Ancient Kameiros

Ancient Kameiros in Rhodes Dodecanese: The site of Ancient Kameiros is located on the northwest coast of the island, about 50 km from Rhodes. Kameiros was one of the most powerful towns in the ancient times and along with Lindos and Ialyssos, they formed the powerful city-state of Rhodes in the 5th century BC. Today, only a few remains stand from the town.

Ancient Kameiros was founded by the Dorians in the prehistoric times and it was later inhabited by the Achaeans. Items that have been found a date to as back as the 8th century BC. The town was destroyed two times by earthquakes, one in 226 BC and the second in 142 BC, after which it was abandoned.

Ancient Kameiros was built in three levels. On top of the hill, there was the Acropolis with the temple of the goddess Athena Kameiras. In the 6th century BC, a reservoir was built that could cover the needs of 400 families. Around this reservoir, the inhabitants constructed a Stoa with two rooms of Doric columns. The main settlement was built around the Acropolis and it had parallel streets and residences. The lower level consisted of a Doric temple dedicated to Apollo and the Agora, the place where political issues were discussed.

Ancient Kameiros was first excavated in the 1850s and the 1860s, where the Acropolis was found. In 1928, when Rhodes was still under Italian rule, the Italian Archaeological School continued the excavation and restoration works till the end of the Second World War when the Italian domination on the Dodecanese was over.