The famous villages on the rim (like Oia) were the houses of Greek sea captains. The donkeys still there today would have been hired then to carry their wares and treasures up the staircases from the ports when they returned home from sea.

There is an older Chora with a street maze also, but more in the middle of the island, in a much more defensible position.

> Most Greek islands have their Chora, the capital village, on a high point of the island.

Well, others are mostly at sea level, with only some high points. Thira has very little land at sea level.