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Acropolis of Rhodes

It is not Greece without an acropolis

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It is not Greece without an acropolis. And of course also Rhodes city (besides Lindos) has its acropolis, as a testimony to a past that still keeps its charm intact. The acropolis of Rhodes is located in the western part of the city, on the top of the hill dedicated to Aghios Stephanos, and renamed Mount Smith over the centuries, from where it dominates the entire capital of the island.

Mount Smith, located about 2 km west of the city of Rhodes, in a place that was once conceived not only as a fortified place, but also as an area intended to host the most important and rich buildings of the entire city. Of course there are almost no buildings left, with the exception of the ancient temple dedicated to Apollo Pythios, of which only three columns remain (which became the authentic symbol of the city of Rhodes) and the original platform of the Odeón, a classic Greek outdoor theater that contained 800 people and the ancient stadium, along a total of 201 meters. All these monuments have been given back to the world during excavations conducted on the island during the period of the Italian domination, from 1912 to 1943.

You can get to Mount Smith by car or even better with the scooter (to be rented on site), or if you are not going to rent any means of transport you can use public transport: the bus runs approximately every 30-40 minutes.

Once you arrive at your destination (we recommend comfortable shoes and a water reserve, you never know) on the top of Mount Smith (which is 112 meters high) you can admire not only the temple dedicated to Apollo Pythios, but you will also have opportunity to overlook the Old City and the island’s borders. An absolutely unmissable panorama, which alone is worth a trip.

Last curiosity: the hill where the various temples rise and these ruins is called Mount Smith by the British admiral Sydney Smith who settled on this hill to observe the movements of the enemies.