In ancient times the island of Rhodes was divided into the three

City States of Lindos, Ialysos and Kamiros which formed an alliance

to establish the city and its secure port of Rhodes. To enhance its
prestige the monumental ‘Colossus of Rhodes’ was conceived by

the sculptor Chares from Lindos, in the third century BC.

 

With its two natural harbours, the city of Lindos remained wealthy

and independent; known for its celebrated artists, sculptors and
engineers, as well as a pilgrimage destination to visit the famed
Temple to Athena situated in the massive fortified acropolis.

 

Over the centuries many invading forces have fought for control

of Rhodes, each leaving their individual mark. The Romans were
followed by the Goths, Byzantines, Persians, Saracens, Genoese,

The Knights of St John and the Ottomans. In 1317 one of the

Knights, Grand Master Fulcher of Villaret, established Lindos an

independent domain. 

 

When the Ottomans took control of the island in 1523, Lindos
continued as a flourishing trading port which led to the evolution

of a particular style of architecture, now known as Arhontiko --

the distinctive 17^th  century ‘Lindian Mansions’.