The Ptolemaion - Rodini

In the area known as Rodini at the end of Lindou Street, there was a monastery called Rhodine in the Byzantine period, of which nothing has so far been discovered. The name has survived, however, of this green, very attractive area, which is crossed by a small stream. Generally speaking, the entire natural environment, with its rich vegetation is a relic of ancient times and has scarcely from the Hellenistic period to the present day. The area has been declared a protected monument, on account of both its exceptional natural beauty and its general archaeological importance.

Behind this park, there is a narrow, winding street leads to the Ptolemaion which is a tomb of enormous dimensions cut into soft rock, gives an idea of colossal monuments that were by no means rare in ancient Rhodes. In the Turkish period, this tomb was popularly known as ‘the hollow mountain’ but foreign travelers referred to it, as Ptolemaion, perhaps on the basis of a coin of the Ptolemies, once found here and perhaps from the imposing monuments built by the Rhodians in honour of their great benefactor Ptolemy.