Akrotiri, Santorini

Akrotiri is a prehistoric Minoan Bronze Age settlement on the southern end of Santorini, preserved under volcanic ash from the Theran eruption of around 1600 BCE in a manner comparable to Pompeii. Excavations have revealed multi-storey buildings with intact frescoes, sophisticated drainage systems, and evidence of a prosperous urban culture connected to trade networks across the eastern Mediterranean. The site is enclosed under a protective canopy that allows visitors to walk among the unearthed structures.