Tenedos
Encyclopedia
Tenedos or Bozcaada or Bozdja-Ada is a small island in the Aegean Sea
, part of the Bozcaada district
of Çanakkale
province
in Turkey
. , Tenedos has a population of about 2,354. The main industries are tourism, wine production and fishing. The island has been famous for its grapes, wines and red poppies for centuries.
. It is the only rural district (ilçe
) of Turkey without any villages, and has only one major settlement, Bozcaada town center.
The north-south axis of the island is about 6.5 km long, while the east-west axis is about 11 km. The highest hill rises 192 m, and is located in the northeast, overlooking the town. The southeastern part of the island is also hilly with rough terrain. These hilly parts are suitable for herding goats and sheep. The central part of the island is generally flat or covered with gently rolling slopes, suitable for agriculture, especially for viticulture. In addition to vineyards, there are wheat fields and olive trees—either isolated or in small gruops. Further west, there is a pine forest. The very western part of the island has large sandy areas not suitable for agriculture.
The island has a mediterranean climate
. Average temperature is 14°C and average annual precipitation is 529mm. There are a number of small streams running from north to south at the southwestern part of the island. Freshwater sources are not enough for the island so water is brought from mainland. However, the island's strong northern winds makes it one of the most suitable places for energy production at the Aegean region of Turkey, and it exports electricity to the mainland. (see Economy section)
(ca. 3000-2700 BCE). The culture of that time is claimed to have common elements both with the cultures of northwestern Anatolia
and the Cycladic Islands
in the 8th century BC, as shown by the Homeric formula for the god: "Lord Supreme of Tenedos" (Iliad
I).
According to Greek mythology
, the name "Tenedos" is derived from the eponym
ous hero Tenes
, who ruled the island at the time of the Trojan War
and was killed by Achilles
. In Virgil
's Aeneid
, Tenedos is described as the island in whose bay the Achaeans hid their fleet near the end of the Trojan War in order to trick the Trojans
into believing the war was over and allowing the Trojans to take the Trojan Horse
within their city walls. It is also the island from which twin serpents came to kill the Trojan priest Laocoon
and his sons as punishment for throwing a spear at the Trojan Horse.
In ancient Greek history
, there was an Aeolian
settlement on Tenedos; it was conquered by the Persian Empire, and became independent again in the time of Alexander the Great. Later, there was a naval battle between C. Valerius Triarius and Mithridates
' fleet off the island. In Pausanias'
time, Tenedos was subject to Alexandria Troas
.
During the Roman period, the island lost its importance and the Roman town was a small one. Virgil
mentiones that the harbor of the island at this age was deserted.
Athenaeus
remarks on the beauty of the women of Tenedos, and on its marjoram; the Greek
poet Pindar
wrote an ode in honour of Theoxenus of Tenedos in the mid 5th century BC.
In 1362, the Venetians
offered to pay the Emperor's debts and lead an alliance against the Turks in exchange for Tenedos, but John V refused to cede the island which had been loyal to him. In 1370, however, he travelled to Italy to appeal to the Pope and Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
; he found himself broke in Venice, and agreed to cede Tenedos this time, in exchange for his debts, more money, and the Byzantine crown jewels, which had already been pledged; but his eldest son, Andronicus, regent in Constantinople during his absence, refused to give up the island. His second son, Manuel, paid off his creditors next year.
In 1376, this time from Constantinople
, John V sold Tenedos to the Venetians again; in the meantime Andronicus had rebelled against his father and been defeated, imprisoned, and blinded in one eye. The Genoese
freed Andronicus, and he deposed his father this time, becoming Andronicus IV; he then sold Tenedos to the Genoese. The garrison of Tenedos refused to go along with this, and sold Tenedos to the Venetians. This provoked the War of Chioggia
between John V and Venetians, on one side, and Andronicus and the Genoese on the other.
The war ended in a draw, in 1381; John was to be Emperor, and Andronicus his heir. Pope Urban VI
mediated between the two cities, and decided that Tenedos would belong to neither, but be laid waste. According to the Treaty of Turin, Venetians would destroy all the island's "castles, walls, defences, houses and habitations from top to bottom 'in such fashion that the place can never be rebuilt or reinhabited". 4000 Greek islanders from Tenedos were resettled in Crete
and Euboea
. The Spanish traveller Clavijo
visited the island in 1401, and wrote that it was deserted, but he found many vineyards, fruit trees, rabbits and the ruins of a great castle. Another Spanish traveller, Pero Tafur, visited the island in 1437 and found it deserted, with many rabbits, the vineyards covering the island still uncultivated, but the port well-maintained. He mentions frequent Turkish attacks on shipping in the harbor, now that the Castle no longer existed.
