Museum of Prehistoric Thira, Santorini
Famous fresco of the Fisherman from Akrotiri. Public domain.
The new Museum of Prehistoric Thira (or Thera), which opened in 2000, has several frescoes and finds from Ancient Akrotiri, along with many objects imported from Crete and the northeastern Aegean Islands.
Some of the pots on display - cups, jugs and pithoi - are delicately painted with motifs familiar from the wall paintings. Note the fresco fragments with the painted swallows (who flocked here because they loved the cliffs) and the women in Minoan dresses. Fossilized olive leaves from 60,000 BC prove the olive to be indigenous.
It's best to visit both the Museum of Prehistoric Thira and the archaeological site at Ancient Akrotiri - in the same day, if possible.
At present, the museum occupies only a small part of its building, and expansions are anticipated in the near future.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Museum of Prehistoric Thira; Museum of Prehistoric Thera |
| Location: | Mitropoleos, behind Orthodox Cathedral and across the street from the bus stop, Fira, Greece |
| Phone: | 22860/22-217 |
| Hours: | Tues-Sun 8:30am-3pm |
| Cost: | 2€ combination ticket to this museum and the Archaeological Museum |
Sources
- Frommer's Greece, 5th ed. (2005).
- Museum of Prehistoric Thira - Welcome to Santorini
