Rhodope Περιφερειακή ενότητα Ροδόπης
Regional unit
Municipalities of Rhodope
Rhodope within Greece
Rhodope
Coordinates:41°05′N25°25′E / 41.083°N 25.417°E /41.083; 25.417
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Seat	Komotini
Area
• Total	2,543 km2 (982 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	104,262
• Density	41.00/km2 (106.2/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	69x xx
Area code	253x0
Vehicle registration	ΚΟ

Rhodope (Greek:Ροδόπη,Rodópi[roˈðopi]) is one of theregional units of Greece. It is part of theregion ofEast Macedonia and Thrace. Its name is derived from theRhodope Mountains, which cover the northern part of its territory. Together with the regional unitsEvros andXanthi, it forms the geographical region ofWestern Thrace. The capital of the prefecture is the city ofKomotini. The second largest town isSapes. Most of theMuslims of Thrace, the only officially recognized minority in Greece, are settled in this area, where they form around half of the regional unit's population.

Rhodope borders on the regional unitXanthi to the west andEvros to the east, and onBulgaria'sKardzhali Province to the north. TheAegean Sea lies to the south. The easternRhodope Mountains cover the northern part of the regional unit. Apart from the mountainous areas, the territory consists mainly of farmland, forests and grasslands.

The southern and the central part have a mainly Mediterranean climate, and the northern part a mainly continental climate with cold winters.

The regional unit Rhodope is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):^[2]

• Arriana (2)
• Iasmos (3)
• Komotini (1)
• Maroneia-Sapes (4)

In 2015 this regional unit has three seats in theHellenic Parliament.

Rhodope was established as aprefecture in 1930 (Greek:Νομός Ροδόπης), when the formerThrace Prefecture was divided into the Rhodope and Evros prefectures.^[3] In 1944Xanthi Prefecture was created from the western part of Rhodope Prefecture. Since the 1990s Rhodope cooperated with Evros in theRhodope-Evros Super-prefecture.

As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the prefecture was transformed into a regional unit within the East Macedonia and Thrace region, with no change in its boundaries. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.^[2]

The Rhodope regional unit had 104,380 in accordance with the 2021 census results, a decline from 112,039 inhabitants in the 2011 census results. The capital of the Regional unit isKomotini which has an estimated urban population of 55,000. It is the largest settlement in the regional unit. It also serves as the capital of theEastern Macedonia and Thrace administrative region.

• Province ofKomotini - Komotini
• Province ofSapes - Sapes

Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status inGreece.

• The ancient cityAnastasioupolis-Peritheorion with the medieval towers south-east ofAmaxades
• TheImaret of Komotini, one of the oldestOttoman monuments inThrace from 1360 - 1380
• ThePapikio mountain with the ruins of early Christian monasteries
• The trip route fromArriana to the east, as far as the borders withEvros, within the forest
• The suburban forest of Nymphaea, north ofKomotini
• The ancientMaronia
• The "Thracian Meteora" - scenic landscape with wild nature and wild horses north ofIasmos
• The circumcenter temple of 11th - 13th century ofMaximianoupolis - Mosynoupolis few km west ofKomotini
• Archaeological Museum of Komotini
• Folklore Museum of Komotini
• Byzantine Museum of Komotini
• Carathéodory Museum, dedicated toConstantin Carathéodory, inKomotini
• Thracian, Ethnological, Historical and Cultural museum, inKomotini

1. Petrota beach
2. Synaxi beach
3. Marmaritsa
4. Agios Charalampos' beach
5. Kangeles, nearMaronia
6. Platanitis
7. Alkyona
8. Proskynites' beach orKryoneri
9. Profitis Ilias
10. Imeros' beach
11. Karousmilou
12. Molyvoti
13. Chrysophora islet
14. Glyfada's beach
15. Paralia Mesis (withBlue flag 2014)
16. Arogi's beaches (1 of them withBlue flag 2014)
17. Fanari beaches (2 of them withBlue flag 2014)

• 
  Thracian Meteora.
• 
  The bridge ofKompsatos river of 17th century.
• 
  The ancient theatre ofMaronia.
• 
  Marmaritsa beach and the active rift ofMaronia -Makri.
• 
  Sandy beach inFanari.
• 
  Kangeles beach.
• 
  The post-Byzantine church ofDormition of the Mother of God inKomotini(1800).
• 
  The Imaret of Komotini.
• 
  The circumcenter temple ofMaximianoupolis - Mosynoupolis.
• 
  Organi village in mountainous Rhodope.
• 
  Gratini village.
• 
  Tower inAnastasioupolis - Peritheorion.
• 
  A traditional female costume of the Bulgarian community of Rodopi.

• GR-2/E90,Egnatia Highway, old and new, W, Cen., E, SE
• GR-53

• List of settlements in the Rhodope regional unit

• Rhodope Internet Portal

• Rhodope (regional unit)
• Regional units of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
• 1930 establishments in Greece
• Prefectures of Greece
• Rhodope Mountains

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• CS1 Greek-language sources (el)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Coordinates on Wikidata
• Articles containing Greek-language text
• Pages with Greek IPA