Bozcaada became the first island owned by Turks in the Agean sea in 1455. The island was still uninhabited at that time, almost 75 years after it was forcefully evacuated by Venetians. In the middle of 15th century, during the reign of Mehmet II, the Ottoman navy used the island as a supply base. The Venetians, realizing the strategic importance of island, deployed forces on it. In 1464, Ottoman Admiral Mahmud Pasha recaptured the island. During the Ottoman regime, the island was repopulated (by granting a tax exemption) and reengaged with its traditional economic activities. Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi
wrote in the 16th century that the finest wines in the world were being produced in Bozcaada. Ottomans rebuilt the castle as well. Bozcaada, the name of the island in Turkish, is attested from the 16th century map of Piri Reis
.
The Venetians were able to control the island for a brief period once more. After the Battle of the Dardanelles
in 1657, the Ottoman Empire
took it back. Following the victory, Grand Vizier
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
visited the island and oversaw its repairs, during which he funded construction of a newer mosque. The Grand Vizier's personal attention was a sign of Ottomans' consideration of strategic importance of the island.
During the classical Ottoman period, the island was a kadiluk
. The Ottomans built mosques, fountains, hammams, and a medrese as well as rebuilding the castle.
The Ottomans adopted the Byzantine practice of using islands as places for the internal exile of state prisoners, such as Constantine Mourousis
and Halil Hamid Pasha
.
In the 19th century Russians repeatedly captured Tenedos during the Russo-Turkish Wars and they used it as their military base to achieve the victories at the Dardanelles
and Athos
; but they could not hold it. However, the Russian occupations proved to be destructive for the island. The town was burnt down, the harbor was almost filled in and almost all buildings were destroyed. The islanders left and Tenedos became deserted once more since the Venetians' forced evacuation. While it was repopulated after Russians left, many Turks left the island permanently.
In 1822, during the Greek War of Independence
, the revolutionaries under Konstantinos Kanaris managed to attack and burn the Ottoman flagship off Tenedos. This event was a major moral booster for the Greek Revolution and attracted the attention of the European Powers. The island was reported to be covered with trees in the past, which were destroyed during the Greek Revolution.
During the 19th century, the wine production remaind a profitable business while the island's annual wheat production was only enough for three months of the islanders' consumption. Also in 19th century there had been attempts to introduce pear, fig and mulberry trees. Current fig and mulberry trees may be due to those attempts. However, there are reports of fruit, especially fig trees being present on the island prior to those attempts. This may be due to some trees being damaged during the Greek Revolution.
In 1864, Bozcaada became a governorship under sanjak
of Lesbos as a part of the newly established Vilayet of the Archipelago.
19th century Ottoman staff admiral (Riyale ) Bozcaadalı Hüseyin Pasha and his son, Naval Minister Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha, who founded the Istanbul Naval Museum
were from the island.
, Tenedos was the first island of the north Aegean that came under the control of the Greek Navy (October 20, 1912) without the latter suffering any loses. This move was critical since with the capture of the strategic island the Ottoman fleet remained trapped inside the Dardanelles from the early stage of the war. Greek administration of the island lasted until 12 November 1922.
Because of their strategic position near the Dardanelles
, the western powers, particularly Britain
, insisted at the end of the Balkan Wars
in 1913 that the Ottoman Empire
retain the islands of Tenedos and Imbros
although the Empire would cede the other Aegean islands to Greece
.
During the World War I
Gallipoli Campaign, the British
used the island as a supply base. They have also built a 600m. long airstrip for military operations.
In 1920, following World War I, the Treaty of Sèvres
with the defeated Ottoman Empire
granted the island to Greece, who joined the war in Allies' side in May 1917. The new Turkish Government of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
, based in Ankara
, which was not party to the treaty, overthrew the Ottoman government, which signed but did not ratify the treaty. After the Turkish War of Independence
ended in Greek defeat in Anatolia
, and the fall of Lloyd George
and his Middle Eastern policies, the western powers agreed to the Treaty of Lausanne
with the new Turkish Republic, in 1923. This treaty made Tenedos and Imbros
part of Turkey
, and it guaranteed a special autonomous administrative status there to accommodate the Greeks. The treaty excluded the Greeks on the two islands from the population exchange
that took place between Greece
and Turkey, as they constituted a majority of the population there.
