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Post by Administrator on May 15, 2012 10:49:20 GMT 10
Florence, Just something extra for you regarding the role of the Economides family in the island's shipping. I have found a couple of references in an obscure work of the island's historian, Achilleas Diamandaras. In this essay, he lists the υγειονομοι (literally 'sanitation officers') on the island from the 19th century until the revolt against the Turks in 1913. The section concerning the Economides family may be translated as follows: After Tahir Agha, Nikolaos Papadopoulos or Nikolakis, originally from the island of Antigone near Constantinople, was appointed public health officer, and in 1859 Yeorgios Papikides from Redhaistos, followed by Marinos Konidaris and, after him, Nikolaos Economides, who was succeeded until our revolution (1913) by his son Theodoros N Economides. So, not much, but at least confirmation for you regarding the roles of father and son. As for what they did, I don't think they were purely harbour masters, but they were also responsible for the sanitation and inspection of vessels arriving and departing from Castellorizo's harbour. From the article, it appears that their appointment to the position was made by the Ottoman authorities. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on May 9, 2012 8:21:46 GMT 10
Russell,
One of our Forum members, Senya, has considerable information on various branches of the Kranitis family.
May I suggest that you send her a private message and make direct contact?
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on May 3, 2012 14:56:50 GMT 10
Katina,
I'm very sorry to hear the sad news - she was a wonderful lady and I so enjoyed my brief time with her.
My sympathies to you and to her entire family.
Nicholas
PS: Eleni Confos (nee Galettis) of Kingsford is still going strong at 100+!
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Post by Administrator on Apr 19, 2012 10:23:06 GMT 10
The destruction extended to the outskirts of the town. Here is an image of some of the housing behind the Horafia which was seriously damaged by the quake.
Nicholas
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Horafia
Apr 19, 2012 10:14:57 GMT 10
Post by Administrator on Apr 19, 2012 10:14:57 GMT 10
Further to the previous post, here are two aerial views of the Cathedral of Sts Constantine and Helene and the two schools - the first from 1916, and the second from 2009. What is striking is that, apart from some changes in the surrounding dwellings, very little has changed in this section of the Horafia precinct despite the passage of many years. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Apr 13, 2012 14:17:10 GMT 10
It is customary for occupation to bring with it pomp and ceremony and the occupation of Castellorizo by Italy was no different. Here we see a procession in 1927 from the Cathedral of Sts Constantine & Helene led by the wives of the two most important men on the island at that time: on the left, Rosa Tringali, wife of the then governor Salvatore Tringali, and, and to the right, Katina Ioannou Lakerdi (nee Vasilatou), wife of the then mayor of the island, Ioannis Yeorgiou Lakerdis. Beside his mother stands a young Renato Tringali from whose collection this photo comes. Behind the two women are the wives of Italian officials, while next in line are two of the island's female school teachers. Tringali and Lakerdis follow (each without hat) with priest Kyrillos Romanos. Partially obscured is another priest, Theodosios Simonides. To the left, raising his hat, is Konstandinos Christodoulou Konstandinou, then a member of the municipal council. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Mar 30, 2012 12:01:21 GMT 10
Before the exchange of populations, the town of Antifilo opposite Castellorizo was a small port town that serviced the island and acted as an entry point for the islanders into Anatolia. In April 1891, the island's chronicler Achilleas Diamandaras estimated that Antifilo had a population comprising some 50 Greek families, most of these with connections to Castellorizo. This has been equated to a total population of 500-600. Antifilo had a small Greek primary school which catered for years 1-3. It also had two churches, Evangelistria (or Evangelismos tis Theotokou erected in 1866) which now serves as the town's mosque, and the smaller chapel of Ayios Yeorgios which was destroyed during WWI. There are only a few images of the town of Antifilo prior to the departure of its Greek inhabitants. Here is an image from 1915: The Evangelistria church is clearly visible, as is its original bell tower which was later replaced with a minaret. Courtesy of George Mangos, here is a recent photograph of the church's avloyero (courtyard) which is still adorned with the pebble mosaic ( votsala) characteristic of the Dodecanese islands. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Mar 29, 2012 15:07:43 GMT 10
Further to previous posts, here is another image of the Italian graffiti still in situ on the inner walls of the bath-house, this example reminding the servicemen of the dangers of smoking: Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Mar 29, 2012 8:19:40 GMT 10
Florence,
The Castellorizians' special relationship with Port Said has its origins in the building of the Suez Canal in which many of the islanders took part. In fact, Port Said itself was established in 1859 when construction of the Canal commenced, and it was populated with many nationalities who had a connection with the Canal's development, making it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in north Africa.
