The population of Rhodes is north of 115,000 souls and is difficult to estimate due to some settlements being located off the grid and not reporting to the municipality. Within this population, the predominant religion is Greek Orthodox, and the island of Rhodes is the seat of the Metropolis of Rhodes. Within this sect, there is a Catholic minority on the island of 2000 who are descendants of the Italian ancestors that had occupied the island and served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rhodes.
There is also a Turkish minority on the island which are the descendants of Greek Muslims that converted to Islam during the Ottoman occupation period, mainly arriving from the island of Crete and the region of Dodecanese. After the collapse of the Ottoman empire, there was a requirement for all those of the Islamic faith within Greece to resettle in Turkey. The people within this area were exempt, unlike the people living in Macedonia and Northern Greece. This is because the areas were under Italian administration, and kept the population within the state's borders. The minority has caused an organization of the Turkish Association of Rhodes which brings together about 3500 Greeks in the Islamic faith, but the number of Turks could be about 4000.
Finally, all Abrahamic religions are represented within the island, as a smaller minority are part of the Jewish community that was established in 1557 during the Ottoman era. The Kahal Shalom is the oldest synagogue in Greece and still stands in the old Jewish part of Rhodes. In the 1920s, the Jewish community made up about a third of the town's total population, and about 2000 Jews lived on the island in the 1940s. Unfortunately, this was also the time of the Holocaust, which saw most of the Jews deported and killed. There is a Jewish Museum in the town that was erected in 1997 to commemorate and protect Jewish culture.
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands which are located in Greece and make up the island group's historical capital. The principal town of the island is also called Rhodes and is the seat of the municipality. The city itself is home to about 45% of the population and is found nestled between Crete and Athens. Historically, Rhodes has been famous for the Colossus, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. There is an old town in Rhodes that has retained its medieval allure and is declared a World Heritage Site, which is located in the city of Rhodes. The economy of Rhodes is largely tourist-based, as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations.
Rhodes has several nicknames. Its patron god, Helios, is considered the god of the sun in Greek mythology. This has given Rhodes the nickname Island of The Sun, which some mistake for its sunny disposition and unique position.