The treaty also provided for the rights of Greeks remaining in Turkey, and declared such rights fundamental laws unalterable by Turkish law or administrative decree, an international matter, to be amended only with the consent of a majority of the Council of the League of Nations
. However shortly after the Civil Law
legislation of 17 February 1926 (Medeni Kanun), the rights accorded to minorities in Turkey were revoked, in violation of the Lausanne Treaty.
Agriculture, especially grape production continued to be the main activity of the island until development of tourism after 1990. Turks on the island, who were already cultivating grapes learned wine production from Greek islanders. During the 1960s
the most fertile lands owned by the Greeks were forcibly expropriated, while it is claimed that this situation threatened the ecological balance of the island, however, contrary to this the local wine production increased this period, especially after 1956. Between 1960 and 1980, 13 wine producers were located on the island. After 1980, wine industry started to decline due to high taxes, however, at the beginning of 21st century started to grow again thanks to decreased taxes and government support.
The first human remains on the island are dated back to Early Bronze Age II
(ca. 3000-2700 BCE). As a result of the War of Chioggia
between Venetians and the Genoese, the island declared a neutral zone and the population was evacuated in 1383. The islanders generally chose to move to Crete
. At that time, the island had the highest reported population in its history. (see table below)
The island remained depopulated for about 72 years before the arrival of Ottomans
in 1455. After that, the island was populated again with both Greeks and Turks. Reports indicate Turks being the largest ethnic group on the island until 19th century. (see table below)
The Russian occupation in 1807 was destructive for the island, the town was completely burnt and all the islanders left leaving Tenedos deserted once more since the Venetians' forced evacuation. While the island repopulated after Russians left, it is reported that many rich Turks living on the island left it permantently. Census results during 19th century indicate a roughly 2/3 Greek and 1/3 Turkish population.
Many Greeks have emigrated due to a campaign of state-sponsored discrimination during the mid-twentieth century.
According to the Turkish census of 1927, the island had a population of 1,631 inhabitants, 59%, borrowing the expression of Alexis Alexandris, the "great majority", of whom were Greek. The Greek Orthodox Church
had a strong presence on the island. From 1926 to the present day, the Greek Orthodox population of Imbros and Tenedos have been represented at the Holy Synod
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by a high-ranking Metropolitan (bishop).
Article 14 of the Treaty of Lausanne
(1923) exempted Imbros and Tenedos from the large-scale population exchange that took place between Greece and Turkey, and required Turkey to accommodate the local Greek majority and their rights. Specifically:
Subsequently, the islands were to be largely autonomous and self-governing, with their own police force. Turkish policy consistently undermined both the spirit and letter of this commitment: Schools were banned to teach in Greek
in 1964 as per law no 502, and the local Greek population was marginalized in multiple ways. A Greek primary school started to function in 1950 with 170 students but closed down on 24 July 1964, leaving the Greek islanders with no means to provide education to their children in their native language. This was a reason for the migration of Greeks out of the island.
Large numbers of mainland Turks were settled on the two islands, and Greek property was expropriated by the Turkish government under the 1964 Law on the Land Expropriation (No.6830), which asserted security concerns. The adequacy of the compensation is disputed. Guarantees that were made to all the Greek inhabitants of Turkey in the Treaty of Lausanne
were ignored, and the Turkish government implemented a policy of intimidation.
While the Cyprus dispute
between Greece and Turkey escalated in the 1960s, the situation of the Greeks of the two islands continually deteriorated. These events have led to the Greeks emigrating from both islands. Durmuş writes until 1980 there was a "considerable number of" Greeks on the island. There remains only a very small Greek community on Tenedos today, comprising several dozen mostly elderly people. Most of the former Greeks of Imbros and Tenedos are in diaspora
in Greece, the United States
, and Australia
.
A 2011 study identified three social grups of the island: Native islanders from families who lived there for centuries, property owner intellectual Istanubulites
who moved to the island in 20th century and workers who come from mainland Anatolia, especially from Bayramiç
town.
Traditional economic activities are fishing and wine production. 80% of the cultivated lands are covered with vineyards while 40% of total area of the island is cultivated. Grape harvest festivities are held on 26–27 July. The reminder of arable land is covered by olive trees and wheat fields.
Most of the agriculture is done on the central plains and gentle hills of the island. Sheep and goats are grazed at hilly northeastern and southeastern part of the island which is not suitable for agriculture.
