Rhodes island greece history of Rhodes

Municipality of Kameiros

Municipality of Kameiros is situated between the municipalities of Ialysos and Attavyros. It conctitutes the villages
of Soroni, Apollona, Platania, Salakos, Fanes. The population of the municipality is 5.145 according to the
demographics in 2001. Capital of the municipality is Soroni where the electrical factory is situated. The area of
Kameiros is 212 square Km and that makes it the third largest municipality of the island. The habitants of the
municipality mainly work as farmers and in tourism industry. The goods that they produce is potatoes, melons
and water melos and herbage.

Municipality of Kameiros is one of the 3 most ancient municipalities of the island. During the summer the number
of tourists that visit anceint Kameiros is vast. The hours that somebody can go is during the day from 8.00-15.00.
The findings are more important than any other archaeological site of Rhodes.

The villages of Kameiros are traditional and not so much touristically developed, This is because the beaches
are not as good as the east part of Rhodes island.

Schools

Kameiros has 2 Highschools 1 lycium and 6 elemntary schools.

Public Transportation

Municipality of Kameiros is connected with the rest of the island with RO.DA buses.

What will you find there:

Bank
Post Office
ATM
Bars
Restaurants
Kafeneia
Libraries

Villages of Kameiros

Dimylia

Built in a valley next to Kokkinisti springs is the village of Dimylia.The village is built on the east side of the
Prophet Elias mountain and it probably took its name from the temple dedicated in an ancient god. Remains of
the temple were found in the courtyard of the laografiko museum. In the same area there are also remains of a
byzantine castle. A very attractive area is the settlement of Eleousa with all theItalian buildings that remain in the
area since the Itlian occupancy. The buildings were used as shops, offices for Italian woodcutters.

In the church of Rood is saved a very rare handwritten Evangel written in membrane. Part of The Rood that
according to the tradition Saint Helen brought in Rhodes In the church there is also an Icon of Prophet Elias and
an Icon of Virgin Mary with the stamp of Great Magistre Pier Notopison.

Kalavarda

-The small village of Kalavarda took its name probably from some Officer Barda. The gully Argyro which is near
the village is a biotope in which a very rare fish called gizani lives. Near the settlement of the way to Salakos after
excavations a mycenean settlement was found and a graveyard.

Platania

On the foothills of Prophet Elias mountain is built the village of Platania. There area few houses built in an
amphitheatric way. The church of the village built in 1850 there is a beautful fretwork temple.

Soroni

The picturesque village of Soroni a village with a lot of white houses and oaks the visitor can find the monastery
of Agios Sylas. Agios Sylas is in a beautiful forest. In the beginning a paleochristianic church was built inside a
rock.

Salakos

Salakos is built on the foothills of Prophet Elias mountain. Near the village there is the spring Nymfi and also
ancient Kameiros. The spring Nymfi is th source for water distribution in Rhodes city.The valley near the spring
constitues a biotope for butterflies. The valley of butterflies belongs to the village of Theologos. In the square of
the village there is a part of a Knights firewall.On the birders of the village in an amphitheatric area there are two
syncline slopes and in between there is ancient Kameiros. The last years the village meets a stable raise of the
population. The main income of the habitants is the farming. In the village there is an old monastery with a
thaumaturgist Icon of Jesus Metamorphosis.

Kameiros

The area of Kameiros lies on the northwest coast of the island near the foreland of Agios Minas (ancient Mylantio)
on the foots of hill Akramitis. During the prohistoric period, locals were worshiping the Mylantioys Gods.(Gods
that teach humas the milling and kneading). Myceanean graveyards have been excavated in Kalavarda west of
Kameiros. Findings of the geometric Period (8th century) declare the existence of a temple dedicated to Athina.
The earthquake in 226 B.C destroyed the classic town and probably the temple of Athina Kameiriada.The
hellenistic town was built according to the Ippodamus system into 3 different levels. On the top of the hill they built
Acropolis and the temple of Athina. In the middle level the setllement was built and at the bottom the hellenistic
temple, a doriean fountain, the market and the sorrounding wall of the shrines.The area was adorned a vast
amount of staues, oblations and shafts. The earthquake of 142 B.C destroyed the city for the second time.

Acropolis was excavated for the first time from Bilioti and Salzman in 1852-1864. In 1928 during th Italian
ocupation the Italian archaeologic Academy started a systematic research in the area with simultaneous
erections that maintained till the end of the second world war.

