Santorini/Akrotiri Archaeological Site and Petros Nomikos Museum (Private Tour)
In memory of Professor Marinatos, who has discovered the prehistoric city and was killed in the area of the settlement in 1974, after falling into one of the excavation pits.
An ancient Minoan City is located to the south of the present village, where excavations still go on. Unfortunately, ongoing construction works at the site dictate that the site will remain closed for 2008, and until further notice.
This site has been known since 1870, when two members of the French Archaeological School, H. Mamet and H. Gorceix, conducted the first research. In 1899, Robert Zahn carried out minor excavations at the site of Potamos. The present excavations commenced in 1967 by Professor Marinatos, who was killed in the area of the settlement in 1974, after falling into one of the excavation pits. A large part of the city has been brought to light, but it is estimated that excavations will continue for many decades in the future.
Fantastically well preserved frescos were found covering the inner walls of the ancient houses. They were initially kept in a special department at the National Archaeological Museum in downtown Athens. Now they are, but two, back in Fira, at the local Archaeological Museum, BUT, there are reproductions of the whole set to be seen near Akrotiri, in the Petros M. Nomikos Conference Center.
The complete set of 41 reproductions was first presented in Greece during the 1st International Symposium on the Wall Paintings of Thera in 1997. Since then, the exhibition has been open to the public between May and October each year, attracting  an important number of visitors.
The tunnels of the Petros M. Nomikos Conference Centre have been providing a most suitable background for the display of the reproductions. They are beautifully incorporated in the setting, allowing the visitor to imagine how the original frescoes would have appeared on the walls of the prehistoric city of Akrotiri, where they were discovered some 30 years ago. It is really a rare opportunity for any visitor, whether scholar, tourist or Santorini resident, to be able to enjoy all of the 41 frescoes so far discovered, together for the first time since they were buried 3,500 years ago ... on Santorini, their actual birthplace.
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