Tourism was an important activity since the 1970s but it developed rapidly from the 1990s onwards. Long and fine beaches and the historical town of the island attract Turkish and foreign tourists. Residents hire parts of their houses as pensions. There also are small hotels.
Red poppies of the island are used to produce small quantities of sharbat and jam.
In year 2000, a wind farm
of 17 turbines was erected at the western cape. It produces 10.2 MW energy, much more than the need of island. Excess power is transferred to mainland Anatolia
through an underground (and partially a submarine) cable. Care was taken not to use overhead cables and pylons in order not to disturb the scenery of the island.
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, part of the Bozcaada district
Districts of Turkey
The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 957 districts . In the early Turkish Republic and in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding unit was the kaza....
of Çanakkale
Çanakkale Province
Çanakkale Province is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country. It takes its name from the town of Çanakkale.Like Istanbul, Çanakkale province has a European and an Asian part. The European part is formed by the Gallipoli peninsula, while the Asian part is largely...
province
Provinces of Turkey
Turkey is divided into 81 provinces, called il in Turkish .A province is administered by an appointed governor , and was formerly termed a "governorate" ....
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. , Tenedos has a population of about 2,354. The main industries are tourism, wine production and fishing. The island has been famous for its grapes, wines and red poppies for centuries.
Geography and climate
Tenedos is roughly triangular in shape. Its area is 39 km² (15 sq mi). It is surrounded by small islets, and is situated close to the entrance of DardanellesDardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
. It is the only rural district (ilçe
Districts of Turkey
The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 957 districts . In the early Turkish Republic and in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding unit was the kaza....
) of Turkey without any villages, and has only one major settlement, Bozcaada town center.
The north-south axis of the island is about 6.5 km long, while the east-west axis is about 11 km. The highest hill rises 192 m, and is located in the northeast, overlooking the town. The southeastern part of the island is also hilly with rough terrain. These hilly parts are suitable for herding goats and sheep. The central part of the island is generally flat or covered with gently rolling slopes, suitable for agriculture, especially for viticulture. In addition to vineyards, there are wheat fields and olive trees—either isolated or in small gruops. Further west, there is a pine forest. The very western part of the island has large sandy areas not suitable for agriculture.
The island has a mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. Average temperature is 14°C and average annual precipitation is 529mm. There are a number of small streams running from north to south at the southwestern part of the island. Freshwater sources are not enough for the island so water is brought from mainland. However, the island's strong northern winds makes it one of the most suitable places for energy production at the Aegean region of Turkey, and it exports electricity to the mainland. (see Economy section)
History
Archeological findings indicate that the first human settlement on the island dates back to the Early Bronze Age IIBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(ca. 3000-2700 BCE). The culture of that time is claimed to have common elements both with the cultures of northwestern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
and the Cycladic Islands
Antiquity
Tenedos was already an established sanctuary of ApolloApollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
in the 8th century BC, as shown by the Homeric formula for the god: "Lord Supreme of Tenedos" (Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
I).
According to Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the name "Tenedos" is derived from the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous hero Tenes
Tenes
In Greek mythology, Tenes was the eponymous hero of the island of Tenedos. He was the son either of Apollo or of King Cycnus of Colonae by Proclia, daughter or granddaughter of Laomedon. Cycnus' second wife Philonome, daughter of Tragasus or Cragasus, falsely accused Tenes of rape, bringing in a...
, who ruled the island at the time of the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
and was killed by Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
. In Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, Tenedos is described as the island in whose bay the Achaeans hid their fleet near the end of the Trojan War in order to trick the Trojans
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
into believing the war was over and allowing the Trojans to take the Trojan Horse
Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
within their city walls. It is also the island from which twin serpents came to kill the Trojan priest Laocoon
Laocoön
Laocoön the son of Acoetes is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology.-History:Laocoön is a Trojan priest of Poseidon , whose rules he had defied, either by marrying and having sons, or by having committed an impiety by making love with his wife in the presence of a cult image in a sanctuary...
and his sons as punishment for throwing a spear at the Trojan Horse.
In ancient Greek history
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, there was an Aeolian
Aeolians
The Aeolians were one of the four major ancient Greek tribes comprising Ancient Greeks. Their name derives from Aeolus, the mythical ancestor of the Aeolic branch and son of Hellen, the mythical patriarch of the Greek nation...
settlement on Tenedos; it was conquered by the Persian Empire, and became independent again in the time of Alexander the Great. Later, there was a naval battle between C. Valerius Triarius and Mithridates
Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI Mithradates , from Old Persian Mithradatha, "gift of Mithra"; 134 BC – 63 BC, also known as Mithradates the Great and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120 BC to 63 BC...
