How Did Santorini Get Its Name?

Santorini was named by the Latin Empire in the thirteenth century, and is

a reference to Saint Irene, from the name of the old cathedral in the village of Perissa

– the name Santorini is a contraction of the name Santa Irini.

When did Thera become Santorini?

Greece: Secrets of the Past – Volcanic Eruption At Thera. Aerial view of Santorini today. In

1646 BC

a massive volcanic eruption, perhaps one of the largest ever witnessed by mankind, took place at Thera (present day Santorini), an island in the Aegean not far from Crete.

How did the Santorini volcano get its name?

According to the prominent Greek historian Herodotus, in the prehistoric times the island was initially called

Strogili due to its shape

. Strogili means round and it is how the island used to look like before the catastrophic volcanic eruption that changed the form of the island completely.

How Santorini was created?

Prior to 1620 BC, the island of Santorini, now known as Thera, was built up by

layers of lava created by overlapping shield volcanoes

, and it had experienced three significant eruptions that formed overlapping calderas, or collapsed magma chambers.

What does Santorini mean in Greek?

In Ancient times, Santorini Island was known as Stongili, which means

round

in Greek. … Strongili was the victim of an enormous volcano eruption in 1,500 BC.

Is Santorini going to erupt again?

Statistically, it

is very unlikely that the next eruption will

be of such magnitude, if it occurs in a timeframe of years to few centuries from now. It is supported by the argument that the volcano is believed to have long rest periods (thousands of years) preceeding such eruptions.

Is Santorini a supervolcano?

Santorini is a

volcanic Island group

at the central south end of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea (Greece). As a popular tourist destination in Greece, it is renowned for its spectacular sea-filled volcanic caldera sourrounded by steep colorful cliffs, the beauty of its villages and fields.

Is Santorini the lost city of Atlantis?

Santorini has often been connected with Atlantis

, the legendary continent that plunged to the bottom of the sea while it was at its zenith. … Finds from the excavations at Akrotiri have led scholars to conclude that the lost Atlantis was none other than Santorini.

Why is Santorini so popular?

Famous island: Santorini is the most famous island of Greece. Unique beauty: The island is worldwide famous for a good reason:

its breathtaking beauty

. … Traditional villages: The villages of Santorini are mostly built on the edge of huge cliffs offering amazing sea views.

How deep is the water around Santorini?

The water in the centre of the lagoon is

nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) deep

, so it is an ideal safe harbour for even the biggest ships. The island's ports are all in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outside of the island. The towns of Santorini cling to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon.

Why is Santorini white?

The white color reflects

the biggest part of the dazzling light

, preventing the houses from getting warm and that was a basic goal of the traditional architecture. Making the houses heat resistant, the summers are much more tolerable and pleasant.

Is Santorini volcano safe?

At present,

the volcano of Santorini is still dormant

, or “sleeping.” This means that it is indeed still active, but an explosion is not believed to be imminent. Smaller explosions have nonetheless continued to occur on Santorini throughout the centuries following the catastrophic eruption of 1613 BC.

What is Santorini best known for?

Arguably the most famous of the Greek islands, Santorini is instantly recognizable for its

whitewashed, cube-shaped buildings adorned with blue accents

, steep cliffs and tangerine sunsets that light up the sky and sea.

Is Santorini expensive?

And alas, Santorini (as with many Greek islands)

is an expensive island to live on

. One big consideration is that many prime living areas are taken up with hotels and holiday rentals. So finding accommodation for all year round can become pricey.

When was the last earthquake in Santorini?

Does Santorini have earthquakes?

A light earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale shook the island of Santorini at 11:21

. According to Athens National Observatory Geodynamics Institute, the earthquake's epicentre was located in the sea region 18km north-northeast of Santorini and 226 km southeast of Athens.