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Rhodes la Grece History
Introduction
The island of Rhodes is situated at the crossroads of two major sea routes
of the Mediterranean between the Aegean Sea and the coast of the Middle
East, as well as Cyprus and Egypt. The meeting point of three continents, it
has known many civilizations.
Throughout its long history the different people who settled on Rhodes left
their mark in all aspects of the island's culture: art, language,
architecture. Its strategic position brought to the island great wealth and
made the city of Rhodes one of the leading cities of the ancient Greek
world.
Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese. Its capital city, located at
its northern tip, is the capital of the Prefecture with the Medieval Town in
its centre. In 1988 the Medieval Town was designated as a World Heritage
City. The Medieval Town of Rhodes is the result of different architectures
belonging to various historic eras, predominantly those of the Knights of
St. John.
Rhodes Grece History
Classical
period
The island was inhabited as early as the late Neolithic period (4000 B.C.).
In 408 B.C. the three major cities of the island - Ialyssos, Kamiros and
Lindos - founded the city of Rhodes. The three centuries that followed were
the golden age of Rhodes. Sea trade, skilled shipbuilders,and the careful
and open-minded political and diplomatic manoeuvres of the city kept it
strong and prosperous until Roman times.
In the same period, Rhodes produced excellent artistic work. The most
celebrated of all was the Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World, made between 304 and 293 B.C. by the Lyndian sculptor Hares. The
construction of the Colossus took 12 years and was finished in 282 BC. For
years, the statue, representing their sun god Helios, stood at the harbour
entrance, until a strong earthquake hit Rhodes about 226 BC. The city was
badly damaged, and the Colossus was demolished.
The urban plan of ancient Rhodes reflects directly the urban and
philosophical ideas of the famous ancient Greek planner, Hippodamus. The
street plan of the ancient city is known due to decades of archaeological
excavations. The building blocks (insulae) measure 47.70X26.50 m and all
have the same dimensions. They included 3 houses each and were surrounded by
streets 5-6 meters wide. Greater units constituted areas surrounded by wider
streets (8-11 meters). Every area included 36 insulae or 108 houses. The
ancient city had an extended and well-constructed sewage system as well as a
water supply network
Rhodes Grece History
Roman Period
The independence of the city came to an end in 164 B.C. when Rhodes became a
Province of the Roman Empire. But even as late as the 1st century A.D.
Rhodes preserved much of its splendour and developed into one of the
greatest centres of learning, science and the arts.
Apart from the surviving written sources, the archaeological research which
continues to this day gives us a clear idea of the level of civilization
during this period.
Rhodes Grece History
Early Chistian Period
During the early Christian period (330-650 A.D.) Rhodes belonged to the
eastern part of the Christianised Roman Empire, which is known in history as
the Byzantine Empire.
Though less significant and prosperous than before, the city was the See of
a Bishop and had a great number of churches, among them some basilicas of
impressive dimensions. It was also an important military base.
The Arabs, who appeared or the first time in the Mediterranean in the 7th
century, attacked Rhodes and occupied it for sïme decades. The city shrank
during the following centuries and was fortified with new walls. At the same
time it was divided into two zones, one reserved for the political and
military leadership and the other where the laymen lived, a division that
reflects the social reality of medieval times.
Due to lack of written sources we have little information concerning this
period. The restoration work of the Italians neglected or even harmed
surviving buildings in favour of the Knights’ period.
Rhodes Grece History
Knight's Period
In 1309 the island was sold to the Order of the Knights Hospitaliers of
Saint John of Jerusalem. The Order was established in the 12th century in
Jerusalem for the purpose of nursing pilgrims and crusaders, but soon enough
it was transformed into a combat unit and acquired vast tracts of land.
Having retreated from Jerusalem and then Cyprus, the Order established its
Headquarters on Rhodes, taking a leading role in the Eastern Mediterranean
at this time.
During the Knights’ era the fortifications were extended, modernized and
continuously reinforced. Á hospital, a palace and several churches were
among the many public buildings constructed at that time, offering
interesting examples of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Én spite of the
hostilities with the Ottoman Empire, sea trade was a source of wealth and
the markets of the city were thriving. Under the Knights, the island had a
period of prosperity and the relations between them and the local population
was characterized by tolerance and often by close collaboration. Most of the
streets of the Medieval Town coincided with those of the ancient city. The
division of the town into two parts was retained. in Rhodes the Order kept a
well-organized archive that included documents issued by its leadership,
correspondence, notary acts, etc. The archive has survived and is found
today in the National Library of Malta. It constitutes a valuable source of
information for the period.
Rhodes Grece History
Ottoman Period
In 1522 the Ottoman Turks conquered the city after a second long siege. New
buildings were constructed: mosques, public baths and mansions for the new
patrons. The Greeks were forced to abandon the fortified city and move to
new suburbs outside its walls.
In the Ottoman era Rhodes lost its international character. The city
maintained its main economic function as a market for the agricultural
products of the interior of the island and the surrounding small islands.
After the establishment of their sovereignty ïn the island, the Ottoman
Turks repaired the damaged fortifications, 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. Én this process most ïf 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 ïn the facades over the narrow
streets.In this this way most of the buildings of the Hospitaliers' 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.
In the Ottoman era Rhodes lost its international
character. The city maintained its main economic function as a market for
the agricultural products of the interior of the island and the surrounding
small islands.
After the establishment of their sovereignty ïn the island, the Ottoman
Turks repaired the damaged fortifications, 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. Én this process most ïf 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 ïn the facades over the narrow
streets.In this this way most of the buildings of the Hospitaliers' 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.
Én the l9th 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 plague the area.
