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Strung along the coast of western Turkey, the Dodecanese
archipelago is much closer to Asia Minor than to mainland
Greece. Because of their strategic and vulnerable position,
these islands have been subjected to an even greater catalogue
of invasions and occupations than the rest of Greece - Egyptians,
the Knights of St John, Turks and Italians have all done
their bit as conquerors. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese
islands and its town is the largest inhabited medieval settlement
in Europe.
The Avenue of the Knights is lined with magnificent medieval
buildings, the most impressive of which is the Palace of
the Grand Masters, restored, but never used, as a holiday
home for Mussolini. The imposing Acropolis of Lindos shares
its rocky outcrop with a Crusader castle above winding streets
with whitewashed, elaborately decorated houses.
Other popular islands in the Dodecanese include Kos, Symi
and Patmos. The untouristy islands of Lipsi and Tilos have
fantastic beaches without large crowds, and the far-flung
Agathonisi, Kastellorizo and Kassos are great places to
experience traditional island life. Kassos is a rocky little
place just south of Karpathos, populated only by prickly-pear
trees, sparse olive and fig trees, dry-stone walls, sheep
and goats.
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