Lindos in the morning

The village of Lindos is about an hour by bus from Rhodes town. White houses gather together at the base of a small peninsula, with beautiful Aegean beach on both side. The top of the peninsula is the site of acropolis of ancient Lindos.

It was still chilly when I arrived in a small plaza near the entrance of the village. The village was quiet, other than a few people began to repair their house, there was only the sound of wind and wave. I walk along a narrow path dividing the sea side rocky slope and the village, hope that I could reach the ancient acropolis by the way. It seems there are many guest houses in the village, that surely is a result of tourism. After passing a small church and several flower garden, I reached the end of the village. With the sea on the left, there was a trail up to a slope covered by wild flowers, and 2 goats looking down. When I started climb, the goats went even higher, still looking at me. It seems they were guides leading me, to some place of their own.

After a short climb, I was on the edge of a cliff faces the sea, and there was a path climbing up to the fortified acropolis. Before the stairs to inner country yard, there was a sculpture of a galley, which shows the character of this ancient city. I climbed up the stairs. The gate of the fortress seemed to be an entrance to a time travel, and when I passed the gate house with curiosity and a little bit fear, I realised that it was. The inner country yard of the fortress belongs to classical time, with hellenic stoa and wide stair case leading to a higher platform. When I passed the columns of the stoa, I felt sacred scent in the air. The highest part of the acropolis is a small plaza, with an elegant temple stands on its left side, the Athena Lindia.

Though not much of its past is known, Lindos was one of the 3 city states on Rhodes in the classical time, and probably was the prevailing one. Originaly Aphrodite(in most case Aphrodite Urania) is the most popular deity of Asia minor or ancient Ionian cities. But it seems Lindians believed in Athena, and dedicated a beautiful altar of white marble to the goddess.