THE RICH HISTORY OF THE DODECANESE

The island complex of Dodecanese, which means “the Twelve Islands”, in south-eastern Aegean is the sunniest corner in Greece. With crystal clear waters, sandy or pebbly beaches, important archaeological finds, imposing Byzantine and medieval monuments it is no wonder that Homer sung their praises.

 

The Dodecanese chain of islands rose out of the sea and dominated the Aegean with their fast ships and their excellent sailors. Rhodes is the largest of these islands. Its citizens worshipped the sun and in its honour made an enormous bronze statue, the Colossus of Rhodes island.

In the southern part of the complex, there is the island of Karpathos with the hospitable people and the colorful diversities, the island of Kasos with its hidden treasures and the picturesque island of Kastellorizo.

 

In the west, Astypalaia with its main town being built over a rock penetrates the sea in a spectacular way. In the north of the Dodecanese, there are Kos, Leros and Kalymnos. Kos is the birthplace of Hippocrates and one of the most cosmopolitan islands in Greece. Leros is the birthplace of the ancient goddess Artemis and offers fascinating coasts. On the other side, Kalymnos is worldwide famous for its hiking spots and the local tradition of sponge diving. The island complex of Dodecanese is also complemented by magnificent Patmos, idyllic Simi, volcanic Nisyros, colorful Tilos, divine Lipsi and many more clusters of small islands and islets.

The first inhabitants in the island’s history are said to be the Telchines and Iliads. Much later the Cares and Achaies arrived and according to Homer, they took part in the Trojan War. The Dodecanese islanders were the first Greeks to become Christians. This was through the tireless efforts of St Paul, who made two journeys to the archipelago, and through St John, who was banished to Patmos, where he had his revelation. The early Byzantine era saw the islands prosper, but by the 7^th century AD they were plundered by a string of invaders.

 

By the early 14^th century it was the turn of the crusaders – the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, or Knights Hospitallers – who eventually became rulers of almost all the Dodecanese, building mighty fortifications, but not mighty enough to keep out the Turks in 1522. The Turks were ousted by the Italians in 1912 during a tussle over possession of Libya. Although the Italians made many public works, including ports, official buildings, and even restored the Medieval Town of Rhodes, the locals were always fighting for their independence. Finally, in 1947 with the Treaty of Paris, the Dodecanese islands became officially part of Greece.

 

So much history, so much life on twelve small islands – as ancient as the twelve gods of Olympos, as different as the twelve months of the year, as eternal as the sun.