Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes
Greek Islands
by Patricia Blackstock

Santorini
Tauck World Discovery - Wind Star Cruises -
Treasures of the Aegean - October, 2005
Santorini hills
Santori Island is widely considered to be site of the legendary lost continent of Atlantis as described by Egyptians and supported by ancient Greek writers such as Plato. According to Herodotus the Phoenics and later on the Doric colonists settled in the island which took its name from their leader, Thira.Around 1500 B.C. the violent explosion of the volcano submerged the central part of the island and created a huge underwater crater extending over 83 square miles, called the Caldera. During the Persian wars the island was conquered by the Persians and later in 420 B.C it belonged to the Athenians. Santorini was then named after the church of Saint Irene, when in 1207 A.D. it was subdued by the Venetians. During the years 1770-1774 it was under the possession of the Russians when on May of 1820 the flag of revolution was raised and finally in 1830 with a London protocol, Santorini joined the newly established country of Greece.
Santorini domes

Santorini
photo gallery
click here.
When the page loads, the photos will change every 10 seconds. Or you can
click the thumbnails on the left. Click out of the box when you finish viewing.
Santorini lunch

Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos windmills Mykonos from the Wind Star Mykonos church Mykonos Mykonos alley
Click above to Enlarge
Lunch in Santorini
WindStar tender
Mykonos dinner Mykonos houses Mykonos f;owers Mykonos church
Click each image above to enlarge. Mykonos is a rangle of white streets and cube-shaped houses, built into a maze of narrow lanes to defy the wind and pirate raids. Under Venetian rule from 1207, the islanders later set up the community of Mykonians in 1615 and flourished as a self-sufficient society.

Delos, Greece
Delos Ruins Delos Ruins Delos Ruins Delos Ruins Delos Ruins
Delos Ruins Delos view Delos Delos Archaeology Delos Archaeology
Small and uninhabited, Delos is one of the most important archaelogical sites in Greece. According to legend, Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo here. Ionians arrived about 1000 BC.The Terrace of the Lions faced the Sacred Lake (now filled.) The Sacred Way was the processional road, used by the pilgrims to reach the sanctuary.

The decline of Delos happened gradually through the first century BC and into the first century AD. Rome began to concentrate its attention on Rhodes as its eastern commercial port and the religious beliefs of ancient times slowly gave way to those of its varied inhabitants. Pillaging of the island began as early as the eight century AD but the real devastation of its buildings took place through the reign of the Ottoman Empire. The abundant supply of marble was crushed and used as building material and the bronze cramps that once held the ancient structures together were removed to aid in the increasing demand for metal.

What remains of Delos' history can be seen today, mainly through the efforts of the French School of Archaeology whose excavations of the site began in 1873. In digging through the vast collection of archaic ruins the story of the island began to unfold. Today, Delos has been internationally recognized for its importance as one of the most famous centers of ancient times. For more history on Delos, click here. Click each photo to enlarge.

For more information plus photos of the Greek Islands, please visit Alexis Moutopoulos, owner of Greeka.com/
Return to Site Map

This page by FunBeaches - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
I'm Patricia Blackstock, webmaster and owner of FunBeaches. Contact me.