Santorini Greece Island
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SANTORINI HISTORY
Santorini History | Santorini Architecture | Santorini Churches | Santorini Museum | Santorini Volcano | Santorini Beaches
According to archaeological excavations first human life on Santorini is dated to the Neolithic Period. Around 3600 BC an important civilisation developed on the island as prove excavations made nearby Akrotiri and the Red Beach that found Minoan items.
The island was called Strongili is ancient times, meaning "circular" in Greek because of the shape of the island. But with the eruption of the Santorini's volcano in 1500 BC, the shape of the island changed and so did its name. The eruption was so strong that the entire island was destroyed and huge waves were formed, destructing the great Minoan civilisation of Crete.
Phoenicians settled on Santorini around 1300 BC and, in 1100 BC, the island was colonised by the Lacedemonian. In 825 the Phoenician alphabet was imported on Santorini, then named Thera (or Thira). Thera was effectuating commerce and trade with numerous islands and towns of Greece during the 7th and 6th century and became powerful and wealthy.
Then, during the Hellenistic Period the island of Thera became an important trade centre and a strategic naval base and one of the greatest powers of Greece.
The Byzantine domination started in 1200 AD and was followed by the Venetian one until 1579. Turkish occupation was next and lasted until 1821, date of the Greek Revolution.
Then the island was reunited to the newly built Greek State. During World War II the inhabitants of Santorini, like the one in the entire Greece, suffered strongly from the German and Italian occupation.
Since the 50's Santorini, along with cosmopolitan Mykonos, has seen tourism appeared and growing so much that it is today one of the top destination in the world and one of the most visited places of Greece, attracting thousands of visitors who want to admire its volcano, its beautiful villages, its fine beaches and participate to its intense night life.