The “Treasure of the “Noble Village” of the Pelion Mountains of Thessaly, Northern Greece, is the Byzantine Museum. On a pleasant summer afternoon, we stopped by the village on a Kapogiannis tour with guide Kostoula. I went up winding stairs to see the Byzantine Museum.
“We have a marble sculpture icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” said the museum administrator. “St. Mark’s Basilica has a similar sculpture,” Theconographic style originated from the 13th century. When I returned home, I researched. On the façade detail of St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice, is a relief of the Virgin Mary. A free download is available1.
Virgin Mary marble relief sculpture
The works of Theofilos Hatzimichael had a special exhibit during my visit. The 18-19 century heirlooms include: Greek and Russian icons; sacred Greek Orthodox vessels; clerical vestments; wood carvings of icons, frames, crosses, and picture frames; banners of saints; Holy Easter Friday epitaphs; paintings to Holy Land pilgrimages; and rare religious books.
“It is great pleasure that we welcome you to the website of the Byzantine Museum “Oxeia Episkepsis” of the First Dormition Church of Makrinitsa,” said Metropolitan Dimitriados. Visit the virtual museum.2
The tale of the refugee describes the Greek Nation from the Fall of Constantinople till the 1821 Greek Revolution. “For a good man to leave his city, his rich fields and go a-begging is of all things the most miserable. Wandering with mother dear and aged father with little children and wedded wife. For hateful shall such an one be among all those to whom he be among, all those to whom he shall come in bondage, to want loathsome penury (poverty) and doth shame to his lineage and belie his noble beauty followed by all evil and dishonor,” – ancient Greek poet Tyrtaeus.1
The late Apostolia Papadopoulou.
Exile, a person without a country was the life of a Greek. But it was more bitter for the vast and less fortunate majority of Greeks from the conquered Byzantine Empire. Victor Davis Hanson, Classicist, military historian, and political commentator explained the horrific treatment of Greeks and Armenians who experienced genocide under Ottoman rule. “Greeks experienced from 1453 with the Fall of Constantinople, 400 years of Ottoman rule that ended in horrific treatment in Smyrna 1922,” he said.2
Dr. Isaak Papadopoulos, Assistant Professor of Pedagogy and Literacy Department of Early Childhood Education and Care at the International Hellenic University Thessaloniki, Alexander Campus in Sindos, related the amazing story of his late grandmother, Apostolia Papadopoulou, who passed away in October 2023. Mrs. Papadopoulou was “ a remarkable individual whose roots traced back to the rich cultural tapestry of Asia Minor. She passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy deeply intertwined with the heritage and traditions of her ancestors. Apostolia Papadopoulou was not only a guardian of her family’s cultural heritage, but also a beloved grandmother.” She inspired Dr. Isaak Papadopoulos to be a scholar, contributing to the perpetuation of the culture of the Greek community of Asia Minor/Western Anatolia. Grandparents inspire their grandchildren to remember their family’s roots.
Flooded Omorfohori, September 2023
“Her life’s work revolved around preserving the traditional way of life of the Asia Minor people,” explained Dr. Papadopoulos. “She did so from the heart of Omorfochori in Larissa, Greece. Apostolia Papadopoulou’s story is a testament to the resilience and tenacity of the Greek people who, over the centuries, endured challenges and upheavals while preserving their unique cultural identity. Born to a family with roots in Asia Minor, Apostolia was deeply connected to a heritage that was rich in traditions, cuisine, music, and language. Her ancestors had once called Asia Minor home until the population exchange of 1923, when they were forced to leave their ancestral land and make Greece their new home.”
– Agios Giorgo, before the flood
“Apostolia’s life unfolded in the charming village of Omorfochori, nestled in the region of Larissa, Greece,” said Professor Papadopoulos. “Here, she dedicated herself to preserving the traditional way of life and customs of the Asia Minor people. Omorfochori became a haven for those who sought refuge from the turbulent times of the early 20th century. It was within this picturesque village that Apostolia’s unwavering commitment to her roots came to life.
