MEMOGRAPHER | Travel Photo Journal

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Oia or Ia is considered the oldest settlement on the Santorini island. A small town, previously known as Apano Meria (“upper side”), typifies the white-painted houses of the Cyclades, in many cases built directly into niches which are cave houses used by crew of the ships, on the lip of the volcanic crater, between which are narrow alleys and blue-roofed churches with cupolas. Oia reached the peak of prosperity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its economic prosperity was based on its merchant fleet, which plied trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially from Alexandria to Russia. The two-story captains’ houses built on the highest part of the village are a reminder of the village’s former affluence.

***Just FYI,

Until 1960, there was no electricity in Santorini, only donkeys and fishermen.

Blue and White represent the colors of the Greek flag. White represents purity, and blue symbolizes the sky and the sea.

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