Ancient Thera

Ancient Thera (Greek: Αρχαία Θήρα) is an antique city on a ridge of the steep, 360 m high Messavouno mountain on the Greek island of Santorini. It was named after the mythical ruler of the island, Theras, and was inhabited from the 9th century BCE until 726 CE. Starting in 1895 the city was systematically investigated by Friedrich Hiller von Gaertringen, who excavated there until 1904. Later excavations by N. Zapheiropoulos between 1961 and 1982 under the auspices of the Archaeological Society of Athens unearthed the city's necropolis in Sellada. Findings from these excavations are on exhibit at the archaeological museum in Fira. Excavation work was again taken up between 1990 and 1994 under the leadership of Wolfram Hoepfner of the Free University of Berlin and resulted in a more precise understanding of the history of the southern Aegean.

Ancient Thera is today open to the public and can be reached on a winding road that starts at Kamari or several foot paths from both sides of the mountain.

The ancient city consisted of a street almost 800 m long and especially wide for its time (between two and four metres) extending in a southeastern direction and containing several imposing buildings. A small cul-de-sac branches off at right angles and at its termination, high up on the mountainside, were the headquarters of a garrison stationed in the city. After about 200 metres of street the city expands to cover an area of about 100 x 100 metres on an exposed plateau high above the rocky coast. Residential areas are grouped around an Agora which is across from a theater built into the lower slope. Separated off and facing the sea at the eastern tip of the plateau is a small sacred area with temple grounds and public facilities. All buildings are constructed of the local limestone of the mountain itself. Wood was rare on the island and seldom used for building.

At the base of the mountain at the edge of today's city (Kamari) was a necropolis which was used almost as long as the ancient city existed. The city also had a harbor, not yet precisely localized, which supposedly had shipyards and lodgings for sailors and soldiers. Ancient Thera had two seaports, namely Oia (Greek: Οία, not to be confused with modern Oia) and Elefsina (Greek: Ελευσίνα), located respectively at present-day Kamari and Perissa.

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