Village at the northern tip of Santorini, Cyclades, Greece (n 36°28’, e 25°32’) Card 170x120mm with recycled envelope and biodegradable cello. Detailed caption on the reverse of the card. Card is blank for your own message.
Village at the northern tip of Santorini, Cyclades, Greece (n 36°28’, e 25°32’)
The island of Santorini, in the eastern Aegean, is the tip of an ancient volcano that exploded more than 3,500 years ago. The explosion destroyed everything but the rim of a volcanic crater and left behind quantities of ash and debris, on which houses and chapels were later built. In 1967, the Greek archaeologist Marinatos discovered remains on the island indicating an ancient culture similar to that of Minoan Crete. He suggested that before the cataclysmic explosion, Minoan Crete and Santorini had formed a single land mass, Atlantis, where there had lived a dazzling and sophisticated civilization that was engulfed by the waves and by fire, as related by Plato. The volcano’s explosion triggered a vast tidal wave and released a cloud of ash that dimmed the light of the sun for several years, ending the Minoans’ dominance in that region. But the mystery of the fabulous Atlantis, whose remnants might include Santorini, remains. Although the volcano has been dormant since 1950, a future eruption cannot be ruled out. Such an event would threaten the island’s 10,000 inhabitants and the many tourists who stay there in summer.
© Yann arthus-Bertrand/altitude - www.yannarthusbertrand.org - www.goodplanet.org
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