Travel and Leisure

Rhodes Top Attraction: Guards of the Old Town

When coming for vacation to Rhodes Island you have plenty of choices when it comes to visiting the attraction and sightseeing. The wide variety of attractions that is offered by Rhodes Island is not matched by any other tourist destination in the world. When you come for Rhodes holidays to the old town, one of the main attractions you will find is the Rhodian Deer Statues.

Rhodian Deer Statues:
The Rhodian deer statues guard the Mandraki harbour. These are the sculptures of the unique Rhodian deer which has now become a symbol of Rhodes Island. The statues of deer on two slim columns are found on the entrance of harbour of Mandraki – one is a stag while the other is a doe. The statues look very appealing and never go unnoticed when you come to the pictorial harbour of Mandraki during Rhodes Holidays. The two deer statues represent the Dama – Dama deer of Rhodes and you can know about its importance and attraction they hold for Rhodes Holidays only by knowing about this unique Rhodian deer.

Dama-Dama- The Rhodian Deer:
The Dama-Dama deer also known as the Rhodian Deer is unique deer species found only on Rhodes Island in Greece. The traditions tell that the deer was introduced on the island in medieval times during Crusades. However, many sources and findings have revealed that they existed on the island since ancient times. Because of the abundance of deer found on the Rhodes Island in ancient times it was also known as “Elafioussa’(with a lot of deers)’ that means “with many deers” in the olden times. The Dama Dama deer is unique to Rhodes and existed in a large number on the island. When you enter the Mandraki harbour, you find the Rhodian deer statues on the entrance as they are the symbol of Rhodes.

Significance of the Dama Dama Deer:
The Dama Dama Deer of Rhodes is significant for many reasons. You can know about the significance of the deer from the fact that it was in many ways very effective against the poisonous snakes that previously overrun the island and were dangerous for human beings living there.

There are many stories, myths and beliefs that how the Dama Dama deer caused the number of the snakes to diminish greatly. All beliefs about the deer propose that the deer were in one way or the other very effective in minimizing the poisonous snake population.

Cause of Extinction:
During the times of Knights of St John the deer were reintroduced on the island. This allowed the deer to flourish during medieval times. During the Ottoman era they were hunted to extinction but were reintroduced later in 1930s by the Italians. Presently there is only a small number of Rhodian deer found on the island and that too in natural protected parks. The Dama Dama deer is not just important for maintaining balance in ecosystem but also as it is a symbol of Rhode’s glory. This beautiful specie of deer is found only in Rhodes and is one of the attractions for your Rhodes Holidays. Therefore, in order to appreciate the importance of the Dama Dama deer and its role in Rhodes, you must see the Rhodian Deer Statues.

Most Rhodes Town Hotels provide an easy access to different sites and attractions during Rhodes Holidays. Aparthotel Rhodes or Rhodes Town Hotels are easily available in the old town and new town of Rhodes.