Rhodes Grece History
Italian Period
Italian troops took over the island and the rest of the Dodecanese in 1912
and in 1923 Italy established a colony Isole Italiane del Egeo.
The Italians demolished the houses that had been built on and beside the
walls during the Ottoman era and turned the Jewish and Ottoman cemeteries
into a “green zone” surrounding the Medieval Town. They preserved the
remains of the Knights’ period and removed all the Ottoman additions and
also reconstructed the Grand Master’s Palace. In addition, they established
an Institute for the study of the History and Culture of the region.
The Italians undertook extensive infrastructure works (roads, electricity,
port, etc.) and radically transformed the town of Rhodes, which was supplied
with a new urban plan, building regulations and many new public and private
buildings.
Rhodes Grece History
Recent period
The English bombs that fell on the medieval city of Rhodes in 1944 claimed
human lives and destroyed a great number of buildings, leaving large gaps in
the urban tissue. One of the first Decrees of the Greek administration
designated those areas as reserved for future excavations and a number of
edifices as safeguarded buildings.
In 1957, a new city plan was approved by a Decree and in 1960 the entire
medieval town was designated as a protected monument by the Ministry of
Culture. In 1961 and 1963 new Decrees were issued concerning the new city
plan. They provided for the widening of existing streets and the opening of
new ones. These were not implemented in the old city due to the resistance
of the Archaeological Service. In 1988, the old town of Rhodes was
designated as a World Heritage City by UNESCO.
The Ministry of Culture, through the local Archaeological Service, is the
agency responsible by law for archaeological excavations and the
preservation of historic buildings and works of art.
One of the first tasks of the Archaeological Service was to reconstruct and
consolidate the extensively damaged fortifications and the building which
houses the Archaeological Museum. Upon excavation, the north-east corner of
the medieval city, which was bombed during the war, revealed the
fortification of the Hellenistic city in front of the ancient great port
(today’s commercial port). The scarcity of construction of new buildings in
the medieval city at that time gave the Archaeological Service very few
opportunities for excavations. On the other hand, the building boom of the
1970’s and 1980’s in areas outside the fortified city kept the
archaeologists busy.
Later excavations in a private plot brought to light two historic phases of
the wall of the Hellenistic city, one before and one after the siege of
Demetrios Poliorkitis (the Besieger) (305-304 B.C.).
The base of the clock tower and the square tower of the Hospitalier walls
further to the east were some of the few known surviving buildings of the
Byzantine era. In excavations after 1980, two major early Christian
basilicas in the medieval city were revealed. The east and a portion of the
south Byzantine wall were also discovered.The positions of the wall and
towers of the Collachio wall were identified.
In historic cities like Rhodes where contemporary life continues,
architectural conservation becomes a more complicated task. In an attempt to
cope with the complex new problems of the medieval city, the Ministry of
Culture, the Municipality of Rhodes and the Archaeological Receipts Fund
drew up a contract (1984) which resulted in the establishment, in 1985, of
the Office for the Conservation and Restoration of the Medieval Town of
Rhodes. The basic contract concerning the medieval town aims at the
enhancement of its historic and cultural character, the improvement of
living standards and the development of productive activities. The objective
of the contract is to produce city planning projects as well as restoration
studies, and also to carry out restoration projects and archaeological
excavations.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and with the agreement of the
Archaeological Service, the Office produced a new Decree for the old town.
In it the old town is designated as a town protected by the Ministry of
Planning. It proposes a land use plan separating the commercial centre from
the residential area, incorporates the regulations already mentioned above,
defines minimum distances between shops of the same trade and provides
building regulations for the few plots which have not yet been built on. In
an attempt to bring in close collaboration the Ministries of Culture and
Planning, the Decree provides that the Ministry of Culture, through its
local Archaeological Service, is responsible for its application. The Decree
was submitted to the Ministry of Planning for approval.
Parallel to the above, the Office for the Conservation of the Medieval City
has executed various conservation projects, which have been completed or are
in progress. Among them are:
Restoration of twenty-four residential buildings that are occupied by poor
families paying low rents. The buildings belong to various historic periods
so they present a mixture of building styles one next to the other.
Restoration of St. Catherine’s Hospice, a 15th century building, which was
restored to its original form. A bedroom of the period is represented in all
its details. It is used as an exhibition and seminar centre.
Construction of the Municipal Clinic. A residential building that had been
destroyed in the air raids was reconstructed and today houses the municipal
clinic of the medieval city. The reconstruction was based on pre-war
photographs.
Restoration of the House of the Orthodox Bishop, known as the Admiralty
Building. A 15th Century Hospitalier mansion with renaissance influences is
now under restoration and consolidation and will house the Public Archives
of the Dodecanese Islands.
Restoration and maintenance of the Municipal baths. Built by the Ottomans in
1581 and known as Yeni Hamam (New Baths), they served the residents of the
medieval city for more than four centuries. They are under restoration and
maintenance. During the works two previous layers have been revealed and
they will remain visible in some of the walls.
Construction of the city infrastructure. New water, sewerage, telephone,
fire protection and cable TV networks are included in this project. The
streets are being re-paved with traditional natural materials. At the same
time, open spaces are being designed to combine public parks, squares and
parking areas.
Illumination of the city walls. The fortifications have been illuminated at
night in an effort to discretely silhouette their most characteristic
features. The ramparts, the gates, the towers and sculptural decorations
have been accentuated through proper illumination.
The street lighting has been redesigned to achieve proper lighting of the
streets . The old streetlights have been preserved and maintained and new
ones have been installed. The project will continue in order to cover all
the streets of the medieval city while special lighting will be designed for
each of the squares.
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