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The Medieval Windmills of Rhodes

The Medieval Windmills of Rhodes

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To the untrained eye, the derelict stone buildings interspersed between the towns and verdant fields of Rhodes might look like yet another vestige of Greece’s ancient times. The truth, though, is far more complex, as these structures are the remnants of the island’s windmills, ingeniously designed to harness the power of the wind to grind grain into flour. Though their heyday has long passed, they remain a ubiquitous feature of the local landscape.

By: Omri Westmark

Date: 20:33 22.12.24

Last Update: 20:33 22.12.24

Abandoned Places Rural Urban Rhodes Greece Europe & Arctic Circle

Long before the advent of the modern electric power grid, windmills played a crucial role in the agriculture-based economies of that time. By harnessing wind power to grind grain into flour, they unlocked an infinite resource that revolutionized the labor-intensive process. It was during this period that the Greek island of Rhodes became dotted with these stone structures, remnants of which are now scattered across the countryside and towns.

Built predominantly during the medieval period, the windmills were used to grind grain brought in by ship, particularly when the Knights of Saint John dominated the island. The island’s position as a strategic hub in the Aegean Sea made these mills integral to both local sustenance and broader trade networks.

Perhaps the most iconic relic of this era is the three windmills situated along Mandráki Harbor’s breakwater jetty. Once part of a larger cluster of up to fourteen mills, these structures served ships unloading cargo at the port. While the mills’ current state is somewhat overshadowed by their once-industrious past, recent renovations have helped preserve their distinct silhouette. Located by the harbor, the trio forms a striking sight, with their shadows extending over the quay at dawn.

Whereas the Mandráki mills are the most notable, many others are found across Rhodes, some in ruins while others have been repurposed into homes or unassumingly hidden within the island’s rural areas. For instance, near the village of Gennadi, three mills still stand, albeit two have succumbed to the elements and are stripped of their wooden caps and internal mechanisms.

Nestled inland amid the sweeping valley plains, a windmill in Vati was discovered nearly intact as recently as the 1990s. Its remarkably preserved interior provides a rare glimpse into medieval engineering, where ingenious rotating timber caps allowed millers to convert the island’s steady winds into mechanical energy.

Unlike horizontal windmills found elsewhere in Greece, the tower mills of Rhodes boast a more sophisticated design, likely refined through contact with various technologies during the Crusades. Built from stone (a necessity due to the region’s seismic activity and scarcity of timber), they owe much of their durability to this material choice.

The rotating cap atop the building housed the windshaft and enabled the sails to be adjusted to prevailing wind directions, something that maximized their output well above their less-advanced counterparts.

In Rhodes Town, historical records suggest that windmills were integrated into the city’s ramparts, particularly within the English sector. These structures served a dual function, grinding essential supplies during sieges while also reinforcing the city’s defenses. Today, traces of other mills can be found in Lindos, Hohlakas, and near the island’s airport in Paradisión, although many are now little more than crumbling shells.

Intrepid visitors can still access some of the windmills that remain unguarded. After centuries of decay, much of their interior machinery is gone, leaving behind empty spaces often cluttered with litter. Be aware that, in some instances, the interior steps have deteriorated to such an extent that climbing them should be approached with utmost caution.