Kamiros

Kamiros, which is located on the northwest side of the island of Rhodes, is one of three cities that dominated ancient times. Its decline was due to a natural migration to the city of Rhodes which began prior to the 1st century AD. It was brought back to life in 1929 by archeologists who accidentally discovered ancient graves in the area which by that time had been completely overgrown with foliage and trees.   Today, the Monastery of the Virgin Mary rests on the remains of the 3rd century BC Temple of Athena which in turn was built on top of an even older temple.  Due to it being distant from the coastal areas, the land surrounding the excavations does not have many visitors and today is primarily agricultural.  Still, the ruins are of immense importance and the drive there offers spectacular views as well as many small villages and their respective traditional lifestyles.