Akrotiri Archaeological Site on the Island of Santorini, Greece, is one of the most important prehistoric settlements in the Aegean and is sometimes called "Pompeii of the Aegean" because a catastrophic volcanic eruption buried the town about 1,700 years before Pompeii.
People lived in the area by the Late Neolithic period, with evidence extending back into the 5th-4th millennia BC. By the Late Bronze Age, Akrotiri was remarkably sophisticated. Archaeologists have uncovered multi-story buildings, paved streets, elaborate wall paintings, pottery, furniture, and an advanced drainage system. Some buildings even had toilets connected directly to the town's sewer network.
During the 17th century, the town was devastated by the enormous Thera eruption, and most buildings were destroyed and buried under volcanic ash and pumice. One of the greatest mysteries is what happened to the people. Archaeologists have found very few valuables and no unburied human remains within the excavated settlement. This suggests the inhabitants received a warning and left Akrotiri before the eruption, but no one knows where they went or what happened to them.
The ruins were discovered in 1967, and only part of the ancient settlement has been uncovered to date. A large bioclimatic roof covers the exposed ruins, and visitors walk on elevated pathways through the site so they can look down into the exposed areas without walking directly on the ruins.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Sophia |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
On the way back to Fira, we asked Aphrodite if we could stop by a vineyard. Needless to say, we were very surprised when she stopped at a dry volcanic field with a few low-lying plants. She explained that because the island faces strong winds, intense sunshine, and a dry climate, growers train the vines into low circular baskets called "kouloura." The basket-like vines protect the grapes from the wind and blowing volcanic materials, while their leaves provide shade from the intense Mediterranean sun.
Because Santorini receives very little summer rainfall, vineyards traditionally have to survive without irrigation. The vines rely primarily on winter rainfall stored in the porous volcanic soil, supplemented by nighttime humidity and dew. Their deep roots and low basket-shaped growth help them survive the island's long, hot, and windy summers.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Because Santorini has such a dry climate, cacti are prevalent throughout the island.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
While photographing the cacti, we noticed large numbers of small land snails clustered on plants, dry vegetation, fences, telephone poles, and other objects. During the island's hot, dry summers, the snails climb above the heated ground and enter a period of dormancy called "estivation." They seal themselves inside their shells to conserve moisture and may remain there until cooler temperatures and seasonal rains allow them to become active again.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
While walking through the villages, we noticed extensive use of dark volcanic stones set in lighter mortar, a traditional Santorini construction style.
The Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (Panagia ton Eisodion) was visible in the background.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The ornate white bell tower with a clock and large arched passageway marks one of the entrances into the traditional village of Megalochori and is part of the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (Panagia ton Eisodion).
After passing through the arch, we stopped by a war memorial honoring residents of Megalochori who died fighting for Greece during the Balkan War (1912-1913) and the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922).
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Aphrodite said she would take us somewhere off the tourist route, so we stopped by the Underground Caves of Megalochori, which most tourists don't have the chance to visit. The cave we visited was under a red traditional building and had an outside entrance. It is unknown when this cave was made, but caves in the area were known to exist in the 1700s. Because the volcanic deposits were soft, it was relatively easy to excavate underground rooms for food and wine storage, and some were used as extra living space.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The elaborate three-tiered Six-Bell Gateway Tower of the Church of Zoodochos Pigi functions as both a bell tower and an arched gateway over a village street.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Sophia |
The Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (Panagia ton Eisodion), one of Megalochori's prominent churches, stands out for its blue dome and ornate white bell-and-clock tower. When we entered Megalochori, we walked through the arch under the bell tower as shown in earlier pictures.
Just down the street was an elementary school with colorful paintings on its sides, so Kolohe had to record what an elementary school on Santorini looked like. We liked the school bus picture.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In Fira, Santorini's capital, the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral stands near the caldera's edge. Originally built in 1827, the cathedral was severely damaged in the devastating 1956 earthquake, then rebuilt and restored.
Next to the cathedral is the Hotel Atlantis, one of Santorini's most historically significant hotels. Built in 1952 to unusually high structural standards, it was one of the island's few buildings to survive the July 9, 1956 earthquake essentially unscathed. Consequently, it was converted into a hospital and public-service building.
In 1970, the building underwent a major restoration, and today it is a 25-room, four-star hotel with panoramic views across the caldera and volcano.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was originally built in 1823 and badly damaged in the 1956 earthquake. It has been rebuilt and restored to its original beauty, including its painted vaulted ceiling and dome, large framed religious paintings, columns, and ornate altar area.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Before going back to the ship, we walked around Fira looking for souvenirs. At one shop, Dr. Fish wanted me to put my feet in a tank with a school of piranha fish. After I declined, he convinced me they were really Garra rufa and that they only sucked off dead skin cells. He also had a tank you could immerse your entire body in, with 2,500 fish. I decided to decline his offer.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the downtown area, we found a shop that flying fish had attacked, an "I Love Santorini" sign, some unusual statues (one looking at us over the sign), a donkey (not real), and the cable car back down to the port.
When we arrived at our room, we found a sea turtle waiting on our bed.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Ashley |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
