The furthest Greek island group from the mainland, the Dodecanese (Dhodhekánisos) lie close to the Turkish coast - some of the islands, like Kós and Kastellórizo, almost within hailing distance of Anatolia. Because of this position, and their remoteness from Athens, the islands have had a turbulent history: they were the scene of ferocious battles between German and British forces in 1943-44, and were only finally included in the modern Greek state in 1948 after centuries of occupation by Crusaders, Ottomans and Italians. Even now the threat (real or imagined) of invasion from Turkey is very much evident in the form of numerous military bases and smaller watch-points. Despite certain high-level civilian rapprochements which have taken place between Greece and Turkey in recent years, the Greek army and air force clearly prefer to keep their powder dry.

 

Whatever the rigours of the various occupations, their legacy includes a wonderful blend of architectural styles and of Eastern and Western cultures. Medieval Rhodes is the most famous, but almost every island has some Classical remains, a Crusaders' castle, a clutch of traditional villages and abundant grandiose public buildings. For these last the Italians, who occupied the Dodecanese from 1912 to 1943, are mainly responsible. In their determination to beautify the islands and turn them into a showplace for fascism they undertook public works, excavations and reconstruction on a massive scale; if historical accuracy was often sacrificed in the interests of style, only an expert is likely to complain. A more sinister aspect of the Italian administration was the attempted forcible Latinization of the populace: spoken Greek and Orthodox observance were banned in public from 1923 to 1943. The most tangible reminder of this policy is the (rapidly dwindling) number of older people who can still converse - and write - more fluently in Italian than in Greek.

Aside from this bilingualism, the Dodecanese themselves display a marked topographic and economic schizophrenia. The dry limestone outcrops of Kastellórizo, Symi, Hálki, Kássos and Kálymnos have always been forced to rely on the sea for their livelihoods, and the wealth generated by this maritime culture - especially during the nineteenth century - fostered the growth of attractive port towns. The sprawling, relatively fertile giants, Rhodes (Ródhos) and Kós , have recently seen their traditional agricultural economies almost totally displaced by a tourist industry grown up around good beaches and nightlife, as well as some of the most exciting historical monuments in the Aegean. Kárpathos lies somewhere in between, with a lightly forested north grafted on to a rocky limestone south; Tílos , despite its lack of trees, has ample water, though the green volcano-island of Níssyros does not. Léros shelters softer contours and more amenable terrain than its map outline would suggest, while Pátmos and Astypálea at the fringes of the archipelago offer architecture and landscapes more typical of the Cyclades.

The largest islands in the group are connected by regular ferries , and none (except for Kastellórizo, Astypálea and sometimes Tílos) is hard to reach. Rhodes is the main transport hub, with services to Turkey, Israel and Cyprus, as well as connections with Crete, the northeastern Aegean, the Cyclades and the mainland. Kálymnos and Kós are jointly an important secondary terminus, with a useful ferry based on Kálymnos, hydrofoil services using Kós as a focus and transfer point, and excursion boats based on Kós providing a valuable supplement to larger ferries arriving at uncivil hours.