View source for Lindos

{{Infobox Greek Dimos
|name = Lindos
|name_local = Λίνδος
|type = municipal unit
|image_map = DE Lindion.svg 
|image_skyline = 20210826-Lindos-DJI 0205.jpg
|caption_skyline = Aerial view of Lindos
|city_flag =
|city_seal =
|coordinates = {{coord|36|05|N|28|05|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_min = 0
|elevation_max = 5
|map_caption = Location within Rhodes 
|periph = [[South Aegean]]
|periphunit         = [[Rhodes (regional unit)|Rhodes]]
|population_as_of = 2021 
|pop_municunit = 4496
|area_municunit = 178.9
|pop_community = 1096
|postal_code = 851 07
|area_code = 22440
|licence = ΚΧ, ΡΟ, ΡΚ
|website =
}}

'''Lindos''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɪ|n|d|ɒ|s}}; {{langx|grc|Λίνδος}}) is an [[archaeological site]], a fishing village and a former [[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipality]] on the island of [[Rhodes]], in the [[Dodecanese]], [[Greece]]. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit.<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web|url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q.|title=ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities|language=el|publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]]}}</ref> The municipal unit has an area of 178.9&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name=stat01>{{cite web|url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-21 }}</ref> It lies on the east coast of the island. It is about 40&nbsp;km south of the [[Rhodes (city)|city of Rhodes]] and its fine beaches make it a popular tourist and holiday destination. Lindos is situated in a large bay and faces the fishing village and small resort of [[Charaki]].

==History==
{{main|Lindus}}
According to myth, Lindos was founded by the [[Dorians]] led by the [[Tlepolemus|king Tlepolemus of Rhodes]], who arrived in about the 10th century BC. It was one of six Dorian cities in the area known as the Dorian Hexapolis. The eastern location of Rhodes made it a natural meeting place between the Greeks and the [[Phoenicia]]ns, and by the 8th century Lindos was a major trading centre. In the 6th century it was ruled by [[Cleobulus]], one of the [[Seven Sages of Greece]]. The importance of Lindos declined after the foundation of the city of Rhodes in the late 5th century BC.

In classical times the acropolis of Lindos was dominated by the massive temple of [[Athena]] Lindia, which attained its final form in around 300 BC. In [[Hellenistic]] and Roman times the temple precinct grew as more buildings were added. In early medieval times these buildings fell into disuse, and in the 14th century they were partly overlaid by a large fortress built on the acropolis by the Knights of St John to defend the island against the Ottomans.

==Acropolis==
[[File:Lindos View of the Acropolis and town from the north-east. Rhodes, Greece.jpg|thumb|left|The acropolis]]
Above the modern town rises the [[acropolis]] of Lindos, a natural citadel which was fortified successively by the [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]], the [[Roman Empire|Romans]], the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]], the [[Knights of St John]] and the [[Ottoman Empire|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:
[[File:Lindos the anciet ship.jpg|thumb|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 [[:File:Rhodian Trireme.jpg|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 (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 [[Eastern Orthodox Church|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 (film)|The Guns of Navarone]]'', were filmed here.

==Gallery (Acropolis)==
<gallery class="center">
File:Lindos Rhodes.jpg|View to the Acropolis
File:Staircase of the Propylaea (Lindos).jpg|Staircase of the Propylaea
File:Hellenistic stoa (Lindos) 01.jpg|Columns of the Hellenistic stoa
File:Acropolis of Lindos 01.jpg|View of the summit of the Acropolis
File:Rhodos Lindos Acropolis R02.jpg|Church of St. John on the Acropolis
File:Altstadt von Lindos.jpg|Panoramic view
File:20210826-Lindos-Acropolis-DJI 0200.jpg|Aerial view
File:20210826-Lindos-Acropolis-DJI 0208.jpg|Aerial view
File:Lindos, view from Ákra Soumáni.jpg|Lindos and St. Paul's Bay
</gallery>

==Excavations==
[[File:Ancient Greek theatre in Lindos 01.jpg|thumb|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.