She was a guardian of the traditional cuisine, cooking up recipes passed down through generations, ensuring that the flavors of Asia Minor were not lost to time. Her kitchen was a place where generations gathered to savor the culinary delights of her ancestors, sharing stories and bonding over the meals that connected them to their past. Apostolia Papadopoulou’s legacy extended beyond her preservation of cultural traditions.” Her grandson, Dr. Isaak Papadopoulos, inherited her passion for preserving their family’s heritage. Together, they continued to document and share the stories, songs, and recipes that had been passed down through the generations. Her dedication to preserving the traditions, flavors, and sounds of her ancestors ensured that the legacy of Asia Minor lives on in the hearts and minds of those who knew her and the generations to come. Her life’s work in the charming village of Omorfochori in Larissa, Greece, serves as a shining example of the enduring power of cultural heritage and the profound impact one person can have in preserving it.
Sts. Raphael and Nicholas before the flood
They did not have cell phones, no welfare, food stamps, free lunches, medical care, or advocacy groups trying to help them. The Western Anatolia refugees were from the business, maritime and education communities, The 1922 refugees of the Greek Genocide of Asia Minor in Western Anatolia, were destroyed by Western Powers, who dismembered the Ottoman Empire by using ultra nationalistic groups. They came to Greece, traumatized with Greek Orthodox icons. “Unwelcomed,” said Scholar Efrosini Mancini of a Constantinople Family with Phanariot roots (Greek ruling class of Ottoman Empire). “No one wanted the 1923 refugees.” Called “”tourkospori” or “seeds of the Turks”, they came to Greece with their knowledge of Greek language, civilization, and Greek Orthodoxy.
I met Dr. Isaak from a workshop hosted by the Greek teachers Association “Prometheus”. His research shows the Asia Minor refugees built churches and schools, transforming their area. “My village was named “Nechali” as there were only some native people there when refugees from Asia Minor came,” explained Dr. Isaak. “They created a new village just next to Nechali and they renamed it ‘Omorfochori’, My great grandmother told me that when she came to Greece, she felt really sad. She was afraid because of the unknown. They came to Omorfochori. They were given a small building for a house and a cow. They tried to survive. They did it because they were very hard working.”
“Naturally, the refugees focused on two key factors: religion and education., explained Dr. Isaak. “The religious faith of the people of Asia Minor was great. There was a chapel in almost every house. They also showed great reverence during the holidays as most of them fasted, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays. Priests were also respected and loved like their parents. Respect for the elders was the main element then. The metropolis of the village was the church of Agios Athanasios… Agios Charalambos in Hassambali, Ascension Church on Mount Mopsio and the church of Agios Georgios, in the center of the present village.
Omorfohori, the village that Mrs. Apostolia Papadopoulou was destroyed at the end of her life in September 2023. Hurricane Daniel destroyed Magnesia, Karditsa, Larissa and Central Greece was s destroyed by rains, floods, and rising waters of the Pineios river. Palamas, Omorfohori and other villages have vanished under floods and mud. Dr. Papadopoulos believes “Though the Floodwaters have changed the landscape of our lives, they can never wash away the spirit of our community. We may be scattered, but we remain united in our hearts.”4
Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Konstantinou, explained on October, 20, 2023 at radio host/journalist Dimitris Filippidis program that “an exhibition of the Asia Minor Catastrophe will be held from November through December. All that happened in Western Anatolia is part of the Greek nation’s history. This must be kept alive. Our youth must remember who and what we are. Grandchildren must learn about their grandparents lives and history in Asia Minor.who and what we are.
Mrs. Apostolia Papadopoulous’ legacy is in the hearts of the persons who enjoyed her culture stories with her Asia Minor cuisine. “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”- Pericles.
The plains of Thessaly are the heartland of the farming industry. I saw a fertile area in the middle of August with a Kapogiannis tour. The Breadbasket of Greece. Livestock with soil that could grow anything. A wealthy area created by the farming community’s strong work ethic. A real PARADISE: fertile, affluent with villages that had two story modern homes with balconies. Queens, New York homes were inferior to what I saw in Thessaly August 2023.
