A wedding nightgown, partially finished and hastily packed into a trunk or suitcase as part of the refugee journey, a gospel “drenched in the waves of Smyrna,” a diary bearing witness to the horrors of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, and even a small amount of soil from the “forgotten homelands” are just a few of the treasures exhibited at the Basilica of St. Mark in Heraklion. The exhibition, titled “A Century, a Society, Heraklion: The Place That United Us 1923-2023,” provides an opportunity for citizens of the city that welcomed over 16,000 refugees from Asia Minor to view authentic heirlooms donated by the descendants of the refugees, each with its own unique story.

According to Despina Syggelaki, the deputy mayor for Volunteerism and Youth of the Municipality of Heraklion, this exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne. She notes that this is the first time that these authentic heirlooms have been gathered and exhibited in Heraklion, as part of an exhibition that is divided into three sections.

The first section relates to life before and during the Asia Minor Catastrophe. In addition to the bags and suitcases that were kept as a reminder, there are diaries that depict historical moments. The Basilica of St. Mark in Heraklion has a representation of an urban and rural house of the area, complete with objects from that era, including embroideries, costumes, household items, and more.

The second section of the exhibition showcases ecclesiastical treasures, and the third section is focused on life after settlement in Heraklion.

Christina Hatzidam, president of the Association of Alatsatians of Heraklion and curator of Crete for the Federation of Refugee Associations of Greece, notes that some of the objects used to create the exhibit’s homes that represent those in Asia Minor are from those that our ancestors brought with them in their luggage. Other objects are made from items they created during the first years of their new lives in Heraklion, despite being in a new place, they maintained their own traditions.

In fact, the connection of the first or even the second generation of refugees with the homeland they left behind is evident. Ms. Hatzidam notes that “at the tables and celebrations they held for many years, instead of clinking glasses and saying ‘cheers,’ they wished for a ‘good homeland,’ hoping that one day they would return.” The exhibition at the Basilica of St. Mark in Heraklion concludes on Sunday, April 30.

The Half-Finished Wedding Nightgown

According to Ms. Syggelaki speaking to APE-MPE, “One of the most significant exhibits in the exhibition, carrying a rich history of pain and agony, is located beside a traditional Cappadocian wedding gown. It is a wedding nightgown that was never completed nor worn.

The gown belonged to a young woman who was preparing for her wedding before the population movement from Asia Minor displaced her. The nightgown bears the marks of unfinished lace, intricately woven and embroidered by the woman and her mother. It was carefully packed into a trunk or suitcase and was never used by the young woman who, along with her family, left their homeland.”

The Icon of Agioi Anargyroi from the Well and the Testimony of the Turkish Woman

In an interview with the Athens News Agency, Christina Hatzidam, the president of the Association of Alatsatians in Heraklion and the representative of Crete for the Federation of Refugee Associations in Greece, shared a poignant family heirloom. The treasure in question is a picture of the Saints Anargyroi, which Hatzidam’s ancestors had hidden in a well during the first wave of persecution.

“In our collection of images, we have one from my grandmother’s family in Cesme of the Saints Anargyroi. When they left during the first persecution in 1914, they hid it in the well, and when they returned in 1919 with the repatriation, the Turkish woman who had stayed in their house gave it back to them. The shocking thing my grandmother used to tell us was that the Turkish woman had told her that when her husband found the image in the well, he tried to break it with an ax and it turned towards him, causing him to die,” said Hatzidam, who cherishes the image as if it were her own child, considering it to be a miracle for her family.

“Everything here, the embroidery, the jewelry, the kitchen utensils, war memorabilia, photographs, tools, musical instruments, all conceal a civilization,” said Hatzidam, concluding, “Inhaling our culture within the context of such exhibitions, we cannot ignore or neglect the request of all Asia Minor associations to have a center for Asia Minor culture that will include a museum. A space for conferences, with a research role, that can host libraries. This is to ensure that our history will not be forgotten.”

By: Ourania Moraiti