When coming for vacation to Rhodes Island you have plenty of choices when it comes to visiting the attraction and sightseeing. The wide variety of attractions that is offered by Rhodes Island is not matched by any other tourist destination in the world. For your Rhodes holidays one of the attractions is the Rhodian Deer Statues in the old town of Rhodes.

Rhodian Deer Statues:
The Rhodian deer statues guard the Mandraki harbour. These are the sculptures of the unique Rhodian deer which has now become a symbol of Rhodes Island. At the entrance of Mandraki harbour the statues of deer are found – there is a doe and a stag placed on elegant, long and slim columns. The statues look very appealing and never go unnoticed when you come to the pictorial harbour of Mandraki during Rhodes Holidays. If you know the history and significance of the Dama Dama deer you will find the Rhodian deer statues in old town more interesting and attractive for your Rhodes Holidays.

Dama-Dama- The Rhodian Deer:
The Dama-Dama deer also known as the Rhodian Deer is unique deer species found only on Rhodes Island in Greece. According to legends, the deer was brought to the Island during the Crusades, many centuries ago, in medieval times. However, many sources and findings have revealed that they existed on the island since ancient times. In fact the Rhodes Island was previously recognized as “Elafioussa” which means having many deer’ that means “with many deers” in the olden times. The Dama Dama deer is unique to Rhodes and existed in a large number on the island. When you enter the Mandraki harbour, you find the Rhodian deer statues on the entrance as they are the symbol of Rhodes.

Significance of the Dama Dama Deer:
The Dama Dama Deer of Rhodes is significant for many reasons. You can know about the significance of the deer from the fact that it was in many ways very effective against the poisonous snakes that previously overrun the island and were dangerous for human beings living there.

There are many stories, myths and beliefs that how the Dama Dama deer caused the number of the snakes to diminish greatly. All beliefs about the deer propose that the deer were in one way or the other very effective in minimizing the poisonous snake population.

Cause of Extinction:
During the times of Knights of St John the deer were reintroduced on the island. This helped the deer community flourish and they grew greatly in medieval times. During the Ottoman era they were hunted to extinction but were reintroduced later in 1930s by the Italians. Presently there is only a small number of Rhodian deer found on the island and that too in natural protected parks. The Dama Dama deer is not just important for maintaining balance in ecosystem but also as it is a symbol of Rhode’s glory. The beautiful creature is found just in Rhodes and offer great attraction for Rhodes Holidays. Therefore, in order to appreciate the importance of the Dama Dama deer and its role in Rhodes, you must see the Rhodian Deer Statues.

Most Rhodes Town Hotels provide an easy access to different sites and attractions during Rhodes Holidays. We recommend that you choose a Aparthotel Rhodes like Rhodes Town Hotels in order to see the other attraction here too.