A major percentage of the community are the descendants of Greek refugees from Westen Anatolia, Asia Minor of Cappadocia, Black Sea coast of the Pontos, Constantinople and Smyrna. Affluent families who lost wealth and communities during the “Population Exchange” of Greeks and Turkish people, finalized by the Major Powers in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. Many of the Greek refugees were given land in Thessaly. They created vibrant communities with churches and schools. They educated their children to become professionals, while others used modern techniques to farm their fertile soil.
This paradise, I witnessed in August 2023, was destroyed 3 weeks later by Hurricane Daniel. Magnesia, Karditsa, Larissa and Central Greece was s destroyed by rains, floods, and rising waters of the Pineios river. Palamas, Omorfohori and other villages have vanished under floods and mud. Dimitri Filippidis, radio anchor/international journalist on his September 7th show said, “this is the greatest disaster since the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 that displaced the Greeks of Western Anatolia.”
Dr. Alexios Vardouniotis, Ent surgeon, in Tripoli, Arcadia, explained “in Thessaly there has been a disaster of Biblical proportions…casualties. Really sad especially after the wildfire destruction in the forest of Davia in Thrace (Evros border by Turkey).”
Our friend, educator Dr Isaak Papadopoulos, lives in Larissa. On Friday afternoon, September 7th, he reported that “the water from the river is approaching our house. Many villages have been destroyed. As of now, eight persons have died. We are on the second floor.” Rising water from Pineios river has stopped . They are able to leave the house, but the streets are flooded. His village of Omorfohori does not exist, covered by mud and floods. Dr. Papadopoulos’ family came from Cappadocia and Constantinople 100 years ago. His wife, Varvara, is a descendant of the Black Sea coast Pontians.
How would you feel if your family’s home in rural America vanished suddenly in water and mud? Livestock and animals are dead, all over the landscape, leading to possible diseases. Dr. Papadopoulos believes “Though the Floodwaters have changed the landscape of our lives, they can never wash away the spirit of our community. We may be scattered, but we remain united in our hearts.” Contact Dr. Isaak Papadopoulos on Facebook.
2023 Greece Fires of forests all over Greece, that I witnessed in July and August, “can lead to drought and floods.” The online site Earth Reminder for Everyone states “Together with their extensive root systems, trees act as a vast sponge soaking in the excess water. However, when a large number of trees are cut down, the root system is destroyed, and there is nothing to soak in the extra water, which flows freely, flooding the entire area. In simple words, Deforestation leads to decreased water holding capability of soil. This causes excessive water flow into the ground, resulting in floods.”1
Major corporations, many who have Greek and Greek Americans in top positions, must mobilize bring economic, food and pharmaceutical relief directly to the people of Thessaly without loans. It is time for the Diaspora Greeks to save their country, the roots of Western Civilization. Our Deepest Sympathy to the nation of Greece in this national tragedy: the loss of Central Greece to flooding.
All the flooded area photos were taken in Thessaly by Dr. Isaak Papadopoulos.
“Look up and see the handkerchiefs hanging from the Cliff of Meteora Monastery,” said our guide Kostoula on out last Kapogiannis Greece tour. “These are the handkerchiefs of Agios Georgios Mandilas (St. George of the Handkerchiefs). Every year climbers with robes climb the cliff on St. George’s Day.” They reach the cave of St. George Mandilas, lighting a candle and leaving behind a handkerchief. Dozens of handkerchiefs hang that can be seen from the tour bus. The spot is known as “Agios Georgios o Mandilas.”
There are legends over the origin of the Handkerchiefs of Meteora. It involves the forgiveness of a Turk who cut down a tree on St. George’s Day. He lost his hand, gave his wife’s veil on cliff as an offering and received his hand back. There are other versions that can be researched. This custom continues today. The Meteora monasteries in Central Greece are the second largest in Greece after Mount Athos.
How did bridges change the world? Bridges create connections. Almost a quarter of a billion people around the world do not have safe access to critical resources like health care, education, or employment due to an impassable river.1
We saw a historical bridge at Pyli, Thessaly at a Kapogiannis Travel tour to Meteora, Central Greece with dynamic guide Kostoula. Seeing a historical bridge with pleasant group members made it meaningful.