==Climate==
Lindos has a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|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 {{convert|22|C}} and is Greece's warmest area annually. <ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url =https://www.meteo.gr/climate/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927081043/https://meteo.gr/climate/|archive-date=27 September 2022|title= Climate |publisher = National Observatory of Athens|language = el}}</ref><ref name="National Observatory of Athens">{{cite web | url=https://www.meteo.gr/article_view.cfm?entryID=173 | title=The warmest area of the country is | publisher=National Observatory of Athens | access-date=19 July 2021}}</ref> On average Lindos records 6.1 days each year with minimum temperatures over 30.0&nbsp;°C.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://meteosearch.meteo.gr/data/index.cfm | title=Meteo search | accessdate=21 March 2025}}</ref> In August 2021, the [[National Observatory of Athens]] station in Lindos registered the all-time highest mean monthly temperature in Europe.<ref name="Dimokratiki">{{cite web | url=https://www.dimokratiki.gr/01-09-2021/i-lindos-espase-to-rekor-ton-ypsiloteron-thermokrasion/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927235324/https://www.dimokratiki.gr/01-09-2021/i-lindos-espase-to-rekor-ton-ypsiloteron-thermokrasion/
|archive-date=27 September 2022| title=Η Λίνδος έσπασε το ρεκόρ των υψηλότερων θερμοκρασιών | date=September 2021 | publisher=Dimokratiki}}</ref> Also, during the summer of 2024, Lindos recorded the highest average summer temperature in [[Europe]] with {{convert|32.0|°C|1}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dimokratiki.gr/03-09-2024/proti-i-lindos-stin-evropi-me-tin-ypsiloteri-mesi-kalokerini-thermokrasia | title=Lindos tops summer average temperature European record | publisher=Dimokratiki newspaper | accessdate=3 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.anexartitos.gr/serres-emy-neo-rekor-mesi-megistis-thermokrasias-kalokairioy | title=Summer 2024 | publisher=Anexartitos newspaper | accessdate=3 September 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Climatic Atlas of Greece">{{cite web | url=http://climatlas.hnms.gr/sdi/ | title=Climatic Atlas of Greece | publisher=[[Hellenic National Meteorological Service]] | accessdate=28 September 2022}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = Lindos 65 m a.s.l.
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 21.9
| Feb record high C = 24.8
| Mar record high C = 25.9
| Apr record high C = 32.4
| May record high C = 36.2
| Jun record high C = 43.6
| Jul record high C = 43.6
| Aug record high C = 43.1
| Sep record high C = 39.8
| Oct record high C = 37.9
| Nov record high C = 27.2
| Dec record high C = 22.5
|Jan high C=16.4
|Feb high C=16.9
|Mar high C=18.6
|Apr high C=22.5
|May high C=26.9
|Jun high C=31.8
|Jul high C=35.5
|Aug high C=35.0
|Sep high C=31.6
|Oct high C=26.7
|Nov high C=22.0
|Dec high C=18.3

|Jan mean C= 13.8
|Feb mean C=14.2
|Mar mean C=15.7
|Apr mean C=19.1
|May mean C=23.2
|Jun mean C=27.9
|Jul mean C=31.5
|Aug mean C=31.4
|Sep mean C=28.2
|Oct mean C=23.7
|Nov mean C=19.4
|Dec mean C=15.8


|Jan low C= 11.3
|Feb low C= 11.6
|Mar low C= 12.8
|Apr low C=15.7
|May low C=19.5
|Jun low C=24.1
|Jul low C=27.6
|Aug low C=27.8
|Sep low C=24.8
|Oct low C=20.7
|Nov low C=16.7
|Dec low C= 13.2

| Jan record low C = 1.1
| Feb record low C = 3.3
| Mar record low C = 3.1
| Apr record low C = 9.4
| May record low C = 13.8
| Jun record low C = 16.8
| Jul record low C = 21.1
| Aug record low C = 24.0
| Sep record low C = 16.3
| Oct record low C = 13.1
| Nov record low C = 8.8
| Dec record low C = 4.3
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm=107.2
|Feb rain mm=74.5
|Mar rain mm=45.1
|Apr rain mm=10.8
|May rain mm=11.0
|Jun rain mm=2.5
|Jul rain mm=1.4
|Aug rain mm=0.04
|Sep rain mm=6.1
|Oct rain mm=22.5
|Nov rain mm=77.0
|Dec rain mm=123.9


|source 1=[[National Observatory of Athens]] (May 2014-Feb 2025)<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url =https://www.meteo.gr/climate/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927081043/https://meteo.gr/climate/|archive-date=27 September 2022|title= Climate |publisher = National Observatory of Athens|language = el}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.meteo.gr/Monthly_Bulletins.cfm | title=N.O.A Monthly Bulletins }}</ref>
|source 2=[[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name="WMO">{{cite web | url=https://oscar.wmo.int/surface/#/search/station/stationReportDetails/0-300-1-lindos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712151921/https://oscar.wmo.int/surface/#/search/station/stationReportDetails/0-300-1-lindos
|archive-date=12 July 2023 |title=World Meteorological Organization | accessdate=12 July 2023}}</ref>
}}

==Gallery (town)==
<gallery class="center">
File:Rhodos Lindos Panagia Church R01.jpg|The Byzantine ''Panagia'' church with the belltower is located in the centre of the village
File:Lindos173.JPG|The belltower
File:Vliha.jpg|The beach of Vliha Bay
File:Rhodos Lindos Street R02.jpg|View of a street
File:Altstadt Lindos06.jpg|Old house
File:Door in Lindos 01.jpg|Door at the town
File:St_Peter_Church_Lindos.jpg|The 13th century Greek Orthodox Church of St Peter
File:St_Paul_Church_Lindos.jpg|St Paul's church is now popular as a wedding chapel
File:Lindos 02.JPG|Beach of Lindos
File:Lindos Rhodes Greece 13.jpg|St Paul's Bay, where it is reported the apostle landed during a storm
</gallery>

==Notable people==

*[[Chares of Lindos]], sculptor, constructed the [[Colossus of Rhodes]]
*[[Cleobulus|Cleobulus of Lindos]]
*[[Patriarch Joannicius II of Constantinople]]
*[[:el:Ιωάννης Ζίγδης|Ioannis Zigdis]] (1913–1997), politician and economist

==See also==
* [[List of traditional Greek place names]]
* [[Chapel of Saint George Pahimahiotis]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikivoyage|Lindos}}
* [https://lindos-rhodes.gr/ Official website]

{{Rhodes div}}
{{Landmarks of Rhodes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Greece]]
[[Category:Acropoleis in Greece]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites on Rhodes]]
[[Category:Religion in ancient Rhodes]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Greece]]
[[Category:Populated places in Rhodes]]