Why is Santorini shaped the way it is?
Why is Santorini shaped the way it is? That explosive phenomenon of the volcano occurred continuously for the next 200,000 years and, every time an explosion occurred, it would further deepen the caldera, which ultimately shaped Santorini as it is today.
Is Santorini the lost city of Atlantis?
Later Atlantis suffered a terrible earthquake and a flood, sinking in its entirety into the sea. Finds from the excavations at Akrotiri have led scholars to conclude that the lost Atlantis was none other than Santorini. However over the centuries, as myth was retold, experts beg to differ.
What do Greek people call Santorini?
Santorini (Greek: Sa?t?????, pronounced [sado'rini]), officially Thira (Greek: T??a Greek pronunciation: ['?ira]) and Classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation /'???r?/), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland.
Why are houses white in Greece?
In the late 1930s, Greece was suffering from a cholera epidemic, and the nation's leader at the time, Ioannis Metaxas, ordered all Greek citizens to whitewash their houses. The whitewash used to paint the outside of citizens' homes contained limestone, which happens to be a potent disinfectant.
Why are roofs in Santorini domed?
It mainly had to do with construction reasons. Domes in general are one of the first structural forms humans worked with in stone architecture. Spherical domes are used in Greece from appx. 5,800 BC.
Why are Santorini houses domed?
It mainly had to do with construction reasons. Domes in general are one of the first structural forms humans worked with in stone architecture. Spherical domes are used in Greece from appx. 5,800 BC.
Why is Santorini so high up?
Santorini is made that bit more special by its extraordinary location. Thousands of years ago, a massive volcanic eruption caused the centre of the island to collapse, leaving a caldera or crater, with towering cliffs along one side of the island.
Why is Santorini on a cliff?
This island of black rock owes its unique, dramatic landscape to volcanic eruptions. A volcano, still active, stands at the center of a ring of islands, Santorini the longest. In between them is a vast, deep caldera, filled with water, surrounded by the islands' cliffs, volcanic rock, and black and red sand beaches.
How does Santorini get water?
Santorini really has no sources of natural drinking water. While a couple of new sea water desalination plants have been able to supply the main cities with clean water, many households still rely on collecting the winter rain fall in large tanks that sit on top of many houses.
What is the hidden city in Santorini?
But the buried city of Akrotiri was forgotten about until the 1860s. Workers quarrying ash to build the Suez canal dug down and discovered artefacts from the old city. Some small-scale digs took place but the remains stayed where they were for another hundred years until excavations began in 1967.
Why is Santorini all white?
At the beginning of the 20th century, during the war, serious deceases, like cholera, plagued the Greek islands. Whitewash is a cheap, disinfectant material that was used regularly to limit the contagion. Back to that era, it was probably the most effective or even the only medium available for disinfection.