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Comment by ashishb

7 hours ago

Everyone goes for the blue domes.

The real historic sites can be seen via

  - taking a boat tour to the dead volcano "Caldera"
  - visiting the Prehistoric ruins at Akrotiri (south side of the island)

The weirdest thing about this island is that everything is built on a caldera rim, much higher than sea level. Extremely unusual for an island.

https://ashishb.net/travel/greece/santorini/

> The weirdest thing about this island is that everything is built on a caldera rim, much higher than sea level. Extremely unusual for an island.

Most Greek islands have their Chora, the capital village, on a high point of the island. This was for defense reasons against pirates and other potential attackers.

  • > Most Greek islands have their Chora, the capital village, on a high point of the island.

    Well, others are mostly at sea level, with only some high points. Thira has very little land at sea level.

    • True, it's rare to have that little low-lying land even on Greek islands. But the seaside towns are regardless a modern addition to the other islands, barring the biggest fortified ones. Too vulnerable.