Thera Wallpainting Exhibition

The discovery of the wall-paintings of Akrotiri, Thera, in the excavations (1967-1974) of Professor Spyridon Marinatos is of outstanding importance for our knowledge of the early Aegean world. It ranks alongside Schliemann's opening of the Shaft Graves of Mycenae in 1876 and Evan's uncovering of the Palace of Knossos with its collections of inscribed tablets in 1900.

Of all the finds unearthed in the excavations at Akrotiri, there can be little doubt that the wall-paintings constitute the most significant contribution to our knowledge of Aegean art and society. In technique, style and thematic content they are an invaluable object study for archaeologists, art historian, zoologists, botanists, chemists, and a host of other specialists, and a virtually inexhaustible source of information on the art, economy, environment, technology, manners and customs - indeed life in general - in the first half of the second millennium BC.

The Thera Foundation hopes that by making the wall-paintings of Akrotiri widely available for study and enjoyment it is making a significant contribution to the understanding of early Aegean culture.

Following the September '05 closure of Akrotiri  we took the initiative to create a virtual tour of the Akrotiri Archaeological Site. This walk through allowed visitors to gain an impression of the complexities and size of the site of Akrotiri. 

Since 2011 the exhibition is hosted at Santozeum.