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 Location |
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Rhodes is located close to the coasts of Asia Minor. It is surrounded by Symi, Tilos, Karpathos, Chalki and Kastelorizo. It is the largest island of the Dodecanese. It is 1,398 square km and the length of its coasts is 220 km.
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 Population |
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The inhabitants of Rhodes are about 98,000, of whom 43,000 live in the capital city of Rhodes. Some other main towns include Arhaggelos (named after the Archangel Michael), Kremasti, Koskinou, Lindos etc. Most of the inhabitants are engaged in tourism while a few are occupied with farming and raising livestock. In the area of Arhaggelos, there are a lot of small industries of traditional carpet making and pottery.
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 History |
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According to Pindaros' myth, when Zeus had defeated the Giants and became the ruler of the Earth, he decided to divide it among the Olympian gods. The god Helios (the Sun) was absent at the occasion and later asked Zeus to give him the land that would rise from the sea. So at that time the island of Rhodes popped out of the water. Helios, because he was so happy, drenched it with the sunshine of his glance and made Rhodes the prettiest island of the Aegean Sea. Rhodes was named after Helios's wife Rodos.
The island was first settled in the 16th century BC by Cretans, in the 15th century by Achaeans, and in the 11th by the Dorians, who brought prosperity to the island and divided it into three cities-states. During the Persian Wars, Rhodes was an ally of the Persians, while in 478 BC it joined the Athenian alliance. In 408 BC, the city of Rhodes was established. It prospered greatly in the 4th, 3rd and 2nd century BC. It had a booming economy, numerous colonies, and flourishing arts and culture. During that time, Rhodes minted its own coin that was spread around the Mediterranean world. In 146 BC a treaty was signed with Rome ensuring many privileges for the island, until Casio finally destroyed it. In the 1st century AD, the Apostle Paul arrived on the island to preach Christianity.
In 297 AD the Byzantine era starts with numerous attacks from the Arabs and the Crusaders. In 1309, the island enters a new period of stability and prosperity after its conquest by the Knights of Saint John's Order. The Knights however submitted in 1440 to the Sultan of Egypt, and in 1480 surrendered Rhodes to Mohammed II (after this they moved their headquarters to Malta). In 1912 the Italians occupied the island while it was united with Greece in 1948.
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 Religion |
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This topic is not island-specific. It applies to the nation of Greece.
Orthodox Christianity is the recognized dominant religion of Greece and it is legally protected by the state. This has caused legal discrimination against non-Orthodox Churches, and although the constitution of 1975 removed the power of most of the old laws against Protestants, problems still exist today. There is a lot of fear towards anything outside of the Orthodox Church, especially on the islands. However, repeated rulings of the European Court of Justice in favour of religious minorities in cases of discrimination have led to a relative increase of the freedoms that these religious minorities now enjoy.
Ancient Gods
The main deities worshipped in Rhodes were Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Leto and the Nine Muses..
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 Saints |
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Some of the saints that are honored and celebrated on the island include the Archangel Michael (November 8), St. Marina (July 17), the Prophet Amos (June 14), the Prophet Elijah (July 20), St. John (August 29), St. Paraskevi (July 26), St. Panteleimon (July 25-27), St. Paul (June 29), and St. George (April 23). There are also celebrations for the Virgin Mary on three different occasions: on September 8 (the feasts of Panaghia Amartou and Panaghia Tsabika), on August 23 (Panaghia Alemonitra) and on August 15, the day of her Assumption. In the area of Kremasti, the feast for her Assumption lasts for 9 nine days (August 14-23).
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 Prayer |
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Please pray:
* For the Spirit of God to bring revival.
* For more Christian workers.
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 Miscellaneous |
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Places of interest one should visit include:
* The ancient harbor where, according to legend, was the giant statue of Colossus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, in the location where the statues of the two deer now stand.
* The church of the Annunciation
* The magistrate's palace
* The mosque of Murat Raes with its elegant minaret
* The medieval walls with their seven gates
* Sir Sydney Smith's mount
* The Acropolis (citadel) of the ancient Ialisos
* The valley of the butterflies
* The ancient city of Lindos
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 Celebrations |
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There are a lot of shows and cultural events that take place in the city of Rhodes, the most important one being the "Sound and Light" show in the garden of the Knight's Palace, which takes place every day from April until October. Throughout the summer there are also frequent concerts, theatrical performances, and folk dancing shows, in the old city and in the National Theater. Every day except on Sundays, the city philharmonic orchestra gives concerts in the Rotonda.
Other celebrations of interest include the Maritime Week in the summer, when windsurfing and water skiing contests take place, as well as the Wine Festival in Ebonas (in late September), and Tourism Day (September 27).
Of particular interest is also the way Christmas is celebrated in the area of Salakos. During the holiday season, December 24-Janualy 6, there is a live reenactment of the Nativity (with live animals) in a local cave. Visitors from all over the island come to see the show
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 Resources |
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| http://www.xs4all.nl/~dpallis/rodos/thecity.html
http://www.helios.gr/rhodes.html
http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/colossus.html
www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
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