Attavyros, Summit in Rhodes, Greece

Attavyros is the highest summit on the island of Rhodes in Greece, with bare rocky slopes that rise in a cone shape toward an open peak. The mountain sits in the central part of the island and stands clearly above the surrounding landscape on all sides.

A sanctuary dedicated to Zeus once stood at the top, used as far back as the Mycenaean period. Over the following centuries the site remained a reference point for the island's people even as religious practices shifted and changed.

The mountain's name comes from the altar to Zeus Atabyrios that Althaemenes founded near the summit, choosing the spot as the only point on Rhodes from which his homeland of Crete could be seen. Remains of the sanctuary lie close to the top, beside a Christian chapel. The peak also holds a fenced radome.

The most common starting point is the village of Embonas, from where the climb to the top takes several hours on a rocky trail with little shade. Solid footwear and enough water are needed, especially in warm months when the exposed path offers no shelter from the sun.

Althaemenes chose the summit as the one point on Rhodes from which his homeland of Crete could be seen, and the source puts Crete about 300 km away. The sanctuary of Zeus Atabyrios stood here, and its remains can still be seen near the top.