If you are planning a trip to Rhodes Island for your next vacations then you have plenty of options for sightseeing and visiting different attractions. 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:
On the entrance of Mandraki harbour you will find the two deer statues guarding it. These are the sculptures of the unique Rhodian deer which has now become a symbol of Rhodes Island. Two deer statues - a doe and a stag are placed on slim and long Columns on the Entrance of Mandraki harbour. The statues look very appealing and never go unnoticed when you come to the pictorial harbour of Mandraki during Rhodes Holidays. To really know the importance and attraction of the two deer statues hold for your Rhodes holidays you must have knowledge about this unique specie of deer called Dama- Dama deer on island Rhodes.

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. There are many beliefs and stories related to the Rhodian deer and one of them is that they were brought to the island during Crusades in olden times. However, many sources and findings have revealed that they existed on the island since ancient times. Because of the abundance of deer found on the Rhodes Island in ancient times it was also known as “Elafioussa'(with a lot of deers)' 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. One of the reasons is the effectiveness of the deer to reduce the poisonous snakes that were previously found on the island and posed serious threats to human lives.

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 unique Rhodian deer specie is a must see attraction on island of Rhodes 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.

As you enter the Island of Rhodes from Mandraki harbour for your Rhodes Holidays, the Rhodian deer will welcome you. You can also book one of the Aparthotel Rhodes or Rhodes Town Hotels to get a closer look of the significant attractions in Rhodes.