' fleet off the island. In Pausanias'
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
time, Tenedos was subject to Alexandria Troas
Alexandria Troas
Alexandria Troas is an ancient Greek city situated on the Aegean Sea near the northern tip of Turkey's western coast, a little south of Tenedos . It is located in the modern Turkish province of Çanakkale...
.
During the Roman period, the island lost its importance and the Roman town was a small one. Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
mentiones that the harbor of the island at this age was deserted.
Athenaeus
Athenaeus
Athenaeus , of Naucratis in Egypt, Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourished about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century AD...
remarks on the beauty of the women of Tenedos, and on its marjoram; the Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
poet Pindar
Pindar
Pindar , was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian described him as "by far the greatest of the nine lyric poets, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich...
wrote an ode in honour of Theoxenus of Tenedos in the mid 5th century BC.
Late Middle Ages
During the civil war between the Byzantine Emperors John V Palaeologus and his father-in-law John Cantacuzene, or John VI, John V took refuge on Tenedos during the winter of 1352-3, when Cantacuzene held most of the rest of the Empire, or what was left of it. John V won the war in 1354, and spent most of the rest of his long reign begging from the West.In 1362, the Venetians
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
offered to pay the Emperor's debts and lead an alliance against the Turks in exchange for Tenedos, but John V refused to cede the island which had been loyal to him. In 1370, however, he travelled to Italy to appeal to the Pope and Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VI , nicknamed the Green Count was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aimone, Count of Savoy and Yolande of Montferrat....
; he found himself broke in Venice, and agreed to cede Tenedos this time, in exchange for his debts, more money, and the Byzantine crown jewels, which had already been pledged; but his eldest son, Andronicus, regent in Constantinople during his absence, refused to give up the island. His second son, Manuel, paid off his creditors next year.
In 1376, this time from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, John V sold Tenedos to the Venetians again; in the meantime Andronicus had rebelled against his father and been defeated, imprisoned, and blinded in one eye. The Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
freed Andronicus, and he deposed his father this time, becoming Andronicus IV; he then sold Tenedos to the Genoese. The garrison of Tenedos refused to go along with this, and sold Tenedos to the Venetians. This provoked the War of Chioggia
War of Chioggia
The War of Chioggia was a conflict between Genoa and Venice which lasted from 1378 to 1381, from which Venice emerged triumphant. It was a part of the larger Venetian-Genoese War which began in 1350.-Background:...
between John V and Venetians, on one side, and Andronicus and the Genoese on the other.
The war ended in a draw, in 1381; John was to be Emperor, and Andronicus his heir. Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
mediated between the two cities, and decided that Tenedos would belong to neither, but be laid waste. According to the Treaty of Turin, Venetians would destroy all the island's "castles, walls, defences, houses and habitations from top to bottom 'in such fashion that the place can never be rebuilt or reinhabited". 4000 Greek islanders from Tenedos were resettled in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
. The Spanish traveller Clavijo
Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo
Ruy González de Clavijo was a Castilian traveller and writer. In 1403-05 Clavijo was the ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur, founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire...
visited the island in 1401, and wrote that it was deserted, but he found many vineyards, fruit trees, rabbits and the ruins of a great castle. Another Spanish traveller, Pero Tafur, visited the island in 1437 and found it deserted, with many rabbits, the vineyards covering the island still uncultivated, but the port well-maintained. He mentions frequent Turkish attacks on shipping in the harbor, now that the Castle no longer existed.
Ottoman rule
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
wrote in the 16th century that the finest wines in the world were being produced in Bozcaada. Ottomans rebuilt the castle as well. Bozcaada, the name of the island in Turkish, is attested from the 16th century map of Piri Reis
Piri Reis
Piri Reis was an Turkish Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer born between 1465 and 1470 and died in 1554 or 1555....
.
The Venetians were able to control the island for a brief period once more. After the Battle of the Dardanelles
Battle of the Dardanelles
Battle of the Dardanelles may refer to:During the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1645–1669:*Battle of the Dardanelles *Battle of the Dardanelles *Battle of the Dardanelles *Battle of the Dardanelles During other conflicts:...
in 1657, the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
took it back. Following the victory, Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha , was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1656 until his death. He was the first leader and founder of the Albanian Köprülü noble dynasty/family.- Life :He was recruited as a part of the devshirmeh system and was trained in the palace school...
visited the island and oversaw its repairs, during which he funded construction of a newer mosque. The Grand Vizier's personal attention was a sign of Ottomans' consideration of strategic importance of the island.
