History of Rhodes

Prehistoric evidence of Rhodes

Although inhabited as early as the Neolithic period, the first written trace of the island is connected to mythology. What the poet Pindar says about the birth of Rhodes is that when Zeus defeated the Giants and became ruler of the world, he decided to divide the Earth among the Twelve Gods of Olympus. The Sun god, however, was absent and when he appeared, the complaints of his made Zeus promise that the land that would emerge from the sea will belong to him. Then an exquisite island, strewn with flowers and full of roses began to emerge from the turqoise sea waters. Delighted Helios bathed it with his own light and made it the most beautiful spot in the Aegean. Pindar reports that the first inhabitants were Telchines, a strange race of superbeings with supernatural powers.

Historical facts

According to historical sources the island of Rhodes was inhabited as early as the late Neolithic Period (ca. 4000 B.C.). Kares are claimed to be the first inhabitants, then the Phoenicians and the Minoans. Around the year of 1400 BC, the Achaeans established a strong colony on the land and later the Dorians took ownership of the island and found the three city-states of Lindos, Ialyssos and Kamiros. These states together with Halicarnassus, Knidus and Kos, constituted the 'Dorian Hexapolis', a powerful confederation and counterweight to the and federation of Ionians. Later the island joined the alliance of Delos.

The island of Rhodes lies at a crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This strategic location has given the city and the island lots of different identities, cultures, architectures, and languages over its long history and its position in major sea routes has given it a very rich history.

The island flourished in the 4th century BC after the famous Colossus, a huge statue representing the Geerk sun god Helios, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the shortest-lived of them, was erected there. It was completed in 282 B.C. having taken 12 years to build. The statue stood at the harbour entrance until a strong earthquake hit the island around 226 BC and snapped the statue off at the knees a mere 56 years later. As a result, the city of Rhodes (formed by the cities of Ialyssos, Kamiros and Lindos in 408 BC) was badly damaged and the Colossus collapsed. Rhodes quickly evolved into an important economic and cultural center of the ancient Greek world but the wealth, natural beauty and strategic position that gave the Rhodians prosperity also attracted other powerful nations of that time. Rhodes  remained a great political and military power throughout the Classical period  till the 2nd century BC. The city of Rhodes, thanks to sea trade, skilled shipbuilders along with wise political and diplomatic manoeuvres kept it prosperous until the Roman period, which was initiated in 164B.C when Rhodes became part of the Roman Empire. The island gradually dwindled in significance and lost its ancient glory. Nevertheless, even under the rule of the Romans, Rhodes managed to keep much of its splendour and developed into one of the leading centres of learning for arts and science. In the 7th century the island was raided and captured by the Arabs. After the fall of the Roman Empire in 1204, the native noble Leo Gavalas took control of the islands, but after his death and succession by his brother, the island was returned to the Emperor of Nicaia, though initiating a new, although short-lived, Byzantine period. In 1309 the Knights Hospitallers of St. John captured and established their headquarters on Rhodes and they remained on the island for two consecutive centuries. During the Kinghts’ period the island experienced strong economic, artistic and spiritual growth. During the Knights era the fortifications were extended, modernized and continuously reinforced. Α hospital, a palace and several churches were among the many public buildings constructed at that time, offering interesting examples of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. In 1522 the Rhodes island fell under the yoke of the Turks which ushered in the Ottoman period in the history of Rhodes. During the Ottoman era that time new buildings were constructed: mosques, public baths and mansions for the new patrons. The Greeks were forced out of the fortified city to new suburbs outside its walls. Following 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 facades 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 facades over the narrow streets. In this way most of the buildings of the Hospitallers' 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. Ιn the 19th century 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 struck the area. In 1912 Rhodes, along with the rest of the Dodecanese, was taken over by the Italians, which initiated the Italian period in the history of the island. The Italians demolished the houses that were built on and around the city walls during the Ottoman period and turned the Jewish and Ottoman cemeteries into a green zone surrounding the Medieval Town. They also preserved the remnants of the Knights’ era, removed all the Ottoman additions and pulled down all Ottoman buildings. Moreover, they reconstructed the Grand Master’s Palace and established an Institute for the study of the History and Culture of the region. At that time major infrastructure work (roads, electricity, port, etc.)  was done to modernize Rhodes, which significantly transformed the town of Rhodes. The English bombs that fell on the medieval city of Rhodes in 1944 destroyed a great number of buildings, leaving large gaps in the urban tissue. The Romans, Knights, Ottoman Turks, Italians left deep traces of their presence but failed to affect the Greek character of the island of Rhodes that reunited with mother Greece after the Second World War in 1948. The island as we know it today is the result of this absorption. In 1988, the old town of Rhodes was designated as a World Heritage City by UNESCO.