Visit Ancient Kamiros on Rhodes Island
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Greece is known and admired for its ancient sites. There is such a rich history here, it is nice that some of it remains for people to enjoy and from which to learn. Rhodes Island is no different. The site of Ancient Kamiros is an attraction you won’t want to miss.
About Ancient Kamiros on Rhodes Island
Ancient Kamiros is on the northwest coast of the island of Rhodes. It is about 50 km from Rhodes Town. During ancient times, Kamiros was a powerful town, along with Ialyssos and Lindos. During the 5th century BC, these three formed the powerful city-state of Rhodes. Ancient Kamiros was founded by the Dorians during prehistoric times. It would later be inhabited by Achaeans. Two separate earthquake would severely damage the town, one in 226 BC and one in 142 BC. The town was abandoned after the second quake hit. Items found at the site date back to the 8th century BC.
There were three levels to Ancient Kamiros. At the top of the hill was the Acropolis where the temple of the goddess Athena Kameiras was found. During the 6th century BC, a reservoir was built to serve the needs of the 400 families that lived in the area. A Stoa with two rooms and Doric columns was built around the reservoir. The Acropolis consisted of parallel streets and homes. The lower level of Ancient Kamiros is where the Doric temple dedicated to Apollo could be found as well as the Agora, where issues, mainly political, would be discussed.
In the 1850s and 1860s, Ancient Kamiros was first excavated. At this time, the Acropolis was discovered. In 1928, the Italian Archaeological School would also excavate and restore findings until the end of the Second World War. It was at this time that Italian rule over the Dodecanese ended.
Visit Ancient Kamiros on Rhodes Island
When visiting the island of Rhodes, Ancient Kamiros is a must-see site. The large site is open to exploration if you head to the higher levels, you will have a great view of the lower areas as well as the sea. You will easily get a sense of for how Ancient Kamiros felt back when it was an active town.
If you experience Ancient Kamiros with an experienced guide, you will have the added benefit of someone who can share their knowledge about the area and the ruins you are looking at. If you don’t have a guide, don’t worry, there are information boards posted to describe the ruins you’re looking at.
You will be impressed by the level of engineering it took to create the reservoir system. The water collection system is located toward the top of Ancient Kamiros. The baths at the bottom of the city are interesting to see. Parking is plentiful and there is a café and a shop on site.
You can get to Rhodes Island by plane, ferry, or cruise ship. Once on the island, you can rent a car, hail a taxi, or use the local bus service. Ancient Kamiros is just 50 km from Rhodes Town, so you won’t have any difficulty getting there as it is a popular tourist spot.
Visit Ancient Kamiros when on Rhodes Island, Greece.
Categorized in: About Rhodes Island, Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
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