Rhodos or Rodos is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, 18 km from the southern shore of Turkey. The island is 79.7 km long and 38 km wide, with a total area of apx. 1,400 square km. The principal town is the city of Rhodos with about 50,000 inhabitants. Outside the city the island is dotted with small villages and spa resorts.
The Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem ruled the island from 1310 to 1522. Historically The island was very famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodos has been declared a World Heritage Site. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.
The interior of the island is mountainous, sparsely inhabited and covered with forests of pine and cypress. While the shores are rocky, the island has arable strips of land where citrus fruit, wine grapes, vegetables, olives and other crops are grown.
The Rhodian population of fallow deer was found to be genetically distinct in 2005, and to be of urgent conservation concern. In Petaloudes Valley (“Valley of the Butterflies”), large numbers of tiger moths gather during the summer months. Mount Attavyros, at 1,216 meters, is the island’s highest point of elevation.
Rhodos has been occupied by many different people/powers throughout history: the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Dorians, Alexander the Great, Roman Empire, Crusaders, Ottomans, Italy/Germany (WWII) and Britain.