square kilometres, being 79.7 km long and 38 km wide. The city of Rhodes is the capital of the Dodecanese Prefecture, a group of islands formerly known as the Southern Sporades. It is a cosmopolitan island that offer developed tourist facilities. Dozens of beaches and numerous sights make Rhodes number one in your preferences. Rich in mythic and Rhodeshistorical tradition, Rhodes was first settled by the Minoans of Crete and then by the Myceneans and the Dorians. By the 5th century BC the island's three major cities, Lindos, Ialisos and Kamiros formed a commonwealth and contributed to the building of a new capital, "Rose City", or "Rodos" in Greek. The island ruled its surrounding region both in trade and in military terms, and it became one of the leading powers of the Eastern Mediterranean around the time of Alexander the Great, in the 4th century BC. The beautiful city of Rhodes is the capital of the island of Rhodes and the capital of the Dodecanese group of islands and prefecture. It is divided into two parts: the Old, Medieval city and the New City. The Old City is surrounded by strong walls and is one of the biggest and best preserved medieval settlements of Europe. The medieval city is full of buildings testifying about the past and the history of the island, passing by antiquity, Byzantine times, middle Ages and Turkish rule.