Rhodes island greece history of Rhodes

Municipality Of Lindos

How could somebody characterize the architecture of this place? Fabulous, Amazing, Picturesque, Perfect any other
comment would be inaccurate and untrue. It is one of the most beautiful municipalities of Rhodes island. Lindos is
one of the most famous resorts in Europe. The numbers of the tourists in summer is a sign of this. The number of
hotels in the area, the restaurants and the bars is huge. There are Chinese restaurants, Indians, traditional Greek,
Italian. Peyfkoi which is a tourist settlement that belongs to the people of Lindos is one of the most organized and
rapidly developed resorts on the island.

Municipality of Lindos is situated proximately 50 Km away of Rhodes city. It covers and area of 179 sq. Km and is
constituted from the villages of Lindos, lardos, Laerma, Kalathos, and Pylona. It's borders are with municipality of
archaggelos, South Rhodes, Kameiors and Attavyros.

The municipality has very long coastline. The beaches like the rest of east Rhodes are appropriate for swimming with
clear waters and clean beaches. A vast amount of forst land was burnt in 1980.

The village of Lindos which gave it's name to the municipality is situated on the remains of the old City of Lindos. On
the boders of Lindos somebody can meet some of the most important archaeological sights of the island and one of
the most remarkable traditional settlements.

Lindos as a whole has a population of 4.000 and develops rapidly since it constitutes the first choice for settlement
from the foreigners. The area of the municipality meets a rapid touristic development. The summer season starts in
May and finishes in October. A few years ago was starting in March ending in October. High season is July August and
September.

Schools

Lindos has 4 schools. All of them are elementary schools situated in each of the villages constituting Lindos. After
elementary school kids go to Gennadi or Massari to follow high school and Lycium.

Public transportation

Public transportation to the municipality and from the municipality specially lindos and Kalathos are frequent. Lindos is
usually the last stop for buses some of them continue for the rest of the island after Lindos.

Festivals and Celebrations

Municipality of Lindos organizes some festivals such as the one of Saint Paul's in 28-29th of June.

Lardos Organizes the festival of Saint George.

Archaeological Monuments and Ancient areas of Lindos

Lindos

The archaeological area of Lindos is exntended outside Acropolis and comprises the following monuments:

Theater
Θέατρο.It is situated on the northwest site of the hill under the temple of Athina Lindia. The circular orchestra and the
conge for the viewers were sculptured on the foothills.There are remains of the "presidencies" special stands for the
formal viewers around the orchestra. The conge is comprised from 19 rwas of seats under the cornice and 7 raws over
the cornice. The three first raws were for the formals.Low built walls were separating the formals from the rest.From
the 9 shuttles only 5 are saved. The capacity of the theater was 1800 people.

Building with four stoa

Relics of the four sided building are remained till today on the extents of the theater stage. In the interior there are
pillars that sustained the roof. They were surrounding the courtyard. The entrance on the northwest side of the building
is complemented with a series of pillars. The capacity was up to 1500-1700 viewers.Iwas probably made for rligious
ceremonies. In later times the area was occupied from three christianic churches.

Voukopion

In Vigli northeast of the Acropolis is situated the Voukopion which was a place for sacrifices as comes from it's name.
On the surrounded rocks there are 38 epigrapghs saved that relate the parts of the area with each other.A small chapel
made from coarse-grained stones with a temple and a portal was intented to be used as a place to secure the
oblations to an uknown god (10th-9th century B.C.).

In the surrounded area there were extends of graveyards of ancient Lindos which were found two of the most important
monuments:

The grave of Kleovoulos

It has nothing to do with The well known Kleovoulos it was a grave monument belonged to a rich family of Lindos. It is
a a circular construction with well made frescos and a a vault roof. The entrance brings acornice with decoration of
anthemion. Inside the monument there is sculptured on the rock a kind of a sarcophagus with coer (2nd-1st century B.
C.) There are frescos and the name Agios Emileeanos. This is a sign that the monument was converted into a cristian
monument in laert years.

Archokrateio

In kampana of Krana west of the Acropolis there is a monument scultptured on a rock. On the ouuter there is a two
level frontage with semi pillars in the first level that bring the epistyle with metops and triglypghs weather on the
second floor pessaries are rotated with blind gaps.There are shrines with names of dead people on their basis. In the
interior, corridor was leading to an area with burial ceremonies.On the sides of this construction there are sculptured
19 graves. The newest name of it is Fragkoklissia which is a signed that during the Knights Period it was used as a
temple.

The chapel of Taxiarhis Mihail the Victorious Army Commander is situated underneath the square of the settlement. In
a flat niche is saved a post-byzantine deed of Archagel Mihail the Psyhopompos. The footprints of ancient fresos place
it in byzantine period.

Western of it near the remains of a muslim graveyard is saved a flat niche with a deed of a Saint on a horse. Probably
is Saint George The Burnt.

The temple of "Panagia"- Holly Mary

The parish of the settlement is extended with transept with the shape of a Free Cross. In 1489 Great Magistre Pierre D'
Aubusson gave money for the errection of the temple and the construction of a groined- vaulted porch.On the south
side of a smaller campanile are fixed on the walls blazons of the Magistre and also of the commanderof the Pierre D'
Aymer's castle. The temple maintains it's frescos. The older epigrapgh is cited in 1637. Although the monument is a
recorded as work of Grigorios from Symi island in 1779.

