Santorini — Architecture and History of the Grecian Paradise
By: Team Kaarwan
Tags: Santorini, Travel, Greece, History, Architecture

Innumerable sunsets, breathtaking views and the colors of blue and white streaking the sky, even words are less to describe the unparalleled magic of Santorini!

Known for its beautiful Cycladic architecture with whitewashed houses, coloured domes, scenic spots and cubic forms standing amidst the rugged terrain of the volcanic scenery, Santorini never misses to find a place on our bucket lists! This peculiar architecture of Santorini is one of the major reasons it is world-famous and hence differentiates it from the neighbouring islands! You will soon figure out why!

How it all began!

Santorini island was previously known as Strongili which means round in Greek. Its history and evolution are closely linked to its geographical presence making it an important crossroad between the west and the east. Various searches and excavations showed that Phoenicians were the first settlers of this island, who named it Kallisti (the most beautiful) followed by Dorians from Sparta who named it Thera after their king, Theras. During the 9th century BC, Santorini was a Dorian colony and the settlement of Ancient Thera was its centre. In 630 BC the Santorinians made their first and only colony in Africa, the Ancient City of Cyrene following which Santorini became part of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Constantinople Santorini was under the rule of Marco Sanudo, who created the Duchy of Naxos. He later granted Santorini to Giacomo Barozzi, whose descendants ruled the island until 1480.

Source-http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/book/export/html/970

The name Santorini was given from the Crusaders, after a chapel of Saint Irene (Santa Irini). Following this Santorini faced Frankish and Turkish rule and had a flourishing shipping trade which included the export of goods like cotton, textiles, agricultural products and its famed wine. However, due to a massive volcanic explosion in 1956 BC, it is believed that it not only led to destruction of this civilisation but also the explosion was so strong that it led to the sinking of the center of Santorini. The desertation pervaded the island until 1970 when the tourism industry was introduced with the reconstruction of the island. This eventually led to more and more people visiting Santorini and now it is one of the most sought-after destinations worldwide.

Where Blue and white unite!

Source-Andre Vogi

While looking at the pictures of Santorini one cannot ignore the beautiful shades of blue and white that ties the entire village together. This balance has been established for various reasons. Firstly, the white colour came from a lime whitewash and since lime was a local product with antibacterial properties, to whitewash the buildings was an attempt to fight the epidemics that were ravaging the islands. The use of lime had the double advantage of not only preventing infections but also offering protection from the sun. The bulk of the buildings in Santorini was made from volcanic stone which worked well as an insulator, but its dark color also led to the buildings absorbing more heat, making it really hot to be indoors. The buildings were therefore painted white to reflect the harsh sun rays.

It is also stated that during the Turkish rule, the Greeks weren’t allowed to represent their patriotism for their nationality. Therefore, to revolt against the rulers, the Greeks started painting the houses with white later adding up the blue. During the years of 1967–1974, a military government established their power in Greece who set up a political agenda of displaying uniformity across the landscapes.This led to formation of a rule stating repainting all the houses in blue and white. Thereby, the towns started reflecting the colors of their flag and that became the trademark of Greece. Later this political strategy transformed into an economic strategy since the colour blue and white lead to an increase in tourist attraction and hence, brought a lot of forex to the country.

But why the color blue?

Blue was extensively used because it was cheap and readily available. A blue tinted cleaning agent called “loulaki” which was originally used for washing clothes was put in the limestone plaster which when reacted with it, dyed the solution blue. It was readily available with most households and since whitewashing was done up to three times a year, it was often the easiest color to use.

The architecture that binds it all!

“Some dug into the rock, others balancing right at the edge of the caldera, the buildings coexist so harmoniously that it is difficult to see where one begins and the other ends.”