Ancient Kamiros

Ancient Kamiros lies on the west coast of Rhodes, Greece, near Kalavarda, on a hillside that descends in terraces towards the Aegean. It was one of the three Dorian cities of Rhodes, together with Lindos and Ialyssos, which merged in 408 BC to found the city of Rhodes. After the merger Kamiros lost political importance, and a major earthquake in 142 BC badly damaged it. The settlement then declined and was not built over, which is why its layout survives so clearly. The site was excavated by Italian archaeologists from the 1920s. The remains are mostly Hellenistic and show a planned town on three levels. On the lowest terrace are the residential quarter, with the foundations of houses and their courtyards. A central street divides the houses, and several cisterns are visible, including a large Hellenistic water reservoir that supplied the town. On the middle terrace stand the remains of an agora, with a Doric fountain house and a stoa. The upper terrace holds the temple of Athena Kamiras and a long Doric stoa that once framed the acropolis. Foundations and partial column bases are the typical remains, rather than complete buildings, though some columns have been re-erected. Visitors walk along marked paths from the ticket office through the lower part up to the acropolis, with views over the sea. The site is an open-air archaeological park, not a curated museum, and information panels in Greek and English give an outline. Finds from Kamiros, including painted pottery and sculptures, are in the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes and in the British Museum. Preservation is good for the street plan but limited in height. A visit takes about an hour to ninety minutes. The site has little shade, and visits are best in the morning.