During the classical Ottoman period, the island was a kadiluk
Kadiluk
A Kadiluk, in some cases equivalent to a Kaza, was a local administrative subdivision of the Ottoman empire, which was the territory of a Kadı, or judge.There could be several kadiluks in a sanjak...
. The Ottomans built mosques, fountains, hammams, and a medrese as well as rebuilding the castle.
The Ottomans adopted the Byzantine practice of using islands as places for the internal exile of state prisoners, such as Constantine Mourousis
Constantine Mourousis
Constantine Demetrius Mourousis was a Phanariote Prince of Moldavia, and member of the Mourousis family...
and Halil Hamid Pasha
Halil Hamid Pasha
Halil Hamid Pasha, also Halil Hamit Paşa was a Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 31 December 1782 to 30 April 1785. He was especially instrumental in inviting foreign experts, especially French ones, to the Ottoman Empire from 1784....
.
In the 19th century Russians repeatedly captured Tenedos during the Russo-Turkish Wars and they used it as their military base to achieve the victories at the Dardanelles
Battle of the Dardanelles (1807)
The naval Battle of the Dardanelles took place on 10–11 May 1807 during the Russo-Turkish War . It was fought between the Russian and Ottoman navies near the Dardanelles Strait....
and Athos
Battle of Athos
The naval Battle of Mount Athos took place from 19–22 June 1807 and was a key naval battle of the Russo-Turkish War...
; but they could not hold it. However, the Russian occupations proved to be destructive for the island. The town was burnt down, the harbor was almost filled in and almost all buildings were destroyed. The islanders left and Tenedos became deserted once more since the Venetians' forced evacuation. While it was repopulated after Russians left, many Turks left the island permanently.
In 1822, during the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
, the revolutionaries under Konstantinos Kanaris managed to attack and burn the Ottoman flagship off Tenedos. This event was a major moral booster for the Greek Revolution and attracted the attention of the European Powers. The island was reported to be covered with trees in the past, which were destroyed during the Greek Revolution.
During the 19th century, the wine production remaind a profitable business while the island's annual wheat production was only enough for three months of the islanders' consumption. Also in 19th century there had been attempts to introduce pear, fig and mulberry trees. Current fig and mulberry trees may be due to those attempts. However, there are reports of fruit, especially fig trees being present on the island prior to those attempts. This may be due to some trees being damaged during the Greek Revolution.
In 1864, Bozcaada became a governorship under sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
of Lesbos as a part of the newly established Vilayet of the Archipelago.
19th century Ottoman staff admiral (Riyale ) Bozcaadalı Hüseyin Pasha and his son, Naval Minister Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha, who founded the Istanbul Naval Museum
Istanbul Naval Museum
The Istanbul Naval Museum is a national naval museum of the Republic of Turkey, located in Istanbul. It was established in 1897 by the Ottoman Minister of Navy Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Paşa....
were from the island.
Between Turkey and Greece
During the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, Tenedos was the first island of the north Aegean that came under the control of the Greek Navy (October 20, 1912) without the latter suffering any loses. This move was critical since with the capture of the strategic island the Ottoman fleet remained trapped inside the Dardanelles from the early stage of the war. Greek administration of the island lasted until 12 November 1922.
Because of their strategic position near the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
, the western powers, particularly Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, insisted at the end of the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
in 1913 that the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
retain the islands of Tenedos and Imbros
Imbros
Imbros or Imroz, officially referred to as Gökçeada since July 29, 1970 , is an island in the Aegean Sea and the largest island of Turkey, part of Çanakkale Province. It is located at the entrance of Saros Bay and is also the westernmost point of Turkey...
although the Empire would cede the other Aegean islands to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
During the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Gallipoli Campaign, the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
used the island as a supply base. They have also built a 600m. long airstrip for military operations.
