Rhodes town with around 45.000 permanent inhabitants is the capital of Rhodes Island and of the Dodecanese Island complex. Rhodes town is built on the Northeastern edge of the island. The largest part of Rhodes island’s population and tourist industry is concentrated in Rhodes town, and economical activities flourish in that area. The city of Rhodes dates back to 408 BC, when the famous architect Ippodamos from Militos built the city according to the latest architectural techniques. Soon the city of Rhodes developed to one of the richest cities of Ancient Greece.

In 396 BC the citizens of Rhodes town, fought against the Persian Empires and the Spartans, as they have been members of the Athenian coalition. Few years later Rhodians left the Athenian coalition, because they did not abide to the rules set y the super power of the time. In 334 BC the island of Rhodes was conquered by the Macedonian army, which the locals managed to over through few years after the death of Alexander the Great.

From 305-304 BC the citizens of Rhodes have successfully resisted against the siege of Dimitios, who was send to conquer the Rhodes island by the Egyptians. The empire of the Ptolemy wanted to use the island of Rhodes, for its strategic position in the southeastern Mediterranean sea. At the end, thanks to the brave local inhabitants, he was forced to sign a peace treaty. It was then when the Rhodians constructed the Colossus of Rhodes, which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, to celebrate their victory towards their powerful enemy. Unfortunately gigantic monument did not stand in the port of Rhodes for more than a century. An earthquake in 227-226 BC destructed the famous monument. Here one can mention that its leftovers where sold as a trophy to the Saracens, who conquered the island of Rhodes, in 657 AD.

Rhodes town developed significantly after the foundation of Alexandria city. A sign of that development is that the local coins of Rhodes circulated all over the know world.
In the years of the Roman Empire Rhodes became more self-centered. Taking care of their own local interests, the Rhodians fought along with the Romans. The island of Rhodes was ravaged and conquered in 42 BC by Cassius.

For the following couple of centuries decay characterized Rhodes, and in the 2nd century AD another earthquake stroke and destroyed the beautiful island.

During the ancient years Rhodes town islands has been very “lucky”, managing to get through many difficult occasions. The strong sector of the economy of ancient Rhodes has been shipping, the commerce and the good exchange.

In the middle ages the Knights of Saint John became rules of Rhodes town and the island and in 1522 it became part of the Ottoman Empire. Centuries after that, in 1912, once again Rhodes town was under the Italian rule. That lasted only for a decade, as in1923 with the Treaty of Lausanne Rhodes became Greek again, along with the rest of the islands of the Dodecanese complex.

Today a visitor of Rhodes town can see the remnants of all these civilizations, which makes the town a unique phenomenon. The feeling provoked, while walking through the alleys of the old town of Rhodes cannot be compared with anything else. It is a town with a large and important historical heritage, which has at the same time a new modernized side. Universities and numerous impressing public buildings, which were conserved and rebuilt mainly by the Italians, consists the face of Rhodes town today.

Moreover thanks to its wonderful sweet climate of Rhodes and amazing sandy beaches, Rhodes town attracts millions of tourists from all over the world all year round. And therefore it becomes a city where people from different backgrounds, different nations meet. The Rhodes town hotels, built over the last 50 years, are plenty and able to serve all types of visitors. The island depends a lot on tourism and improves every year to attract and serve more and more tourists.

The town of Rhodes offers its visitors the pleasant mixture of all the civilizations that have characterized the European continent; from ancient Greek, to Alexander the Great, from Romans to Middle ages catholic Europe, from the oriental ottoman empire to modern Italy and Greece. The mixture of all these nations in one little corner of the world! It is unique, and is an extra reason to visit the island of Rhodes!

Hi World! I am Pavlos Mirmigakos and I am here to enlighten you with all the knowlegde I have gained from my travelling experience - and believe me it is a lot. WhatIi would like to narrate now is about the island of Rhodes. I have used information from http://www.rhodes-hotels.us/

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