The Stone Bridge of Pyli is located about 20 minutes away from Trikala. The bridge sits over the Portaikos River. Until 1936 this bridge was the only way to get from Thessaly to Epirus.
Saint Bissarion in 1514 built it. This is the second-largest arch bridge of Thessaly. A high semicircular arch, the construction material is made of limestone and sandstone. The bridge was restored in 1968, 1983 and 2006.
The Portaikos river was practically dry. Charlie Spentzos noticed the water was “so clear that it is sent to the villages.” Dina Spentzos with sons Charlie and George from Chicago were enjoying a family excursion. George, A business/ computer expert explained photography tips in taking iPhone photos. Litsa, a self-made/ Chicago businesswoman explained to me “the Arcadian respect for parents and family. Visit me at my L&L Snack bar in Desplaines, Illinois.”
This 3-day trip to Meteora with hotel and bus cost me 160 euros with Kostoula who loves her work. Greeks know how to enjoy life with these inexpensive tours.
“Greece is one, an undivided, immeasurable Mother, reflecting the Greek soul”- poet Kostis Palamas, Song of the Refugee
St. Stefanos Monastery in Meteora, Greece is a nunnery with a unique pictorial exhibit. “ 1922-2022, 100 years since the Minor Asia Catastrophe: Commemoration and the Uprooting of the Greeks from Asia Minor” was comprehensively displayed. This visit was part of the Kapogiannis Travel 3-day excursion of Volos, Pilias and Meteora for 160 euros with Kostoula Kapogiannis.
Another exhibit was on “100 years Remembrance and Memory of Smyrna, 1922-2022.” Quotes from eyewitnesses and the martyrdom of Metropolitan Chrysostomos are described. Smyrna was the “Paris of the Middle East,” an international business center. Its destruction is referred to in Greek songs and literature.
“The months do not erase. The wounds never heal. The history is not forgotten. The universal recognition of the Asia minor genocide must be recognized. The Greek nation must not forget the forcible approved of the Greek population. Everyone remembers 1453, (Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks). They must remember 1922. Nations that forget their history easily, the triumphs and destructions, are condemned to historical oblivion,” explains the wall document.
A map of Asia Minor (Western Anatolia) pinpointed the three thousand years of Hellenic history .The Greeks. “The Greek spirit is seen in the marbles, numerous churches, history, civilization and perpetuation of Greek culture hidden in the soil of antiquity,” said a quote by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Smyrna in the poster. He was dismembered alive Turkish mob in 1922. He was canonized as a saint by the Greek Orthodox Church, along with other clergy.
The late Prof. N. Moutsopoulos said “Ionia (Greek cities in Asia Minor coast) influenced Anatolia, Pontus, and Russian lands. They were prominent in the Byzantine Empire, combining Greek civilization with Christianity. The Greek glory vanished with the Turkish genocide that resulted in the Asia Minor Catastrophe and refugee repopulation in Greece.”
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“Our church has clergy who were excellent in their ministry, showed a unique, courageous. With an exceptional devotion to patriotism and faith. They refused to escape and leave their congregation to be slaughtered in the Asia Minor catastrophe. Their martyrdom exemplifies the leadership of the Greek orthodox clergy in leading and protecting their congregations,” The poster showed photos of martyred clergy, beginning with Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Smyrna, who became saints.
My grandmothers were born on the island of Mosconisi (modern Cunda,) opposite Lesvos. The 1898 baptismal certificate of Grandmother Despina Gagas is on a letterhead that states “The Holy Archdiocese of Mosconisi”. The island had a significant Greek population to have its own Greek Archdiocese documents. St. Ambrosios, (Ambrosios Pleiathidis)Metropolitan of Mosconisia, was the second leading churchman listed in the Meteora poster that stated: “Loyal to the Greek Orthodox tradition, Metropolitan Ambrosios was ordained Bishop by Metropolitan Chrystosomos of Smyrna at the age of fifty. Some months afterwards, assuming his bishopric ministry, with a direct resolute case, he looked at his persecutors knowing what his fate would be. With courage, he told them ‘you cannot frighten me. I am prepared to die for Jesus Christ, my country (Greek nation). Whatever will be, may it take place. It is God’s will.’ On September 15,1922, Metropolitan Ambrosios of Mosconisia was buried alive in a pit with nine priests, outside the city of Kidonion (Aivali).
