The aquarium

At the northern point of the island of Rhodes, in the broaden area of Niohoriou, built on a sandy stretch, that extends out provocatively in to the deep blue water, is the aquarium, were visitors can marvel the rare types of fish and other types of sea fauna. It is the first hydro biological station of Rhodes and it belongs to the National Center of Sea researches.

Its construction began in 1934, during the period of Italian possession of the Dodecanese (1912-1948), known as “ Reale Istituto di Ricerche Biologiche di Rodi” (Royal Institute of Sea Biology of Rhodes) and was completed in 1935. Its operation commenced in 1937 as a research unit while when the Dodecanese were united with Greece it came into the ownership of the Greek government and operated under the supervision of the Academy of Athens as a Greek Institute. Since 1963 it has operated as an Aquarium – Museum under the name of Hydro biological Station of Rhodes and operates as a model research unit in the Mediterranean, as it conducts research programs covering the whole of the spectra of the oceanography in the broaden area of the Dodecanese.

The building of the Aquarium has been marked by the Ministry of Culture as a Historical preservable monument, a distinct sample of Architecture of the “International Style”.

Yet apart from a research unit the Aquarium also operates as an exhibition, as one of its purposes is to preserve and present embalmed and live exhibitors of the Mediterranean sea. The approximately 200.000 visitors a year can marvel, in the basement of the building, all of the wealth of the sea life and generally, the sea ecosystem of the area. In the specially shaped tanks, that are full of sea water and have excellent stamping, one may see anthozoa, mollusc's, gastropods, crabs, sea – urchins, cephalopods, as well as turtles, while the atmosphere that the interior decoration, the stone walls and the low lighting create is exceptional. The collection that is housed in the basement of the Aquarium and includes embalmed sea mammals and large fishes, shells, corals as well as oceanographic instruments also presents great interest.

The aquarium of Rhodes is open on a daily basis from April to October, 9.00-21.00 and from November until March 9.00-16.30

STREET KO, Town of Rhodes

Tel 22410-27308 and 22410-78320

RHODES SIGHTS - THE AQUARIUM