By the time the Canal opened a decade later, there were 10,000 people living in Port Said and in its sister city of Port Fouad (across the Canal's mouth). A sizeable proportion of this population was of Greek background and it is estimated that there were at least 30 Castellorizian families living there by 1900. Foremost among them was the family of Agamemnon Komninos whose cafe in Port Said became the meeting point for new Castellorizian arrivals and the de facto poste restante for mail deliveries from the island. An example of one such envelope sent from the island to a Castellorizian living in Port Said, but care of Komninos' cafe, appears here:
Other Castellorizians with special connections to Port Said include the Alexandroglou, Salvaris, Malaxos, Koutsouflourou, Savvas, Psaras, Payias and Vlahou families.
Over time, as Castellorizian migration began in earnest, Port Said became the natural stopover for these emigrants. Many stopped there to visit relatives en route to Australia before continuing along the Suez Canal, while others remained there while they awaited clearance for travel.
The story of Port Said in the history of Castellorizo is an important one and would benefit from further study.
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Mar 7, 2012 7:53:39 GMT 10
A rare film shot on Castellorizo on 10 September 1943, the day of its liberation by the British, has recently become available. The film was shot by a French contingent which reached the island soon after a British naval unit had seized the island in the immediate aftermath of the Italian surrender. This was three days prior to the arrival of the Kountouriotis, the first Greek ship to arrive after the island's liberation. Here are four shots from the film with accompanying commentary: This image shows the quay area which is virtually unchanged today. In the background is the Italian mercato, or ' Nea Agora'. Two French naval officers may be seen doing their first patrol around the harbourfront, while local children play around them. This image shows the scene near the square of Mesi tou Yialou. The single-storey building in the background is the cafe of Eleftherios Mazemas which doubled as a billiards room. At centre left, just at the entrance to the cafes of Hatzikomianou and Yiannifou (Sergis), members of the local population converse with some of the Italian troops who have only just surrendered authority to the Allied forces. Here is a close-up of some of the Italian troops and locals outside the Nea Agora. And, finally, here is an image that shows some of the Allied vessels in the harbour that morning. Close inspection will reveal locals in small row boats receiving food and other supplies. This film is a remarkable document that records the situation on the island at a critical moment in its history. In only a few short weeks the island would be heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe and the islanders, already demoralised and starving, shipped to the camps of Cyprus and Gaza. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Feb 27, 2012 15:10:15 GMT 10
All,
To add to this thread, I can now confirm that the priest Dimitrios Kotis (or 'Papakotis') died on Castellorizo on 20 January 1909. His cause of death is noted in municipal records as 'old age'.
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Feb 27, 2012 15:05:58 GMT 10
Florence,
I have some information for you.
Firstly, it appears that your grandmother's elder sister, Anna, married Efstathios Antoniou Efstathiou some time prior to 1896 because Efstathios represents his widowed mother-in-law in the later documents I will outline below.
Christina was married twice, as you observe. Her first marriage was to Ioannis Antoniou Exintaris. The marriage took place on the island on 9 May 1899. The gifts of the bride's family are given by the bride's widowed mother, Zoe, who, being illiterate (not uncommon for elderly females at that time) signs with a 'x'. Her son-in-law, Efstathios, signs as well, as does Anna who, as part of the arrangements, pledges her own home to secure the obligations of her mother to the groom's family.