Greek Cities of Asia Minor, St. Stefanos, Meteora
Other martyred metropolitans canonized as saints include St. Gregory, Metropolitan of Kidonion (Aivali); St. Evthimos, Metropolitan of Zilon; and St. Procopios, Metropolitan of Iconium. They are all known today as the Holy Martyrs of Asia Minor Hellenism.
Photo4 – Commemoration in English, Asia Minor, St. Stefanos, Meteora
The St. Stefanos of Meteora exhibit listed the following major Greek cities in Asia Minor Western Anatolia: Smyrna, international city, Agia Fotini cathedral with Bell tower; Pergamon, rich and powerful ancient city; Antioch, Hellenistic city, education center, cave church of St. Peter; Caesarea, Cappadocia, major Byzantine Empire center, Central Area, underground cities, cave monasteries; Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, Library of Celsus, John the Evangelist tomb, Byzantine fortress; Attaleia, Hadrian’s gate, major Roman city, miraculous icon of Panagia Attaleiotisa; Miletus, great, wealthy city Temple of Apollo Ionian theater, Byzantine fortress; Sevasteia, religious center named after 40 Roman soldiers martyrs; Myra Lykian, St. Nicholas bishop (Santa Claus, Christian rock cut tombs, amphitheater; Nicomedia, aqueduct, Roman marble statues; Tricia, Christian center; Soumela,, Pontus Greek monastery complex; Sardis, Ancient Greek Center and Stratonikeia, largest marble city, 2200 year old theater.
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“Every city in Greece is remembering the 100th Anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, “said Prof Isaak Papadopoulos Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at Larnaca College, Cyprus and his wife educator Varvara. My deep appreciation for helping on the Greek Cities of Asia Minor. Dr.Papadopoulos is 3rd. generation from Cappadocia. Varvara is 3rd generation from Pontus.
Metropolitans tortured, killed, Asia Minor, St. Stefanos, Meteora
I was interested in the positive contribution of Hellenism in Asia Minor. Metropolitan Pavlos of the Metropolis of Drama describes the area accurately. “Asia Minor was the cradle of Hellenism and civilization. The Greeks lived for 3,500 years on the coasts of Asia Minor but also inland, and its space functioned as a center for the spread of Hellenism and as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
Photo8- Exhibit, Asia Minor, St. Stefanos, Meteora OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The Greek civilization that came from Asia Minor was the result of continuous struggles, work and thought. Science was born there with its empirical and rational character. There, theory and practice were harmoniously combined. There developed the free spirit, the love for independence. There, religion established its spiritual character. Democracy was established there; equality was imposed and balance prevailed. But the arts and techniques also come from there. All this was done over time and forever, from antiquity to the Byzantine era.
The civilization of Greece at the time of Pericles had been prepared by two or three centuries of high civilization in Asia Minor.
After the fall of Athens, it would perhaps have been extinguished and would not have conquered the West, if it had not rekindled on the shores of Asia Minor, where it had been born and from where the great cities had spread it to the rest of the world.
Miletus, Ephesus, Smyrna, Colophon, Clazomenes, Priene, Theos Halicarnassus, Pergamum Nicaea, Amasia are the cities where the sciences were born.
Their representatives are the natural philosophers Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes from Miletus, Anaxagoras from Clazomenes, Heraclitus from Ephesus, the poet and philosopher Xenophanes from Colophon, Byas the Prieneus – one of the seven sages of the aristocracy, the mathematicians Apollonius from Perga, Epparchus from Nicaea of Bithynia, the physician Galen from Pergamum, the geographers Hecataeus of Milesius, Strabo from Amasia of Pontus, Pausanias from Lydia. The architect, town planner, physicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and philosopher Hippodamus from Miletus. The architects Arkesius of Tralles, Pytheos of Halicarnassus, Hermogenes of Prieneus.
