ancient Thera formerly Santorini
Island, southern Cyclades , Greece.
The remaining half of an exploded volcano, it surrounds a lagoon with volcanic cliffs rising to almost 1,000 ft (300 m). It was settled in the Bronze Age; Minoan remains date to before 2000 BC. One of the largest known volcanic eruptions occurred on the island с 1500 BC, depositing ash and pumice as far away as Egypt and Israel. The eruption has been linked to such phenomena as the miracles of the Exodus and the sinking of Atlantis . Excavations have revealed a rich Minoan city buried under the volcanic debris. It was resettled by Dorian invaders с 1000 BC.