The archaeologic area of Kameiros includes the settlement that is modulated into 3 levels. The are includes the
following findings:

Acropolis
Acropolis with the temple of Athina Kameirada. The temple has a doriean style. It replaced a previous temple that
was built during classical age 226 B.C
Reservoir

A rectangular construction with plaster. Earthen tubes and two stone covers in the bottom that were used to
distribute water to the settlement. It had a capacity of 600 cubage meters of water and it was sufficient for 300-
400 families.It is aged from 6th-5th century B.C.. During the hellenistic period it was replaced from a stoa.

Hellenistic Stoa

It was constituted from 2 forms of doriean shafts and shops or habitats for the prayers on the back side. On the
front side the shafts brought an epistyle with metops ,triglyphs and cornice (3rd-2nd century B.C.) Under the floor
is saved the water distribution system with fountains and underground reservoirs.

Srhines

Four side shrine built in hellenistic period can be found on the front of the stoa.On the northeast side of the third
tump along the fortified walls have been placed inescribed shrines divided into two levels, dedicated to various
gods. In the first level is saved a big inecribed shrine dedicated to Helius(Sun).

A sdmicircular exedra in front of the shrines ring brought an oblation. A ladder between the market and the
shrines leads to the center of the settlement.

Hellenestic Temple

On the thrid lowest levee of the archaeological area there is a temple with two shafts , portal , alcove and
opisthdrome. In the alcove the basis of a Statue is saved. On the back of the basis there is a hole that was dug to
put and protect the treasure of the sanctuary.The temple was dedicated to Pythio Apollon.

Ionian temple

Ioanian temple encompassed with plaster was used for the housing of an oblation .

Fountain

The front side is constituted of doriean limestone semi-pillar encompassed wtih plaster that was underlaying an
entablature.

Market

A square with four sides was opened in front of the Fountain for the concentration of the citizens during the
religious ceremonies. The square had three levels on the south and east side. The south and the north side was
closed with walls and doors were opened for the transition of the prayers.Semi pillars were decorationg the north
wall and on the southeast corner there is an oblation construction with four sides.On the west side there were
erected inscribed pedestals of statues and oblations.The most important among them is the epigraph with the
words "Θεος Πασι" which means God everywhere. On the rear side of the entrance there are two semi finished
inscribed oblations, one of them has probably the representation of a Bull.

Settlement

Settlement of Roman and hellenistic period built according to the Ippodamus system. It sustains to the middle
tump of the hill. Main characteristic of the houses is the interior courtyard with one side usually taller from the
other three. Mosaic floors and ftontages with epistyle and written decoration encompassed with plaster were
decorating the houses. There are remains of public baths with rooms for cold and hot spa. There were also
underground constructions for the heating of the area.

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Beaches & Sights of Kameiros

Main sights of Kameiros

1. Ancient Kameiros one of the three oldest cities of Rhodes.

2. The forest of Prophet Elias is a unique site oif natural beauty.

Kameiros which is situated between Kalavarda and Salakos constitutes the main attraction for the municipality.At
least once every tourist visits aancient Kameiros.

The sensational forest of Prophet Elias with the hotels and camping facilities that are not operating at the
moment can constitute an important attraction for tourists for the good not just the villages nearby but also for the
whole island. The bad thing is the foreign companies that invest in Rhodes usually go on the east side which is
developed and forget about the west side which has a unique natural beauty.

The development of the forest area for which there is already a development plan made from the forest
inspection office announces the forest as a national park and can be exploited together with the mountain of
Dimylia-Platania the springs of Kokkinisti the biotope of Petaloydes and the old settlements of Kapi and
Kamaraki. Also there is a monastery there of Holly Mary whose Icon in 1513 was order to be transfered to the
Castle of Faraklos in Haraki to protect it from the barbarians.

In other words this natural site could be exploited from a company and that huge project will surely return a good
amount of money annually. The area can fit 2 disneylands.
In the area there are also monasteries such as the Monastery of Aginos Nikolas, Virgin MAry, and two
monumenets aged from 13th-14th century.Near the area of Salakos except the well known medieval castle there
are also relics of old churches such as Palaioklisia and Saint Paul's Church.

In the area of Soroni the most important church or monastery is Agios Sylas that is celebrated on the 29th and
30th of July. The festival is probably the biggest in Rhodes and thousands of people visit it on that day. There are
horse racings, donkey racings, football matches and a very big trade fair. The area is surrounded from a beautiful
forest and attracts a huge number of visitors for camping the whole year.

Beaches

Kameiros Skala beach

Fanes Beach

Salakos Beach