ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF AKROTIRI, History - Ai Voice

Akrotiri, often called the “Pompeii of the Aegean” for its extraordinary state of preservation, is an exceptionally ancient settlement deeply influenced by Minoan civilization.

As you explore this fascinating site, imagine yourself in the heart of the Bronze Age, in a thriving Aegean port city. This was Akrotiri — a Cycladic settlement that prospered thanks to its strategic location between Crete and Cyprus.

Its houses were sturdy, rising two or three stories high, its streets were paved, and it even had a surprisingly advanced drainage system — a true masterpiece of prehistoric urban design. Here, people traded metals, wine, and ceramics, and the artistic style of the buildings clearly reflects strong Minoan influence from Crete: from the vivid frescoes to the inscribed tablets, everything reveals a refined and cosmopolitan community.

Its end, however, was as spectacular as it was tragic. In the mid-16th century B.C., one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history buried the city under meters of pumice and ash. Yet the inhabitants managed to evacuate: archaeologists found no human remains and few precious objects, suggesting that the population had time to flee in an orderly way....