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The father of History, Herodotus of Halicarnassus, came from Asia Minor. Poetry was born in Asia Minor. Homer came from Smyrna (or Chios). The lyric poets Callinus of Ephesus, Mimnermus of Colophon, Focylides of Milesius, Anacreon from Ionia, Alcmanas from Lydia (or Ionia) were born here.
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Christianity was born in Judea but very quickly spread to Asia Minor by the Apostle of the nations Paul. For two years, the Apostle Paul preaches the Gospel of Christ in Ephesus and founds the Church of Ephesus, which was to produce hundreds of church leaders and martyrs. After the death of the Apostle Paul, the Evangelist John comes to Ephesus, who will make Ephesus the center of his teaching and with an unquenchable flame he will go non-stop through the cities and villages of Ionia for thirteen whole years, increasing the number of believers and completing the Paul’s work. Under Emperor Dormitian, John will be exiled to Patmos, where he will write the “Apocalypse”, and will return to Ephesus, where he will write his Gospel.
In Asia Minor are the seven Churches of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. In the great Ecumenical Synods that took place in the cities of Asia Minor (Nicaea of Bithynia, Ephesus, Chalcedon) the great Fathers of the Church laid the foundations of the doctrine and worship of Christianity. Monasticism flourished in the interior of Asia Minor, on the Olympus of Bithynia, on the slopes of Sipylus northwest of Smyrna, in Cappadocia, in Trebizond. Monasteries, Byzantine churches are built, original works of Byzantine art and iconography are created1.
ANCIENT EPHSUS
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The best conclusion is based on the factual reporting of Metropolitan Pavlos of Drama. “The Diary of the Holy Metropolitan Drama for 2022 is dedicated to the Hellenism of the Asia Minor and its achievements on the occasion of the sad 100 -year -old anniversary of the Asia Minor Disaster and with the prompt ‘to admire the achievements of Asia Minor, LET’S GATHER AND REORGANIZE OUR SPIRITUAL POWERS FOR THE GOOD OF GREECE’. …the disappearance of the civilization that was a “golden necklace of pearls and sapphires” urges us to reflect, reflect and purify history from the rust that has settled on it due to passions and of our mistakes”. “Let us admire the achievements of Asia Minor Hellenism, let us be inspired by them, For a whole hundred years, we blame and curse only the Turks for what they tragically did.
ANCIENT EPHESUS
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We forget the moral authors of the drama, whom we consider our friends and protectors to this day. In a long telegraphic conversation on September 27/28, 1919 with Abdul Kerim Pasha, Mustafa Kemal Pasha confidentially announced to him that “the Americans, the French, the Italians, and finally the English were convinced that our people were in the right and that the his goals are legitimate (…) The national troops, of course, because of the friendship of the English, are ready to take immediate action”. And as Archbishop Chrysanthos reports, “with the guilty cooperation of two great Christian Powers of the West during the years 1919-1922, the national movement of the Turks of Mustafa Kemal completely complemented the work of the Young Turks (…)
HAGIA SOPHIA
Hagia Sophia
Those who remember, remind, refuse silence, they are at the forefront of history, whether they know it or not… The secret light of the men and women who gave their lives for what they believed in cannot be completely erased. No, as long as there is someone in this world who is willing to remember them and resurrect them. That alone is enough; a person crying out in a moral wilderness… Sometimes it is right to dream the impossible, to ask for the impossible, to cry for the impossible. There is a possibility that history will listen. There is a possibility that history will answer”…
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
During the First World War, Asia Minor was the so-called eastern front, where the Allies of the Entente faced the Germans. The fate of Asia Minor Hellenism was played out by the conversion of the allies of the Entente in favor of the Turks, due to their fierce competition in the region. Thus, while the conquest of Mudros in 1918 provided for the disarmament of the Turks and justice for the Greeks, it was not implemented. On the contrary, the secret help and assistance of the Allies to Kemal led to the defeat of the Greek army, the displacements, the massacres, and the complete domination of the Turks in Asia Minor.
