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Ancient Thira
Ancient Thera, the Classical city of the island is located on Mesa Vouno, 396 m. above sea level. It was founded in the 9th century B.C. by Dorian colonists whose leader was Theras, and continued to be inhabited until the early Byzantine period.The preserved ruins belong to the Hellenistic and Roman phases of the city.
The most important monuments of the site are:
The Sanctuary of Artemidoros, entirely hewn in the rock, was founded by Artemidoros of Perge. Engraved on the face of the rock are epigrams and inscriptions, as well as the symbols of the gods worshipped: an eagle for Zeus, a lion for Apollo, a dolphin for Poseidon. Also engraved is the portrait of the wreathed Artemidoros, the founder of the sanctuary. The whole structure is dated to the end of the 4th or the beginning of the 3rd century B.C.
The Agora lies almost at the centre of the city. Its southern part was actually the commercial centre and the middle one was the administrative centre. The northern part was added in the Roman period and included a portico, monuments and temple-like buildings, erected in honor of distinguished persons.
The Royal Stoa (46 x 10 m.) was built in the time of Augustus . The main entrance is on the east side, towards the Agora and the roof was supported by an interior Doric colonnade along the axis of the building. Statues of members of the Ceasar's family were erected in the north part.
Temple of Dionysos. Small, Doric temple with a small cella and pronaos, built on an artificial terrace to the north of the Agora. The facade and roof were made of marble while the rest of the building was of local stone. Dated to the 3rd century B.C. (Hellenistic period).
Sanctuaries at the SE edge of the city. The area is occupied exclusively by sanctuaries, open-air or roofed and the square, where the Gymnopaediae were held in honor of Apollo Karneios. Engraved on the rocks are numerous inscriptions dating from the Archaic to the Roman period, referring to deities and youths.
The Sanctuary of Apollo Karneio, dated to the 6th century B.C., is partially hewn from the rock and partially built on an artificial terrace.
Gymnasium of the youths. It lies at the south edge of the city and dates from the 2nd century A.D. A small cave, partially hewn from the rock, was dedicated to Hermes and Heracles.
Cemeteries of Ancient Thera. They are located on the slopes of the Sellada, on either side of the roads that led to the north and south harbours of the ancient city, the modern villages of Kamari and Perissa, respectively. The graves uncovered span the long period between the Geometric and Roman times.
The Archaeological site of Akrotiri
It is one of the most important prehistoric settlements of the Aegean.. The various imported objects found in the buildings indicate the wide network of its external relations. Akrotiri was in contact with Crete but also communicated with the Greek Mainland, the Dodecanese, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt. The town's life came to an abrupt end in the last quarter of the 17th century B.C. when the inhabitants were obliged to abandon it as a result of severe earthquakes. The erruption followed. The volcanic materials covered the entire island and the town itself. These materials, however, have protected up to date the buildings and their contents, just like in Pompei. The most important buildings of the site are:
Xeste 3: Large edifice, at least two-storeys high, with fourteen rooms on each floor. Some of rooms were connected by multiple doors and decorated with magnificent wall-paintings. In one of them there was a "Lustral basin", which is considered a sacred area. The most interesting of the frescoes are the ones of the
Sector B possibly comprises two separate buildings, the one attached to the other. From the first floor of the western building, came the famous wall paintings of the Antelopes and the Boxing Children. The eastern building yielded the "fresco of the Monkeys", a composition of monkeys climbing on rocks at the side of a river.
The West House is a relatively small, but well-organized building. In the ground floor there are storerooms, workshops, a kitchen and a mill-installation. The first floor is occupied by a spacious chamber used for weaving activities, a room for the storage mainly of clay vessels, a lavatory and two rooms, the one next to the other, embellished with magnificent murals.
Complex Delta includes four houses. A room of the eastern building is decorated with the Spring fresco: the artist represented with special sensitivity a rocky landscape, planted with blossoming lilies, between which swallows fly in a variety of positions.
House of the Ladies. The large, two-storeyed building was named after the fresco with the Ladies and the Papyruses, which decorated the interior. The most interesting architectural feature of the building is a light-well constructed at its centre.
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