In 1920, following World War I, the Treaty of Sèvres
Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of Sèvres was the peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Allies at the end of World War I. The Treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany before this treaty to annul the German concessions including the economic rights and enterprises. Also, France, Great Britain and Italy...
with the defeated Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
granted the island to Greece, who joined the war in Allies' side in May 1917. The new Turkish Government of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
, based in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, which was not party to the treaty, overthrew the Ottoman government, which signed but did not ratify the treaty. After the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
ended in Greek defeat in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, and the fall of Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and his Middle Eastern policies, the western powers agreed to the Treaty of Lausanne
Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
with the new Turkish Republic, in 1923. This treaty made Tenedos and Imbros
Imbros
Imbros or Imroz, officially referred to as Gökçeada since July 29, 1970 , is an island in the Aegean Sea and the largest island of Turkey, part of Çanakkale Province. It is located at the entrance of Saros Bay and is also the westernmost point of Turkey...
part of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and it guaranteed a special autonomous administrative status there to accommodate the Greeks. The treaty excluded the Greeks on the two islands from the population exchange
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
that took place between Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Turkey, as they constituted a majority of the population there.
The treaty also provided for the rights of Greeks remaining in Turkey, and declared such rights fundamental laws unalterable by Turkish law or administrative decree, an international matter, to be amended only with the consent of a majority of the Council of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. However shortly after the Civil Law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
legislation of 17 February 1926 (Medeni Kanun), the rights accorded to minorities in Turkey were revoked, in violation of the Lausanne Treaty.
Agriculture, especially grape production continued to be the main activity of the island until development of tourism after 1990. Turks on the island, who were already cultivating grapes learned wine production from Greek islanders. During the 1960s
the most fertile lands owned by the Greeks were forcibly expropriated, while it is claimed that this situation threatened the ecological balance of the island, however, contrary to this the local wine production increased this period, especially after 1956. Between 1960 and 1980, 13 wine producers were located on the island. After 1980, wine industry started to decline due to high taxes, however, at the beginning of 21st century started to grow again thanks to decreased taxes and government support.
Population
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(ca. 3000-2700 BCE). As a result of the War of Chioggia
War of Chioggia
The War of Chioggia was a conflict between Genoa and Venice which lasted from 1378 to 1381, from which Venice emerged triumphant. It was a part of the larger Venetian-Genoese War which began in 1350.-Background:...
between Venetians and the Genoese, the island declared a neutral zone and the population was evacuated in 1383. The islanders generally chose to move to Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. At that time, the island had the highest reported population in its history. (see table below)
The island remained depopulated for about 72 years before the arrival of Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1455. After that, the island was populated again with both Greeks and Turks. Reports indicate Turks being the largest ethnic group on the island until 19th century. (see table below)
The Russian occupation in 1807 was destructive for the island, the town was completely burnt and all the islanders left leaving Tenedos deserted once more since the Venetians' forced evacuation. While the island repopulated after Russians left, it is reported that many rich Turks living on the island left it permantently. Census results during 19th century indicate a roughly 2/3 Greek and 1/3 Turkish population.
Many Greeks have emigrated due to a campaign of state-sponsored discrimination during the mid-twentieth century.
| Date | Source | Greek | Turkish | Others | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early 1383 | Secondary source | +4,000 | - | - | +4,000 |
| 1383 - 1455 | Clavijo, Tafur, secondary sources |
- | - | - | no permanent settlement |
| 1457 | Ottoman account | 14 field houses | 57 field houses | - | 71 field houses |
| 16th century | Ottoman account | 242 families | 55 families | - | 297 families |
| 1739 | R.Petcock | 200 families | 300 families | - | 500 families |
| 1765 | W.Chandler | 300 families | 600 families | - | 900 families |
| 1770 | de Choisel-Gouffier | 300 families | 600 families | - | 900 families |
| 1801 | R.Walpole | 300 families | 450 families | - | 750 families |
| 1831 | Ottoman census | 793 people | 439 people | - | 1,232 (males only) |
| 1865 | Thomas Newton | n/a | 1/3 of total | n/a | approx. 4,000 people |
| 1876 | Cezair-i Bahr-i Sefid Salnamesi | 1,438 | 580 | - | 2,027 (males only) |
| 1890 | Şemseddin Sami | 2,453 | 1,214 | - | 3,667 |
| 1890 | V.Cuinet | 2,820 | 1,300 | 20 | 4,140 |
| 1893 | Ottoman census | 2,479 | 1,247 | 103 | 3,829 |
| 1893 | Ali Cevat | 2,820 | 1,300 | - | 4,140 |
| 1912 | Ecumenical Patriarchate Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity... |
5,420 | 1,200 | - | 6,620 |
| 1914-15 | Secondary source | 3,538 | 1,421 | - | 4,959 |
| 1921 | Ottoman census | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,632 |
| 1927 | Turkish census | 964 | 622 | 44 | 1,630 |
| 1950 | Turkish census | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,781 |
| 1960 | Turkish census | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,805 |
| 1964 | Christophoridis | 1,220 | 600 | n/a | 1,820 |
| 1965 | Turkish census | 600 | n/a | n/a | 2,141 |
| 1970 | Turkish census | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2,031 |
| 1980 | Turkish census | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,722 |
| 2000 | Turkish census | 35 | n/a | n/a | 2,440 |
| March 2011 | Survey | 7.5% | 87.5% | 5% | 100% |
According to the Turkish census of 1927, the island had a population of 1,631 inhabitants, 59%, borrowing the expression of Alexis Alexandris, the "great majority", of whom were Greek. The Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
had a strong presence on the island. From 1926 to the present day, the Greek Orthodox population of Imbros and Tenedos have been represented at the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by a high-ranking Metropolitan (bishop).
