Santorini Greece

The Cyclades were built about 1.5 million years ago, By volcanic activity. Approximately 10,000 BC. Formed a round island called for its form Strongyle (the round). Later she received the name Kaliste, the beautiful. The island of Santorini was shown for the first time about 3000 BC. Chr. Inhabited by humans. In spite of the close Minoan influence of Crete, a distinct "Thera" culture developed, which already had a very high development standard. You can admire this today in the excavated settlement of Akrotiri.

The eruption of the Thera volcano around 1600 BC, A huge caldera (crater lake) burst free in the middle of the island and was probably the most powerful in the history of the earth. The three islands remained: Thera (main island), Thirassia and Aspronissi around the Caldera. The settlements were buried under the approximately 60 cm thick pumice layer. The inhabitants were warned by numerous earth shocks and were able to leave the island. After that, Santorin remained uninhabited for a long time. Approximately 900 v. The Dorians settled the island under the leadership of Theras. The Ancient Thera became the island capital and islands. 146 v. The Romans ruled. In 1204, Santorini fell to the Venetians and was renamed Santorini after the patron saint of Santa Irini. Subsequently, the island was in Turkish hands until it became part of the Greek state in 1832.

In the course of almost 2000 years the two lava islands of the Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni emerged from the sea, called by volcanic eruptions on the seabed in the caldera. The last eruption was recorded in 1950 and the volcano has been quiet since the 1956 earthquake. But not only the volcano caused the population to be frightened again and again, the Santorini often had to hide from the pirates in their cave dwellings.