Germany’s greatest contribution was to the destruction of Hellenism in Asia Minor. Wanting to make Asia Minor a German colony and a political province of its empire, it struggled for a quarter of a century to create in Asia Minor a market for its industry, a field of action for its trade and economy. During the Greek-Turkish wars of 1897 and 1912, he equipped the Turkish army with modern weapons and trained them with the help of German soldiers. Finally, he took advantage of the personal ambitions of the Young Turks and pushed them to evacuate Asia Minor from the Armenians and the Greeks, these two large active elements that could stand in the way of their ambitions, in order to replace them with German settlers. One million Greeks were displaced or forced to leave,
The persecutions led by the Germans began after the Balkan wars and were carried out throughout the duration of the First World War (1914-1918) and in a second phase after the landing of the Greek army in Smyrna until the Catastrophe of 1922. The intended purpose was the expulsion of the populations. Massacres and destruction were used to spread terror and cause the exodus of populations from Asia Minor.
Hagia Sophia
There is no doubt about the complicity of Germany in all the measures taken. The writings of pro-German German journalists, foreign correspondents, and the testimonies of the American ambassador (Morgenthau) testify to this.”2
All information from St. Stefanos monastery was translated from Greek into English by Catherine Tsounis, from the exhibition in Meteora. All photos by writer.
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked western Greece on Wednesday, March 3rd. People in Larissa left buildings and ran into the streets.. Dr. Dr Isaak Papadopoulou, an eyewitness, emailed the experience. “It was 6 Richter. We were trembling for 4 hours. Just after the first earthquake, we helped our students to go out of school in our big school yard with safety. We are suffering from continuous earthquakes these days. Everyone is sad and afraid. Teachers in Larissa, Elassona and Trikala worked really hard to escape students attending school that time. God helped all of us”.
Greece is located at the complex boundary zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. … In mainland Greece, normal faulting gives earthquakes up to 7 in magnitude, while in the northern Aegean, strike-slip events with a magnitude of 7.2 have been recorded.2
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage” – Seneca, Roman philosopher.
Agios Charalambos Church
They did not have welfare. No food stamps, free lunches, medical care, or advocacy groups trying to help them. Busines and maritime merchants with their boats, scholars, factory owners, the 1922 refugees of the Greek Genocide of Asia Minor in Western Anatolia, were destroyed by Western Powers, who dismembered the Ottoman Empire by using ultra nationalistic groups.They came to Greece, traumatized with Greek Orthodox icons. “Unwelcomed,” said Scholar Efrosini Mancini of a Constantinople Family with Phanariot roots (Greek ruling classof Ottoman Empire). “No one wanted the 1923 refugees.”
Called “”tourkospori” or “seeds of the Turks”, they came to Greece with their knowledge of Greek language, civilization and Greek Orthodoxy. Dr Isaak Papadopoulos, of the European University Cyprus in Nicosia/Lefkosia. Cyprus, Collaborator of Greek Teachers Association “Prometheus” related an amazing story of survival of the “Asia Minor refugees of Larissa”, Thessaly, Central Greece.
Traditional Dance of Thessaly- Gaitanaki
It is 98 years after the Asia Minor Catastrophe. That is the reason why many of us are in 2020 America. I met Dr. Isaak from a workshop hosted by the Greek teachers Association “Prometheus”. His research shows the Asia Minor refugees built churches, schools, transforming their area.My village was named “Nechali” as there were only some native people there when refugees from Asia Minor came,” explained Dr. Isaak “They created new village just next to Nechali and they renamed it ‘Omorfochori’,
My great grandmother told me that when she came to Greece, she felt really sad. She was afraid because of the unknown. They came to Omorfochori, they were given a small building for a house and a cow. They tried to survive. They did it because they were very hard working.”Wikipedia explains “The Omorfochori Larissa is a settlement belonging to the Municipality of Platykampos in Kileler municipality located in the region of Thessaly , in accordance with the administrative division of Greece as incorporated by the program “Kallikratis” .
The village, also known as Nehali, originally consisted of the estate of Scaliora …. in a relatively barren and unhealthy area. After 1923, Greek refugees settled from the Cappadocia region ( Nevsehir , Jalela and Potamia [2] ), many of whom died of malaria .The name of the village is due to a translation of the name of the village Tzelela or Cemil in Greek .”2.
