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Rhodes Arts and Museums

Arts and Museums of Rhodes island Greece

Rhodes

Arts
The Municipality of Rhodes
The Museum of Modern Art: NESTORIDION MEGARON: The museum hosts a standing exhibition of modern Greek art and sculpture from the 20th century with works by Konstantinos Maleas, Konstantinos Parthenis, Spyros Vasiliou, Giannis Tsarouchis, Nikos Engonopoulos, Georgos Bouzianis and the younger artists Alekos Fasianos, Dimitris Mytaras and Kostas Tsoklis. It is a record of the history of Modern Greek art from its greatest artists.
On the 1st floor is the Modern Greek art exhibition up to 1960 with the subjects being landscapes, still life, portraits and scenes from daily life.
On the 2nd floor is a series of works from 1960 to the present day on the subjects of modern visual concerns and showing a range of styles. 
Tours and educational programmes are available.
Address: Gavril Haritou Sq., Ekato Hourmadies

The Municipal Art Gallery - Museum of Modern Greek Art: A definite port of call after strolls around the narrow streets of the Old Town is the Municipal Art Galley which exhibits part of the collection of Greek engravers while also displaying periodic exhibits of renowned Greek and foreign artists. 
Address: 2 Symis Sq., Old Town

Modern Art Centre - Museum of Modern Greek Art: The centre hosts the annual visual arts programme MOTER which supports and shows new artists from all over Greece. It includes works from painting and small sculptures to digital art, video art, photography, installations and other constructions.
Address: 179 Sokratous St. Old Town

The Municipal Εpavlis: This is a traditional building with a regal garden which has been laid out and operates as a cultural centre with a library, music department and exhibition space.

Museums
The Municipality of Rhodes
The Palace of the Grand Masters is the most imposing building in Old Town. Many rooms are adorned with early Christian mosaics from across the Dodecanese, ancient statues and imposing antiques and furniture. The room with an exact copy of the famed Laocoon sculpture is worth a visit. On the ground floor of the building is an archaeological exhibition laid out in line with a modern approach to museum display. The exhibits are presented in thematic units (early Christians and the Paleo-Christian years, economy, daily life, defence and administration and so on) while maps and audiovisual material provide the visitor with a strong image of the island's history from antiquity to the middle ages.
Address: Ippoton St., Old Town

Archaeological Museum: This museum is housed in the medieval Knight's Infirmary building. Construction was completed in 1489 by the famed Grand Master D'Aubusson. The building has two floors and an inner courtyard surrounded by cloisters and on all four sides. In the courtyard one's glance will surely be drawn to the Hellenistic statue of the lion and to the piles of stone catapult missiles, a reminder of the tens of sieges which the town endured. Along the length of the cloisters one can see numerous inscriptions, grave stelae and round altars. The museum exhibits are located on the first floor. In its small rooms overlooking the courtyard are grave finds from ancient Ialyssos and Kameiros from the Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods, vessels, statuettes, jewellery and metal objects. On the side of the facade in the large "patient's hall" one can see grave slabs from the period of rule by the Knights (14th - 16th century) and heraldic shields. The most interesting rooms are those housing the sculpture collection with works from the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Two headless Archaic kouros statues from Kameiros (550-530 BC), a grave stele of Krito and Timarista (420-410 BC) and the famed grave stele of Kalliarista (350 BC) stand out.
Lastly, from the marble head of Helios (250-160 BC), an excellent example of "Hellenistic Baroque" and the statue of the nude Aphrodite from 100 BC we can get a taste of Hellenistic art from its zenith on the island. The statue room leads out into a second, smaller courtyard where statues and grave monuments are also on display.
Address: Apellou St., Old Town

Folklore Museum: This museum includes a rich collection of local costumes, Rhodian, Lindian and European plates with rich, coloured plant or geometric designs and an embroidered bed curtain from the 17th - 18th century.
Address: Arygrokastrou Sq., Old Town

Byzantine Museum: This museum is housed next to Panaghia Nikis Church near Mylon Gate in the Old Town. It was built by the Grand Master in 1480 since the Virgin appeared at this location and granted victory to the town then under siege by the Turks. A purely gothic church, it was destroyed by the Turks during the siege of 1522 and the only remains left are the apses which are adjacent to the town walls. The museum contains wall paintings from the arch-roofed church of Aghios Zachariou at Finiki on Halki from the end of the 14th century and icons from the late Byzantine and post Byzantine period such as the Virgin Hodegetria from the mid 14th century.

Aquarium - Rhodes Hydrobiological Station This is one of the most important scientific research centres on marine life in Greece. Many species of fish and marine life from the Greek seas and tropical fish too live in suitably landscaped tanks. Stuffed mammals are on display as well as shells from all over the world. 

The Municipality of Archangelos
Archangelos Folklore Museum: The museum includes local costumes, old household items and agricultural tools and tools for painting, handicrafts, weaving and embroidery.

The Municipality of Attavyros
Embonas Folklore Museum: The museum is housed in a traditional building donated by the poet Ioannis Konstandakis. It includes household items from an old traditional house, agricultural tools, cookware and personal items from the donor.

Kritinia Folklore Museum: Traditional costumes, agricultural tools, looms and woven fabrics are on display.

The Municipality of Southern Rhodes
Asklipios Ecclesiastical - Folklore Museum: The ecclesiastical collection includes sacred vessels from the 16th to 18th century, icons, priests clothing, gospels, oil lamps, a font, bells, ancient columns and capitals and other objects. The folklore collection includes agricultural tool, a wheat grinding machine and household items from yesteryear. Among the exhibits the old equipment from an olive oil press which has survived intact is impressive.

The Municipality of Petaloudes
Natural History Museum in Butterfly Valley: The museum houses an incubating facility - butterfly display, library and information bureau from where one can by informative material. One can also see exhibits about the flora, fauna, minerals and rocks on Rhodes.
Bee-keeping and Bee Natural History Museum: See the amazing world of bees in transparent observation beehives and get to known the tradition and history of bee-keeping on Rhodes.
Learn about bees and their valuable products: honey, pollen, wax, propolis and royal jelly.
Unwind in the picnic area and enjoy what is a truly unique experience.

The Municipality of Lindos 
In an old house in Lindos from the 15th -16th century is the Ioannidis Collection which includes 71 plates, more than 200 household and decorative items and an 18th century wedding bed. 

The Municipality of Afandou
The small collection of Panaghia Church in the square in Afandou consists of icons, bibles, and the church's archive and photographs of former metropolitans. 

The Municipality of Kallithea
Koskinou Traditional House: In the centre of the village is a beautiful listed house where tradition, art and the grandeur of the village's residents lives on. Plates from Koskinou, embroidery and white thread embroidery work, a bridal bed, pottery and everyday items of folklore art are on display.

Libraries:
The Municipality of Rhodes
The Castellania Library in Ippokratous Square contains remarkable ancient books and a newspaper archive.
The Municipal Library is housed in the Epavlis Mansion, a traditional building which has been laid out and operates as a cultural centre with a library, music department and exhibition space.
Muslim Library: Founded in 1794 by Hafuz Ahmet Aga. It contains remarkable manuscripts such as the chronicle which describes the siege of Rhodes by the Turks in 1522.