The acropolis of the ancient town of Rhodes was not established at a fortified site; on the contrary, it was rather a zone of monuments: nice temples, great sanctuaries, important public buildings and underground ritual places. It dominated the whole town as it was built at the west, on the hill of Aghios Stephanos, or Monte Smith, as the locals call it. The majority of the buildings where constructed in tiers and were supported by strong retaining walls. Most of the monuments surviving today are dated in the Hellenistic period and the natural environment goes very well along with human constructions.

Large scale excavations at the site were carried out by Italian archaeologists, during the Italian domination of the island (1912-1943). After the island was incorporated to the Greek territory, at the end of World War II, excavations continued and brought to light plenty of finds that enriched our knowledge about the place and its use. Up to now the site has not been totally excavated. The Archaeological Service of Greed has previewed to carry out excavations in future to an extent more than one square kilometre.

During the Italian domination there were also carried out extensive reconstructions, as it was common in this period of time. The Greek archaeologists restored the temple of Apollo Pythios, which had been damaged by bombes during the World War II and by the heavy guns established there by the Italians and the Germans. The restoration and conservation of the monuments are still in progress.