Although the first excavations of Akrotiri were conducted by the French geologist F. Fouqueh in 1870! A more Systematic course of excavations on the area of Akrotiri began in 1967 and the aim of them was to prove that the volcanic eruption in Thera was the main factor that led to the collapse of the Minoan Civilization! A few years later the excavations started once again under the supervision of the archeologist Christos Doumas. 

Today, visitors can wander around the remains of the city, observe the narrow stone-paved alleys and admire the ruins of the imposing buildings that were made of mud and stones! Thus, because Akrotiri used to be a trade center, the basements of the houses were used as storages and workshops.

Another thing that the visitors of Akrotiri can admire, is the fresco paintings on the walls of the ancient settlement! Fresco is a technique that was used by the Minoans. The technique included mural painting executed upon freshly laid or wet lime plaster. The colors mostly used were white, yellow, red, brown, blue, and black. Overall, the frescoes in Akrotiri are thought to be extremely indicative of the Minoan art, because of being preserved in such a good state allowing the archaeologist to conduct thorough studies on them.