There are also churches made in 12-15th century:

The church of Saint George made in post-byzantine age around 1250. Saint George the Paimioitis which belongs to
the architectural typw of a crisscross design with dome aged since 1394/5. There are the fresos of Saints dressed with
luxury dressings. Saint Minas is nuilt in 15th century. Saint Demetrios is built in 15th century. Saint demetrios is shown
on a horse on the frescos of the church.

In Vigli south and east of the rock of the Acropolis has been spotted a floor with mosaics of a paleochristianic Royal
Church which is placed in the 5th century according to signs of it's architecture.

The street layout of Lindos is marked from the continous system of construction with interior courtyards. The houses
have flat rooms although somebody can notice the variety of types. Most of the house owners have reconstructed the
interior of the houses to meet their needs. The things that were used to build the walls is the local sculptured
limestone and have been limed. The houses in Lindos have many common things although can be divided into 2
differerent categories. The simple ones that remind the houses of farmers and the mansions with the interior
courtyards.

The most representative mansions of Lindos is known from their names of their owners such as Papakonstantis
mansion, Ioannidis mansion, Koliodou mansion Mariettas markoulitsas mansion.

In the beggining of the 19th century Lindos received the neoclassicism architecture characteristics. Big windows that
have a view to the road two floor houses roofs made from tiles. The doors of the walls were placed from pilasters
infrared that remind frontages of anceint temples. There were also built new houses that had nothing in common with
the old mansions.

Acropolis of Lindos

According to the myth the praise of Athina Lindia is prohellenic. The few mycenean and prohistoric findings in the
nearby area do not confirm this myth. The history of the sanctuary starts in the geometric period (9th century B.C). The
arhaic period the oppressor of Lindos Kleovoulos will renew the worship and will build a temple on the place where
the older one was positioned.The archaic temple had exactly the same design as the new one Doriean with four
pillars. The access top the sanctuary was done with a temporary ladder. After 342 B.C when the temple was destroyed
due to a fire a new temple was built that is saved till nowadays. The hellenistic stoa was built at later times. The 3rd
century B.C. was imported the worship of Zeus Polieos even if Athina remained the main Goddess of the temple.
During the roman period the flamen Aglohartos planted olive trees and near the temple of Athina Lindia the sanctuary
of Psithiros was built.(end of 2nd century A.C)

The Acropolis of Lindos contains the following monuments:

Doriean temple of Athina Lindia. Built at the end of 4th century B.C.

Hellenistic stoa with sided extended wings with four pillar frontages. (3rd century B.C.) The stoa has 87 meters length
and is constituted from 42 pillars. The wall of the stooa is divided in the middle so the ladder of the propylaea could be
visible. The square was made in 1st century B.C. and was based on vaullted constructions.

Anaglyph triimiolia(Rhodian Ship) sculptured on the rock on the base of the ladder that leas to the archaeological site
of Acropolis. On the bow was planted a statue of General Agisanderos Mikkiono. The staure was made from
Pythokritos creator of the famous statue od Niki tis Samothrakis. The ship brings footprints of colour. Grating was
isolating the statue.

Hellenistic Ladder that leads to the main archaeological site of Acropolis. Relics of it can be found next to the medieval
ladder of the residency.

Propylaea of sanctuary. A monumuntal ladder which leads to a stoa with a shape of Π and 5 entrances. The side
wings of the stoa had a frontage with six pillars with gable capping.The propylaea were made from limestone and they
are aged since the 4th century B.C.

Relics of roman temple

There is a roman temple saved in front of the vaulted constructions. The temple was facing Acropolis and was
probably intented for worshiping the Emperor(300 A.C.)

Semi circular inescribed exedra from lartio Stone where a bronze statue of Pamflida priest of the Goddess, was
errected(end of 3rd century B.C.)

In the sanctuary near the ladder that leads to Acropolis and other points there were erected Statues and oblations such
as the brothers Arhokrati, Lysistratos, Pythagoras and priest of the Goddess (168-156 B.C.). There were also statues
fro of the Roman Imperial family: Tiberios, Drousos the younger, Augoustos and Germanikos(14-19th century B.C)

Acropolis was surrounding the walls, hellenistic period, built the same age as the prolylaea and the ladder that leads
to the entrance of the area. Fortified walls were protecting the Acropolis since the persian wars. Roman epigraph
mentions the errection of the walls and the square towers with money from the priest of Ailiou Agitoros(2nd century A.
C).
The byzantine castle was fixed before 1317 from the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalym. Except the few parts of the
byzantine fortification there are not other elemnts before the Period the knights were on the Island.The towers are few
and follow the natural design of the rocks.On the south foothill the tower with 5 sides was facintg the Port, the
settlement and the street whcih was leading from and to South Rhodes.
A huge cylindric tower existed on the east side facing the sea.Two more towers e cylindric and an angular wre on the
northeast side of the fortification.Today there are saved one on the northwest side and one on the west side of the
residency. On the 30th of december 1522 the Lindians surrender to the Turks. Around 16th to 17th century the use of
Canons made it neccessary for the construction of parapets. A small amoung of Turkish guards remained there till
1844.