Agia Analipsi Church
Dr. Isaak said there was not a school when the refugees came to Omorfochori. “ Only a teacher taught 5-6 children, he said. “In 1927 the Single Elementary School of the village operated which was housed in the cells of the church. Obviously, somewhat older children would go to this school. According to the testimony of Despina Tsopouroglou, she and a few other children were taught in a house by a lady in reading, writing and arithmetic. In 1930 the school became Ditaxio. It was housed in the old school building of the old Settlement, which probably remained from the Ottoman Empire the “Mekteb Rouchate”.
Sts. Raphel and Nicholas Church
The new primary school was built in 1935 at the expense of all residents. The school, however, suffered severe damage due to the earthquakes and was rebuilt. Today’s primary school started operating, renewed with the recruitment of private staff . It now has a tertiary or post-secondary secondary education school.It is worth mentioning here that of Omorfochori was awarded by the Academy of Athens, for its large courtyard with many the Primary School trees and greenery. The professor explained “They created so many things in Omorfochori.
All the women were very good at cooking traditional Minor Asian foods. my grandmother’s -Apostolia- favorite food is “Mantou”. It is short pasta with yoghurt. They used to eat when celebrating St John Russian from Cappadocia. The refugees had no contact with the natives and were isolated. They preferred to marry each other rather than mixed. The opposition of the natives and the refugees was not expressed in the form of an open confrontation.
For a long time, however, the term refugee was derogatory. Indigenous people often talked about refugee ethos and cosmopolitan behavior, as well as their tendency to have fun. On the other hand, the refugees talked about the low educational level of the natives. In general, there was initially a state of opposition between these two sides.”
Dr. Isaac continued saying “in 1928 the name of the village was changed. From Nehali it was now called Omorfochori F.E.K. / 156/1928 as most of the refugees came from Omorfochori in Central Asia. The first president of Omorfochori was Abraham Anastasiadis. Later in 1931, the first nucleus of the Agricultural Party of Greece was created in Omorfochori and Larissa under the leadership of Prodromos Kanakis. Prodromos Kanakis was a special personality for the village. He created Omorfochori as an example of a village in the whole Thessalian Plain. While the names of other former presidents are typically mentioned, Michael Sideridis (1932) Savvas Perivolopoulos (1933-4) Prodromos Kanakis (1934-36-1945) etc.”
“Naturally, the refugees focused on two key factors: religion and education., explained Dr. Isaak. “The religious faith of the people of Asia Minor was great. There was a chapel in almost every house. They also showed great reverence during the holidays as most of them fasted, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays. Priests were also respected and loved like their parents. Respect for the elders was the main element then.
The metropolis of the village was the church of Agios Athanasios, that was operated by Myron Pitsolakis the archimandrite. This church was very old and was accidentally burned by a candle in the Resurrection. It was built in 1869 during the Ottoman Empire with the contribution of the whole village. When the refugees came to the village, they brought to the temple relics such as a wing, banners, silver disks and chalice and the precious Gospel. Finally, the icons of the Saints of the church, which date from 1850, are of great value, while the refugees also brought the Epitaph to the village. A relic of incalculable monetary, artistic and intellectual value.” The scholar said “another church of the village is the holy church of Agios Charalambos which is in Hassambali. This church is of Byzantine style. It collapsed in the earthquake of 1941. Agios Charalambos was rebuilt in 1943 with the style of a basilica and funding by all the inhabitants. There is also another small church, the church of the Ascension on Mount Mopsio, which was built with a donation from Skaliora and Meimaroglou. Much later, the church of Agios Georgios was built in the center of the present village after a dream in which the Saint presented himself to a man from Asia Minor and told him to build a church in his name.”
Dr. Papadopoulos narration is one of survival and rebirth. It is almost 100 years after the three thousand year old expulsion and genocide of the Greeks of Anatolia. The descendants remember. For without a deep understanding of where they came from, they will never understand their present and future. They honor their ancestors in their creation of modern communities in central Greece. Their love of the Greek language, culture and Greek Orthodox faith shaped modern Greece.
Greek American Experience 