Italian Rhodes in the zone of the Mandraki, planning a Garden City, and building along the main sea promenade the main edifices, as the Market, the Cathedral of Saint John of the Knights, the Palace of the governor. All these building were designed in an eclectic style, mixing Ottoman, Venetian, Renaissance and local elements. The Italians preserved what was left from the Knights' period, and destroyed all Ottoman buildings. They also reconstructed the Grand Master's Palace.[8] Furthermore, an Institute for the study of the History and Culture of the region was established, and major infrastructure work was done to modernize Rhodes.[8]

Modern period

The British bombs that fell on the medieval city of Rhodes in 1944 claimed human lives and destroyed a great number of buildings, leaving large gaps in the urban tissue. One of the first Decrees of the Greek administration designated those areas as reserved for future excavations and a number of edifices as safeguarded buildings. In July 1944 the Nazis ordered the deportation of over 1,600 Jews of Rhodes including men, women, and children of which 1,200 were murdered at Auschwitz.[9]

In 1957, a new city plan was approved by a Decree and in 1960 the entire medieval town was designated as a protected monument by the Ministry of Culture. In 1961 and 1963 new Decrees were issued concerning the new city plan. They provided for the widening of existing streets and the opening of new ones. These were not implemented in the old city due to the resistance of the Archaeological Service. In 1988, the old town of Rhodes was designated as a World Heritage City by UNESCO.

Government

Rhodes is the capital of the island of Rhodes and of the Rhodes regional unit. It was the capital of the former Dodecanese Prefecture. The city also holds an office of the South Aegean region.

Main sights

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Medieval City of Rhodes
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iv, v
Reference 493
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1988 (12th Session)

The city is home to numerous landmarks. Some of them date back to antiquity and most of the others remain from the Knights' Period.

Demographics

View of the moat.
Medieval fountain at Hippokratous Square.
The entrance to the Rhodes Archaeology Museum.
Kahal Shalom Synagogue

Both city and island population continue to grow contrary to national levels; the city has an official permanent population of 49,541 in 2011 census, but the actual population is estimated between 115,000 and 120,000. This is caused by many permanent residents of the city registering in their place of birth during the census. Thus the city's total population, as counted by the census, is less than the number of people actually residing in the city. Currently it is estimated that 120,000 people reside permanently in the city although last census showed only 54,000.

Year Population Change +/-
1951 24,280 -
1961 28,119 +3,839
1971 33,100 +4,981
1981 41,425 +8,325
1991 43,558 +2,133
2001 53,709 +10,151
2011 49,541 -4,168

Education

Facilities by category:

The last years two private schools were also established and offer classes from primary to lyceum education. The Music School of Rhodes (Greece) can be located just outside Rhodes near Afantou.

Transportation

The city's public transit system consists of a bus network which also connects the city to outlying resort areas during tourism season.

Ferries connect the island's commercial passenger port with several nearby islands within the Dodecanese Islands, as well as with the Cycladic Islands, the Greek mainland, and Bodrum in Turkey. The city is also a popular port of call for cruise itineraries, especially in the summer months.

Both the city and the island of Rhodes are served by Diagoras International Airport, situated 14 km (9 mi) south west of the city. It is connected to all other major Greek airports and to Cyprus throughout the year. During tourism season, international flights connect the island with several European cities and with Israel.

Media

Television and radio

Most major nationwide television stations broadcast in the city. There are also five local television stations and a number of local and national radio stations.

Newspapers

There are three daily newspapers issued that deal with both the city and the whole region. Moreover, two are issued every Monday and there are few others with specific themes.

Sports

The city after a long dark period of almost 15 years is reviving in many team sports. Football and basketball are the most popular but a wide variety is also in development during the last years with the most noticeable in rugby.

Football

The emblem of G.S. Diagoras.

The city has two major football teams; Diagoras GS and AS Rodos after a long period are back in national level and compete in Greek National Second Division (Football League) while the rest of the city based teams compete in the local Amateur Divisions.

Basketball

The last 15 years basketball is represented in national level by Kolossos Rodou BC which currently won promotion to National A1 Ethniki just one year after being relegated. Other notable teams are AS Diagoras Rhodes which just gained promotion in National Third Division and AS Dodekanisos, the pride of the Aegean that competes and stars in the national basketball league for handicapped people.

Other

A variety of other sports is also available and in development in the city. In volleyball AS Diagoras Rhodes lost in the third division and returns to the local leagues; in rugby the recently formed Colossoi of Rhodes reached the top league finals for the second time in a row. The Nautical Club of Rhodes and Ygros Stivos of Rhodes have water polo teams in low level national divisions; the Rhodian Tennis Club play tennis and ping-pong in its privately owned facilities; AS Diagoras Rhodes have competitive teams in cycling and in track and field athletics. Finally ziu zitsu, karate, tae-kwon-do and other Eastern oriented sports are available with local teams that enjoy sporadic national success.

Sports venues

The city has three major sports venues; the Rhodes Municipal Stadium and the Kallipateira National Athletic Center serve all outdoor activities while the Municipal Indoor Hall of "Venetokleio" serves indoor sports.

International relations

The Avenue of the Knights.

Consulates

The city of Rhodes is also home to many foreign consulates.[10]

Twin towns — sister cities

Rhodes is twinned with:

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
  2. ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
  3. ↑ "Rhodes Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "History of Rhodes: Classical Period". Municipality of Rhodes. www.rhodes.gr. 2007. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  5. 1 2 "History of Rhodes: Roman Period". Municipality of Rhodes. www.rhodes.gr. 2007. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  6. ↑ David Nicolle "Knights of Jerusalem: the crusading order of Hospitallers 1100-1565" – Osprey Publishing, 2008
  7. ↑ Gino Manicone "Rodi sposa del sole", Casamari, La Monastica, 1992.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "History of Rhodes: Italian Period". Municipality of Rhodes. www.rhodes.gr. 2007. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  9. ↑ "Jewish Community of Rhodes". http://www.jewishrhodes.org/. Retrieved 10 May 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  10. ↑ "Tourists Information: Foreign States Consulates". Municipality of Rhodes. www.rhodes.gr. 2006. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  11. ↑ "Limassol Twinned Cities". Limassol (Lemesos) Municipality. Archived from the original on 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2013-07-29.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rhodes (city).
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rhodes (city).
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