It appears that Ioannis' marriage to Christina was dissolved because there is no record of his death between the date of their marriage and Christina's second marrage (to Spyros Apostolou Diamandaras) on 17 February 1908. What is certain is that, by the time of the second marriage, Zoe had died because the dowry contract is signed by Efstathios in his own right as representative of the Eleftheriou family. From other documents we have, it appears that she died before 1902.
I can find no record of Dimitrios' marriage that Allan refers to above (which probably means it did not take place on the island).
Hope this is of some assistance.
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Feb 17, 2012 11:35:51 GMT 10
Leviss,
In the period up to 1913, Castellorizo, like the rest of the Ottoman Empire, used the Ottoman lira which was the Ottoman currency between 1844-1923. Prior to that, the currency was the kurus (in Greek 'grosi' / plural 'grosia').
Under France, the Ottoman currency remained the principal currency of the local population, though the French did introduce the French franc for postage and other government dues.
Under Italy, the currency changed to the Italian lire in line with other Italian colonial possessions.
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Feb 17, 2012 8:28:56 GMT 10
Desi,
Are you happy for me to e-mail you directly so we can arrange a swap of copies of the dowry contract and the wedding photo?
Rgds, Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Feb 15, 2012 12:53:09 GMT 10
Florence,
The 'Hatzi' prefix to many Greek first names (which became surnames over time) has its origins, as you observe, in the Islamic Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar.
The word Hajj was appropriated by eastern Christians in the 13th century and used to denote a member of the faithful who had made the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In Greek, the word, was corrupted to 'Hatzi'.
From the few records that exist, it appears that the Castellorizians commenced regular pilgrimages to the Holy Land after the Greek revolution, though there are some earlier examples from the 18th century. These pilgrimages were often, though not always, carried out by males who visited the region as part of their trading activities. From the late 18th century there are also examples of females adopting the prefix.
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Feb 15, 2012 8:16:31 GMT 10
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Welcome
Feb 2, 2012 14:01:14 GMT 10
Post by Administrator on Feb 2, 2012 14:01:14 GMT 10
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Post by Administrator on Jan 27, 2012 9:14:04 GMT 10
Hi Desi,
Yes, you are correct about the marriage of Ioannis Kyriakou Kadylaptis (I have taken the spelling directly from the dowry contract - do you have a copy?). His wife was indeed Despina Antoniou Kratsi and they married on the island in 1928.
I am sure millik will correct her post in due course...
If I locate any further information on Ioannis' brother, Pavlos (beyond what I have described above), I will let you know.
By the way, do you have a photo of your grandparents' wedding?
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 23, 2012 8:51:18 GMT 10
Cristian,
Thank you for this post.
To enable me to answer your questions, are you able to send me a copy of this article by Diamantaras in its original form?
Thanks, Nicholas
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Sergis
Jan 23, 2012 8:49:22 GMT 10
Post by Administrator on Jan 23, 2012 8:49:22 GMT 10
Nick,
Regardless of the spelling in English, the spelling in Greek is the same - Σεργης.
As mentioned earlier, the name is a Greek corruption of the Russian 'Sergei' and appears only to exist in this form on Castellorizo.
There are many references to the name in the island's document archives. The specific family I have referred to earlier in this thread was known as 'tou Yiannifou' after Yeorgios' father Ioannis (Yiannis). They operated a cafe in the main commercial square of the island until WWII.
So I can tell you more, can you please give me your specific connection to this family?
