Photos of the Week (2/2012 - Week 2) - The Island of Santorini, Greece

Santorini was named by the Latin Empire in the thirteenth century, and is a reference to Saint Irene, from the name of the old cathedal in the village of Perissa. Before then, it was known as Kallístē or Thēra.

Santorini is one of the best places on earth in regard to watch a sunset. In fact, few places can match the beauty of the view of the sunset of Santorini.

Hundreds of visitors to the island have been in love with the sunsets of the island. Most visitors agree the sunset of Santorini is a surreal experience. Cities and towns of Santorini are dotted with buildings that were built after the disastrous 1956 earthquake. Many of the oldest buildings collapsed in the earthquake and the new buildings, including hotels and restaurants have been built on the cliffs above all to offer visitors and residents alike, the beautiful views of natural beauty Santorini and its sunsets.

A brief history about Santorini

Considered by many to be the site of the legendary island nation of Atlantis, Santorini has a long and interesting history, being not only the catastrophic volcanic eruption that changed forever the island.

In antiquity, the island was subject to the various powers that ruled the Aegean. It moved from reliance League Delos to the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, Rome and finally the Byzantine Empire. From 1204 to 1579 was under the dominion of the Venetian Republic, until moving on to Ottoman rule. In 1840, the Treaty of London, joined to Greece.

Between 1628 and 1627 a. C. the eruption ended with a massive boiler explosion, the same type as the much more studied Krakatoa (Indonesia), in 1883. Because of the effect of the explosion, the island lost much of its surface, and launched a tsunami that devastated the eastern Mediterranean, causing, among other things, a serious crisis of the Minoan civilization of Crete. It seems that people found enough time to evacuate the island, carrying themselves many of their furniture. Marinatos popularized the idea that prehistoric explosion of Santorini is the origin of the myth of Atlantis.

The blast was very intense and the emission of dust obscured the atmosphere enough to that the fact was observed in China. The cooling time has been recorded in tree rings even in Canada. In Egypt, hieroglyphics dating from this period show the cloud struck; an Egyptian scribe wrote: The sun has disappeared, no one sees the shadow, the crops have died, we must now survive. This phenomenon lasted for nine days in Egypt, half-day in China and it is estimated that one hour in Antarctica.

During recent years, Santorini has become a quiet part of Greece, where residents engaged in fishing, agriculture, viniculture and cheese production. Santorini’s main industry is tourism, and thousands of people visit the island each year.

Santorini by Scott Young



The HD Video and still photos were taken on or near Santorini, Greece and were edited in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Santorini is an amazing place and I hope to go back there some day.


Panorama Photos