Lindos

[edit] The acropolis Above the modern town rises the acropolis of Lindos, a natural citadel which was fortified successively by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans. This makes the site difficult to excavate and interpret archaeologically. The acropolis has views of the surrounding harbours and coastline. On the acropolis of Lindos today parts of the following buildings may still be seen: Rhodian trireme The Doric Temple of Athena Lindia, dating from about 300 BC, built on the site of an earlier temple. Inside the temple is the table of offerings and the base of the cult statue of Athena. The Propylaea of the Sanctuary, also dating from the 4th century BC. A monumental staircase leads to a D-shaped stoa and a wall with five door openings. The Hellenistic stoa with lateral projecting wings, dating from about 200 BC. The stoa was 87 metres long and consisted of 42 columns. The well-known relief of a Rhodian trireme (warship) cut into the rock at the foot of the steps leading to the acropolis. On the bow stood a statue of General Hagesander, the work of the sculptor Pythokritos. The relief dates from about 180 BC. The Hellenistic staircase (2nd century BC) leading to the main archaeological area of the acropolis. Remains of a Roman temple, possibly dedicated to the Emperor Diocletian and dating from about 300 AD. The Acropolis is surrounded by a Hellenistic wall contemporary with the Propylaea and the stairway leading to the entrance to the site. A Roman inscription says that the wall and square towers were repaired at the expense of P Aelius Hagetor, the priest of Athena in the 2nd century AD. The Castle of the Knights of St John, built some time before 1317 on the foundations of older Byzantine fortifications. The walls and towers follow the natural conformation of the cliff. A pentagonal tower on the south side commanded the harbour, the settlement and the road from the south of the island. There was a large round tower on the east facing the sea and two more, one round and the other on a corner, on the northeast side of the enceinte. Today one of the towers at the southwest corner and one to the west survive. The Greek Orthodox Church of St John, dating from the 13th or 14th century and built on the ruins of a previous church, which may have been built as early as the 6th century. Some scenes of the well-known film The Guns of Navarone were filmed here.

[edit] View to the Acropolis Staircase of the Propylaea Columns of the Hellenistic stoa View of the summit of the Acropolis Church of St. John on the Acropolis Panoramic view Aerial view Aerial view Lindos and St. Paul's Bay

[edit] Ancient Greek theatre of Lindos Excavations were carried out at Lindos in the years 1900 to 1914 by the Carlsberg Institute of Denmark, directed by Karl Frederik Kinch and Christian Blinkenberg. The acropolis site was excavated down to bedrock and the foundations of all the buildings were uncovered. During the Italian occupation of the island (1912–1945) major restoration work was carried out on the Lindos acropolis, but it was poorly done and was harmful to the historic record. The north-east side of the Temple of Athena was restored. The monumental staircase to the propylaea was rebuilt and many of the columns of the Hellenistic stoa were re-erected. Large surfaces were covered with concrete. Bases and inscribed blocks were taken from their locations and placed along the restored walls. Judged by modern standards, this work took insufficient note of the evidence available from the excavations and in its methods did damage to the remains themselves. In recent years Greek and international archaeologists under the supervision of the Greek Ministry of Culture have been working to restore and protect the ancient buildings on the site.

[edit] Lindos has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) strongly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea. Lindos has mild winters and particularly hot and dry summers while rain falls mostly in the winter. Lindos has an annual average temperature of 22 °C (72 °F) and is Greece's warmest area annually. On average Lindos records 6.1 days each year with minimum temperatures over 30.0 °C. In August 2021, the National Observatory of Athens station in Lindos registered the all-time highest mean monthly temperature in Europe. Also, during the summer of 2024, Lindos recorded the highest average summer temperature in Europe with 32.0 °C (89.6 °F). Moreover, according to the Hellenic National Meteorological Service SE Rhodes, where Lindos is near, registers the highest mean annual sunshine in Greece with over 3.100 hours. Climate data for Lindos 65 m a.s.l. Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 21.9(71.4) 24.8(76.6) 25.9(78.6) 32.4(90.3) 36.2(97.2) 43.6(110.5) 43.6(110.5) 43.1(109.6) 39.8(103.6) 37.9(100.2) 27.2(81.0) 22.5(72.5) 43.6(110.5) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 16.4(61.5) 16.9(62.4) 18.7(65.7) 22.4(72.3) 26.8(80.2) 32(90) 35.4(95.7) 35(95) 31.6(88.9) 26.6(79.9) 22.1(71.8) 18.3(64.9) 25.2(77.4) Daily mean °C (°F) 13.8(56.8) 14.2(57.6) 15.8(60.4) 19(66) 23.1(73.6) 28.1(82.6) 31.5(88.7) 31.4(88.5) 28.2(82.8) 23.6(74.5) 19.5(67.1) 15.7(60.3) 22.0(71.6) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 11.3(52.3) 11.6(52.9) 12.9(55.2) 15.6(60.1) 19.5(67.1) 24.2(75.6) 27.6(81.7) 27.8(82.0) 24.8(76.6) 20.6(69.1) 16.9(62.4) 13.2(55.8) 18.8(65.9) Record low °C (°F) 1.1(34.0) 3.3(37.9) 3.1(37.6) 9.4(48.9) 13.8(56.8) 16.8(62.2) 21.1(70.0) 24.0(75.2) 16.3(61.3) 13.1(55.6) 8.8(47.8) 4.3(39.7) 1.1(34.0) Average rainfall mm (inches) 107.2(4.22) 74.5(2.93) 41.2(1.62) 24.1(0.95) 12.4(0.49) 2.3(0.09) 1.3(0.05) 0(0) 5.8(0.23) 22.8(0.90) 73(2.9) 123.9(4.88) 488.5(19.26) Source 1: National Observatory of Athens (May 2014-Nov 2025) Source 2: World Meteorological Organization

[edit] The Byzantine Panagia church with the belltower is located in the centre of the village The belltower The beach of Vliha Bay View of a street Old house Door at the town The 13th century Greek Orthodox Church of St Peter St Paul's church is now popular as a wedding chapel Beach of Lindos St Paul's Bay, where it is reported the apostle landed during a storm

[edit] Chares of Lindos, sculptor, constructed the Colossus of Rhodes Cleobulus of Lindos Patriarch Joannicius II of Constantinople Ioannis Zigdis (1913–1997), politician and economist