Rhodes, a shared heritage
The town and island of Rhodes possess a unique historical and cultural heritage. Blessed with a mild climate, fertile soil, ample sources of fresh water and densely forested, ancient Rhodes attracted settlers from many corners of the Mediterranean.
Strategically positioned between Africa, Europe and Asia the island developed early on into a hub of maritime trade routes and a cultural crossroads between east and west. With the passage of time, successive and often overlapping cultural, religious and ethnic identities resulted in an interconnected cultural heritage which is both characterized by its diversity and by its distinctly Rhodian character.
To varying degrees, many cultures, either through military conquest or more peaceful means, have contributed to the history of the island and left their mark: Minoans, Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans, Egyptians, Byzantines, Hospitaller knights, Sephardic Jews, Ottomans, Levantines and Italians. It is their combined heritage which makes up the rich cultural mosaic of Rhodes. A heritage that is shared by many different people in different countries and that connects them with each other and with Rhodes.
The Rhodes International Culture & Heritage Society (RICHeS) is a non-profit organisation established for the purpose of promoting this heritage and knowledge thereof to locals and visitors ('sharing') and thus to help preserve it for future generations. The RICHeS slogan expresses our philosophy: 'Rhodes, a shared heritage'.
Strategically positioned between Africa, Europe and Asia the island developed early on into a hub of maritime trade routes and a cultural crossroads between east and west. With the passage of time, successive and often overlapping cultural, religious and ethnic identities resulted in an interconnected cultural heritage which is both characterized by its diversity and by its distinctly Rhodian character.
To varying degrees, many cultures, either through military conquest or more peaceful means, have contributed to the history of the island and left their mark: Minoans, Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans, Egyptians, Byzantines, Hospitaller knights, Sephardic Jews, Ottomans, Levantines and Italians. It is their combined heritage which makes up the rich cultural mosaic of Rhodes. A heritage that is shared by many different people in different countries and that connects them with each other and with Rhodes.
The Rhodes International Culture & Heritage Society (RICHeS) is a non-profit organisation established for the purpose of promoting this heritage and knowledge thereof to locals and visitors ('sharing') and thus to help preserve it for future generations. The RICHeS slogan expresses our philosophy: 'Rhodes, a shared heritage'.
On occasion of the Fifth Anniversary of RICHeS and the Fifth RICHeS Open Doors / European Heritage Days 2014 this promo-spot was made. It is a celebration of the success of this event, the single most popular cultural heritage event in Rhodes. It was screened for a local audience on 17 December 2014 and it introduces motto that RICHeS has chosen to express our philosophy: 'Rhodes, a shared heritage'. For more information about us and our events, such as Open Doors, visit the relevant pages via the menu on this website.
