Villages of Rhodes island

Villages of Rhodes island

Where do the names of the villages of Rhodes come from

Origin of naming villages of Rhodes. An etymological wandering in the history of our island.

Apolakkia: it got its name from the fact that it is built in the plain of the area and it looks like it is in a pit.

Arnitha: pre-Greek toponym in -inthos-intha such as Korinthos, Zakynthos.

Archangelos: by the Archangel Michael.

Archipolis: according to tradition, a prince named Archepolis came from Crete and chose to stay there to recover from a serious illness.

So he gave his name to the area. 

Apollona: from the temple of the god Apollo that existed in the area.

Asklipio: from a sanctuary in the area dedicated to Asclepius.

Afandou: from the location of the village between three hills, a fact that made the village “invisible” by pirates, or by the landowner of the area Efantos.

Ag. Isidoros: from the homonymous church that dominates the village square.

Vati: One version states that the name came about because the village was full of swamps. A second from the inscription “VATION HAIRE”. found in the area.

Gennadi: by the landowner of the Gennadi area.

Damatria: from the ancient goddess Dimitra.

Dymylia: from the two watermills that existed in the area.

Embonas: from the ancient word “ambon” which means mountain slope.

Eleousa: from the homonymous name of the Virgin Mary.

Theologos: from Agios Ioannis the Theologian.

Ialyssos: from Ialyssos the grandson of the Sun God.

Istrios: from the ancient Istros that existed in the area or from the landowner Istros.

Kalathos: from the ancient municipality “Klasioi” -K (a) erroneous.

Kalythies: from the kolytea plant that used to thrive in the whole area.

Kattavia: from the mythical ancestor Kattavos or from the ancient municipality of “Kattaveon” located in the area

Koskinou: by the landowner of the Koskina area.

Kremasti: from the famous hanging church of Panagia in the castle of the village or from the hanging rock, in which there was the fortress and the church.

Kritinia: its name means “little Crete” and was created by Althaimenis, grandson of the king of Crete Minos.

Kalavarda: from the tsiflika of the area called Bardas and was an old landowner of Byzantium.

Lachania: from the rich vegetation and abundant cabbages of the area.

Laerma: corruption of the ancient city “Ladarma”.

Lardos: from the ancient “Larto”.

Lindos: from Lindos, grandson of the Sun God.

Maritsa: from the estates of a local soldier, who had the military title Maritzas.

Malona: from the ancient word “malon”, Doric type of “apple”, which means a place with fruit trees.

Masari: its name means village in the mountains, in the center of the island.

Monolithos: from the huge monolith rock that dominates the village.

Mesanagros: from its location in the middle of the fields of the area.

Mandriko: one of the many herds in the area.

Paradisi: from the heavenly beauty of the village. It used to be called Villanova from the fortress built in the area by the great magician Elion Vilanova.

Pastida: the name of the village is Latin and comes from the word BASTIDA which means tower to guard the neighboring fortress of Ialyssos.

Platania: one of the many plane trees that once grew in the area.

Pilona: from the word gate, as it was formerly the southern entrance of Rhodes.

Profylia: corruption from the word propylaea.

Soroni: from the word “soron” which means oak forest and area with oaks, which were abundant in the area.

Salakos: by the landowner Salakos, who dominated the area.

Sianna: either from the ancient Municipality of Vrasiana that was based in the current area of ​​the village, or from the church of Osia Anna.

Fanes: either from the lamp, the lighthouse that existed in the area, or from the Temple of Fanaios Apollo.

Faliraki: from the name of the only tavern in the area. Until the 1950s it was called Pachynammos.

Psinthos: from the ancient Municipality of Sivynthia. Gradually the word Sivinthos became Psinthos.

(The etymological interpretations of some names are multiple and the person considered to be the most correct was preferred).