About Rhodes

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The Island of Rhodes opened like a flower from the watery depths, child of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, and then became the bride of the sun Pindaras 800 BC

According to Greek Mythology, Rhodes Island rose out of the sea as a gift to the Sun God Helios, who clothed it with light, giving to its title of island of 300 days of sun, the largest and the greenest of the Dodecanse Islands . The tranquil beaches, simple pleasures of a slower pace of life under the rejuvenating, sparkling seas, Rhodes Island is not just a destination for sun and sea holidays. It has a low cost of living and the visitor cannot ignore the magic of the history and mythology which has formed so much of present day civilization. Very near the entrance to the ancient harbor is the church of the Annunciation, the orthodox cathedral, in the gothic style, with wall-paintings by Fotis Kontoglou. In the whole of this area in front of Mandraki, as elsewhere, the Italians put up various buildings with large spaces between them. Among them is the Governor's Residence, a building with gothic arches all round, which stands a little to the north of the Church of the Annunciation. Today it houses the headquarters of the Prefecture. The other buildings include the Town Hall, the National Theater (opposite the Governor's Residence), and the law courts, south of the church of the Annunciation.

Next to the Governor's Residence is the Mosque of Murat Reis with the old the ottoman notables' cemetery. If you follow from here the main road which goes to the west coast, you pass the luxurious Hotel of the Roses which is also a casino.

On the northern outskirts of the city is the famous Aquarium (Hydro Biological Station of Rhodes ). The sandy beach to the west of the Yacht Club is one of the most popular on Rhodes . If you follow the Mandraki pier in the direction of the old town, you come to Nea Agora (New Market), a large, polygonal building with a series of arches on its facade and a large open space in the middle. Near hear in a beautiful garden and below the imposing walls and Palace of the Grand Master, are the installations for sound and vision performances.

Entering the medieval town through the Gate of Freedom, near the New Market (Mandraki), we come upon the Simis Sq. Here we will find exposed sparse remains of the Temple of Aphrodite. On the left is the Municipal Art Gallery containing works by famous Greek artists. Very close to the Gallery's building there is the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Inn of Auvergne. It was used as a hostel by the Knights where those who spoke one of their eight ‘tongues’, in this case that of Auvergne, were accommodated. A little further on the right is the beginning of the famous Street of the Knights, where we feel that it remained unattached by the passage of the 500 years since it was first built (14th century). Here the Gothic order predominates. The Inns of the various ‘Tongues’ stand in a row, with impressive arched doorways and important emblems carved above them.

Next, as we climb the hill to the direction of the Palace of the Grand master or the Castello as it is now called, we arrive to the Collachium, the quarter of the Knights,. On our right we will find the Inn of Italy and then the Inn of France, the largest one. Still on the right, the next building is the Inn of Province, while on the left is the Inn of Spain. In front of the Castello is the Loggia of St. John.

The Palace of the Grand Master, the most imposing building of the medieval town of Rhodes, is at the end of the Street of the Knights. It was built during the 14th century, but was damaged and almost completely demolished in 1856 by an explosion of gunpowder that was stored in its basement by the Turks. It was restored in 1939, during the Italian occupation. During the restoration, any effort was made to follow the original design. The Palace was intended by the fascist regime as a residence for the Italian King Vittorio Emmanuele II or for Mussolini.

Following the Orfeos St. from the Castello towards the south, we arrive at the clock - tower and the Mosque of Suleyman, before entering the Socrates St., the street that attracts most the visitors with its cafés, restaurants and stores.

Following down the Socrates St. we arrive at Ippokratous Square, a main attraction in Rhodes. Facing is the Court of Commerce, a fine, early 15th century building. Walking the Aristotle’s St., we come to a much bigger square the Square of the Jewish Martyrs. Our walk continues towards east, to the recently, partially restored church of St. Pateleimon (15th century) and the ruined church of Our Lady of Victory, which was built in the memory of the victorious outcome of the Turkish siege in 1480. On the left we will find the St. Catherine’s Gate. We are now at the front of the commercial harbor, where ferries and large cruise ships anchor.

We can return to Ippokratous Square, following the walls walking along the Ermou St., as we come upon the Museum Square. On the front stands the Inn of England and the Archaeological Museum that is housed in the restored building of the Hospital of the Knights (15th century) . Further down the main east coast road you will find Faliraki , probably the liveliest resort on the island with its many bars and restaurants.

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Aegean Homes provides expertise to their international clientel ensuring that buying a property abroad is an enjoyable, hassle free experience. The quality, designs, finish, pools and locations of our villas has resulted in Aegean Homes growing to be one of the largest developers on Rhodes Island.