Down in the southernmost Cyclades of the Aegean Sea, the volcanic island the Greeks call Thira or Thera (with a population of around 15,000) offers history lovers a dramatic blend of archaeology and landscape shaped by one of the ancient world’s most powerful volcanic eruptions. In the Bronze Age, the island was part of the great Minoan civilization, and around the 16th century BCE an eruption buried this settlement in ash, preserving it in remarkable detail. Today the Akrotiri archaeological site, just 20 minutes south of the island's capital Fira, is often compared to Pompeii. Visitors walk through a covered excavation of multi-story buildings, streets, and drainage systems, with vivid frescoes and everyday objects revealing a sophisticated prehistoric society.

Read more in Tripatini contributor Karen Anthony´s post 5 of Greece´s Best Islands for History.

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