Museum of Prehistoric Thera
Photo: Own work — CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira displays artifacts from Akrotiri and other sites, including frescoes and the gold ibex figurine.
Planning your visit
Akrotiri was buried by the eruption that destroyed Thera around 1600 BC — a Bronze Age town preserved under volcanic ash, with multi-storey buildings, drainage and painted interiors, and no bodies, suggesting the population evacuated in time.
The Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira holds what was found there. The wall paintings are the outstanding material: the boxing boys, the antelopes, the spring fresco with swallows over red lilies, and the miniature frieze of a naval expedition — the earliest substantial body of painting in Europe, and unexpectedly fresh in colour and observation.
The gold ibex figurine, found in 1999 inside a wooden box, is the other headline object.
The site at Akrotiri itself, roofed and walkable, holds the architecture, and the two belong together.
The eruption's connection to the Atlantis legend and to the decline of Minoan Crete is much discussed and unresolved.
Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include guided tours. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Museum of Prehistoric Thera?
Museum of Prehistoric Thera is in Fira, Greece. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Museum of Prehistoric Thera?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Museum of Prehistoric Thera in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.