Rhodes Island Top Attraction: Guards of the Ancient Town
On Rhodes Island there are a number of sightseeing places and attractive sites that you can visit during your vacations here. The wide variety of attractions that is offered by Rhodes Island is not matched by any other tourist destination in the world. Rhodian Deer Statues is one of the attractions in old town that you must see during your Rhodes Holidays.
Rhodian Deer Statues:
On the entrance of Mandraki harbour you will find the two deer statues guarding it. These are the sculptures of the unique Rhodian deer which has now become a symbol of Rhodes Island. When you enter the harbour of Mandraki, you will find two statues of deer on long, slim and elegant columns of which one is a doe and the other is a stag. The statues look very appealing and never go unnoticed when you come to the pictorial harbour of Mandraki during Rhodes Holidays. If you know the history and significance of the Dama Dama deer you will find the Rhodian deer statues in old town more interesting and attractive for your Rhodes Holidays.
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. There are many beliefs and stories related to the Rhodian deer and one of them is that they were brought to the island during Crusades in olden times. However, many sources and findings have revealed that they existed on the island since ancient times. In fact the Rhodes Island was previously recognized as “Elafioussa” which means having many deer’ 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. The statues of the deer which have now become a symbol of Rhodes are located on the entrance of Mandraki Harbour.
Significance of the Dama Dama Deer:
The Dama Dama Deer of Rhodes is significant for many reasons. One of the reasons is the effectiveness of the deer to reduce the poisonous snakes that were previously found on the island and posed serious threats to human lives.
There are many stories, myths and beliefs that how the Dama Dama deer caused the number of the snakes to diminish greatly. Nonetheless, all viewpoints propose in one way or the other that they were effectual in decreasing the snake population.
Cause of Extinction:
During the times of Knights of St John the deer were reintroduced on the island. This helped the deer to flourish and grow in number on the island in olden times. During the Ottoman era they were hunted to extinction but were reintroduced later in 1930s by the Italians. Today only a small population of the unique Rhodian deer is present on the island and they are treated as endangered animals. The Dama Dama deer is not just important for maintaining balance in ecosystem but also as it is a symbol of Rhode’s glory. The beautiful creature is found just in Rhodes and offer great attraction for 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.