Article 14 of the Treaty of Lausanne
Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
(1923) exempted Imbros and Tenedos from the large-scale population exchange that took place between Greece and Turkey, and required Turkey to accommodate the local Greek majority and their rights. Specifically:
The islands of Imbros and Tenedos, remaining under Turkish sovereignty, shall enjoy a special administrative organisation composed of local elements and furnishing every guarantee for the native non-Moslem population in so far as concerns local administration and the protection of persons and property. The maintenance of order will be assured therein by a police force recruited from amongst the local population by the local administration above provided for and placed under its orders.
Subsequently, the islands were to be largely autonomous and self-governing, with their own police force. Turkish policy consistently undermined both the spirit and letter of this commitment: Schools were banned to teach in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
in 1964 as per law no 502, and the local Greek population was marginalized in multiple ways. A Greek primary school started to function in 1950 with 170 students but closed down on 24 July 1964, leaving the Greek islanders with no means to provide education to their children in their native language. This was a reason for the migration of Greeks out of the island.
Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
were ignored, and the Turkish government implemented a policy of intimidation.
While the Cyprus dispute
Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus dispute is the result of the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, over the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus....
between Greece and Turkey escalated in the 1960s, the situation of the Greeks of the two islands continually deteriorated. These events have led to the Greeks emigrating from both islands. Durmuş writes until 1980 there was a "considerable number of" Greeks on the island. There remains only a very small Greek community on Tenedos today, comprising several dozen mostly elderly people. Most of the former Greeks of Imbros and Tenedos are in diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
in Greece, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
A 2011 study identified three social grups of the island: Native islanders from families who lived there for centuries, property owner intellectual Istanubulites
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
who moved to the island in 20th century and workers who come from mainland Anatolia, especially from Bayramiç
Bayramiç
Bayramiç is a town and district of Çanakkale Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 32,314 of which 13,420 live in the town of Bayramiç. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of .-External links:* * *...
town.
Economy
Most of the agriculture is done on the central plains and gentle hills of the island. Sheep and goats are grazed at hilly northeastern and southeastern part of the island which is not suitable for agriculture.
Tourism was an important activity since the 1970s but it developed rapidly from the 1990s onwards. Long and fine beaches and the historical town of the island attract Turkish and foreign tourists. Residents hire parts of their houses as pensions. There also are small hotels.
Red poppies of the island are used to produce small quantities of sharbat and jam.
In year 2000, a wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
of 17 turbines was erected at the western cape. It produces 10.2 MW energy, much more than the need of island. Excess power is transferred to mainland Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
through an underground (and partially a submarine) cable. Care was taken not to use overhead cables and pylons in order not to disturb the scenery of the island.
See also
- Treaty of LausanneTreaty of LausanneThe Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
- Greco-Turkish relationsGreco-Turkish relationsThe relations between the Greek and the Turkish states have been marked by alternating periods of mutual hostility and reconciliation ever since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821...
- Treaty of SèvresTreaty of SèvresThe Treaty of Sèvres was the peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Allies at the end of World War I. The Treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany before this treaty to annul the German concessions including the economic rights and enterprises. Also, France, Great Britain and Italy...
- ImbrosImbrosImbros or Imroz, officially referred to as Gökçeada since July 29, 1970 , is an island in the Aegean Sea and the largest island of Turkey, part of Çanakkale Province. It is located at the entrance of Saros Bay and is also the westernmost point of Turkey...
- List of Greek countries and regions