1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of "Kamari"

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⭐ Core Definition: 1956 Amorgos earthquake

The 1956 Amorgos earthquake occurred at 03:11 UTC on July 9. It had a magnitude of 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX on the Mercalli intensity scale. The epicentre was to the south of the island of Amorgos, the easternmost island of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. There was significant damage on Amorgos and the neighbouring island of Santorini. It was the largest earthquake in Greece in the 20th century. It was followed 13 minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. It triggered a major tsunami with a maximum run-up of 30 m. The combined effects of the earthquake shaking and the tsunami caused the deaths of 53 people with a further 100 injured.

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👉 1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of Kamari

Kamari (Greek: Καμάρι) is a coastal village on the southeastern part of the Aegean island of Santorini, Greece, in the Cyclades archipelago with a population of 1,065 according to the 2021 census. It is part of theMunicipality of Thira and is situated approximately 8 km away from the island's capital Fira. Kamari was built by residents of the nearby village of Episkopi Gonias, which was almost flattened by a devastating earthquake that hit Santorini in July 1956.

The village got its name from a small arch (Greek: Καμάρα, Kamara) at the south end of its beach and is what remains from an old customs house (Greek: Παλιό Τελωνείο, Palió Teloneío) built between 1537 - 1650. This arch is also the site of annual Ephipany and Blessing of the Water tradition for the area.

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1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of Anydros

Anydros (Greek: Άνυδρος) is an uninhabited Greek islet in the municipality of Santorini, which is a group of islands in the Cyclades. It is north of the island Anafi, and southwest of Amorgos. It is sometimes called Greek: Αμοργοπούλα, romanized: Amorgopoúla. The island hosts a seismometer, part of the Greek national network, installed in 2025. An earthquake fault located near Anydros was the source of the 1956 Amorgos earthquake that registered 7.6 on the Richter scale and caused widespread damage on Amorgos and the island of Santorini, where dozens died.A second 7.5 quake and a 30-meter tsunami followed.

There were hundreds of minor earthquakes of up to magnitude 5 in an area around Anydros at the beginning of February 2025, causing concern in Santorini and causing more than half the population to leave the island. The seismic activity was attributed to tectonic plate movements rather than volcanism, and it was thought that it could last weeks.

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1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of Fira

Firá (Greek: Φηρά, pronounced [fiˈra], official name Φηρά Θήρας - Firá Thíras) is the modern capital of the Greek Aegean island of Santorini (Thera). A traditional settlement, "Firá" derives its name from an alternative pronunciation of "Thíra", the ancient name of the island itself.

Fira is a city of whitewashed houses built on the edge of the 400 metres (1,312 feet) high caldera on the western edge of the semi-circular island of Thera. The two main museums of interest are the Archaeological Museum of Thera, 30 metres (98 feet) east of the cable car entrance, and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera at the southeast corner of the White Orthodox Cathedral of Ypapanti ([it]), built on the site of an earlier church destroyed in the 1956 Amorgos earthquake. The town also hosts a number of churches, including the Cathedral of Ypapanti and the Three Bells of Fira.

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1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of Museum of Prehistoric Thera

36°25′07″N 25°26′13″E / 36.4185°N 25.4370°E / 36.4185; 25.4370

The Museum of Prehistoric Thera (Greek: Μουσείο Προϊστορικής Θήρας) is located in Fira, on the island of Santorini in Greece. It was built on the site of the old Ypapanti Church which was destroyed in the 1956 Amorgos earthquake.

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1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of Episkopi Gonias (village)

Episkopi Gonias (Greek: Επισκοπή Γωνιάς) also Mesa Gonia (Greek: Μέσα Γωνιά) is a village and a community on the island of Santorini in Greece, located 6 km southeast of the capital Fira.The village is built on the foothills of Profitis Ilias mountain and had 187 inhabitants according to the 2021 census. Episkopi Gonias was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake in 1956. As a result, most of its dwellers moved near the coast and built the village of Kamari. Today, Episkopi Gonias and Kamari comprise the community (Δημοτική Κοινότητα) of Episkopi Gonias with a total population of 1,252 (2021).

The village derives its name from Panagia Episkopi, a nearby 11th century Byzantine church which used to be the seat of the Orthodox diocese of Santorini.

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1956 Amorgos earthquake in the context of Archaeological Museum of Thera

36°25′13″N 25°25′51″E / 36.4202°N 25.4309°E / 36.4202; 25.4309

The Archaeological Museum of Thera is a museum in Fira, Santorini, Greece. It was built in 1960 to replace an older one which had collapsed by the 1956 Amorgos earthquake.

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