  We study proper holomorphic maps between bounded symmetric domains $D$ and
$\Omega$. In particular, when $D$ and $\Omega$ are of the same rank $\ge 2$
such that all irreducible factors of $D$ are of rank $\ge 2$, we prove that any
proper holomorphic map from $D$ to $\Omega$ is a totally geodesic holomorphic
isometric embedding with respect to certain canonical K\"ahler metrics of $D$
and $\Omega$. We also obtain some results regarding holomorphic maps $F:D\to
\Omega$ which map minimal disks of $D$ properly into rank-$1$ characteristic
symmetric subspaces of $\Omega$. On the other hand, we obtain new rigidity
results regarding semi-product proper holomorphic maps between $D$ and $\Omega$
under a certain rank condition on $D$ and $\Omega$.