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 20, 2012 7:54:58 GMT 10
A great deal of reconstruction was required in the aftermath of the earthquake. With the aid of relief workers despatched by the Italian regime from Rhodes and even Rome, homes were slowly restored in a vast communal effort for the small island. Here is an image of relief workers reconstructing a destroyed home: Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 16, 2012 15:07:54 GMT 10
Yet another image from the traumatic years of French occupation; this time we see the Mandraki as it looked in 1918: Visible on the small promontory jutting into the small bay is the stack for the furnaces of Kouttoupe and Karavia which were used for converting Anatolian timber to charcoal for shipment throughout the Levant. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 13, 2012 10:42:09 GMT 10
To give greater clarity to this thread, here is an Italian image (c.1928) of Psoradhia islet before it was ravaged by war. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 12, 2012 11:43:02 GMT 10
The destruction caused by the fire pictured above was utterly devastating for the island. Here is a photo, courtesy of the World Naval Ships Forum, of Kavos taken from a British motor launch (357) in early 1945: Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 11, 2012 8:00:51 GMT 10
Further to previous posts, here is a photo of the Tringali residence as it looked in the late 1920s. This house, which had been owned by the Papalazarou family (a former mayor's family), had been converted by the Italian regime for use by its local governors but was demolished after the war to make way for the construction of the island's hotel. The small boat in the right foreground was named Roma and was owned by the Tringali family and used by the governor's sons, Massimo and Renato, for recreational purposes. Close inspection will reveal a small Italian flag flying from its stern. The small building at far right is the gazadhika which popular memory records was originally built as a church but, owing to restrictions of the then Ottoman regime, was never used for its intended purpose and instead relegated to use as a fuel storage facility, hence its name. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Jan 10, 2012 8:03:03 GMT 10
Florence, You might be right that George was considering migration to the USA but then changed his mind. Another explanation is that he had arranged his travel either on the island or in Rhodes and was then required to travel to Genoa from where the Principessa Giovanna was departing on what I believe was her maiden voyage. Here is a photo of the vessel in 1932 when a second funnel was added: Interestingly, this ship was used for migrant transport until the war, when it was converted to a troop and hospital vessel by the Italian regime. It was captured by the British in 1943 and then used by them in Allied war service. After the war, it was returned to Italy and renamed San Giorgio, whereupon it recommenced migrant carriage to Australia and South America until 1953 when it was broken up. Quite a story... Nicholas
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Horafia
Dec 15, 2011 16:14:27 GMT 10
Post by Administrator on Dec 15, 2011 16:14:27 GMT 10
Florence,
The area known as the Horafia was originally just that - 'horafia' or fields where limited agriculture was undertaken. This was in the 18th century, when the town extended only halfway along the promontory known as Kavos. At this time, the only church in this area was the small church of Panaghia which today sits beside the church of St Spyridon in the square.
During this period, the island's cemetery was also located here (ie beyond the outskirts of the urbanised area) and it remained here until the end of the 19th century when a decision was taken, due to over-crowding, to re-locate it to the Niftis promontory. The more recent graves were moved to the new site, but most of the remains were re-interred in the ostothyke (ossuary) which is to be found at the rear of the church of St George (Ayios Yeorgios 'tou Louka' or 'tou Horafiou').
From the end of the Greek revolution, and starting with the construction of the Cathedral of Sts Constantine & Helen, the Horafia precinct became integrated into the town, and later construction, which included the boys and girls schools and the St George church, turned the area into a social, religious and educational hub for the islanders, a far cry from its long-forgotten agricultural role, or even its function as the site of the island's cemetery. Photos from the 1920s and 1930s, in particular, regularly show the islanders reveling in the square formed by these civic additions and the square has retained this civic function to this day.
Nicholas
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Prika
Dec 14, 2011 14:32:32 GMT 10
Post by Administrator on Dec 14, 2011 14:32:32 GMT 10
Florence,
The dowry system has existed for centuries across the entire Mediterranean and in the Middle East.
If there was an unusual (but not unique) quality to the system on Castellorizo, it was only to the extent that the island's strong maritime tradition isolated the giving of land-based gifts to female children via dowry, and left the disposal of non-land assets (mainly sailing vessels and other business assets) to males.
This also meant that real estate was generally owned by females who, in turn, passed them on to their daughters on their own marriages as part of their dowries.
Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Nov 22, 2011 7:55:19 GMT 10
And here is Despina, with three of her children, Anna, Vassiliki and Yiorgos, taken from Despina's Italian passport. Nicholas
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Post by Administrator on Nov 22, 2011 7:51:25 GMT 10
Further to my earlier post, here is Antonios' photograph from his Italian passport which is held by the National Archives: Nicholas
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