For the blacksmith from Buddhist mythology, see Cunda (Buddhism).
Cunda Island, also called Alibey Island, (Turkish: Cunda Adası, Alibey Adası), Greek Moschonisi (Greek: Μοσχονήσι or Μοσχόνησος), is the largest of the Ayvalık Islandsarchipelago in Turkey, which was historically called the Εκατόνησα (Hekatonisa) or Μοσχονήσια (Moschonisia) archipelago in Greek. It lies in the Edremit Gulf on the Turkey's northwestern coast, off the coast of Ayvalık in Balıkesir Province, Turkey, with an area of 23 square kilometres (9 sq mi). It is located 16 kilometres (10 miles) east of Lesbos, Greece.
Cunda Island, Ayvalık, Balıkesir Province, Turkey.
White washed windmills in Cunda Island
Interior of large former Greek Orthodox cathedral
History
Antiquity
According to written sources, there have been settlements since the antiquity; the sources mention the settlements of Nasos (Greek: Νάσος), Pordoselini or Pordoselene (Greek: Πορδοσελήνη) and Chalkis (Greek: Χαλκίς).[1]
20th Century
According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the kaza of Cunda (Yunda) had a total population of 4.671, consisting of 4.417 Greeks, 89 Muslims and 165 foreign citizens.[2]
Until the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) the entire population of the island was Greek.[3] In 1913, Mehmed Reshid visited the island and he suggested the settlement of wealthy Muslim muhacirs on the island in order to control the Greek population.[4] In 1914, persecution against the population started, resulting in the departure of many inhabitants from the island.[5] The bishop Photios, various priests and prominent men were seized, beaten and imprisoned in a mill, to be released only after some days had passed. Men and women were beaten and tortured.[6] Later,[when?] the inhabitants were deported to Aivali (the Greek name for Ayvalık) on the mainland without being allowed to take anything with them. In Aivali they shared the same fate of oppression with its Christian inhabitants until they were all deported, and scattered among the Turkish villages of the vilayets of Izmir and Bursa. There they were daily subjected to all kinds of persecutions and dying in great numbers. The churches on the island were looted and turned into warehouses and stables, the lamps and holy images in them were broken, paintings of art destroyed and houses rendered uninhabitable.[5][6] In 1915, inhabitants of the island were compelled to pay 2,500 Turkish pounds for the uniforms of the Turkish army and 2,000 Turkish pounds for the construction of barracks; to pay a wheat-tax for the upkeep of the navy, and to buy, at no cheap price, post-cards. Also, some inhabitants were killed and tortured.[6]
For a short period (1921–1922), the island was the see of a Greek Orthodox metropolitan bishop, while the neoclassical mansion of the last metropolitan, Ambrosios, who was executed by the Turkish army, still survives on the seafront of the island's town center.[7] On September 19, 1922 several hundred of the Greek islanders were killed on Cunda; only some children were spared and sent to orphanages.[8] The next year, following the Treaty of Lausanne and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the few remaining islanders were forced to leave for Greece and were replaced by Cretan Turks and Turks from Lesbos.
Present day
Cunda Island has the character of a typical Aegean resort town. There are frequent bus and ferry services to Cunda Island from the town center of Ayvalık. Cunda Island is connected to Lale Island, and thence to the mainland, by a bridge and causeway built in the late 1960s. This is the first and currently the oldest surviving bridge in Turkey that connects lands separated by a strait.
The main landmark of Cunda Island remains the Taxiarchis Church (Turkish: Taksiyarhis Kilisesi). The large, former Greek Orthodox cathedral was abandoned and dilapidated, but has now been restored and houses one of the Rahmi M. Koç Museums. Poroselene (Greek: Ποροσελήνη) bay in the north of the island is among Cunda's main sights. In antiquity, it was the home of a dolphin which saved a drowning boy, according to a story mentioned by Pausanias.
In 2007, after a two-year work, all 551 buildings in Cunda Island were inspected and registered by the Turkish Science Academy and Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Architecture, as part of the "Culture of Turkey inventory project".[9]
USA-based Harvard University and Turkey's Koç University have established a joint project in Cunda Island and run a "Harvard-Koç University Intensive Ottoman & Turkish Summer School" every summer.[10][11]
In 2020, the Greek monastery of Saint Demetrius, also known as Ai Dimitri Monastery, which has been built in 1766 with donations from the citizens of Cunda, was completely destroyed by treasure hunters.[12]
^Güven, Mine; Akar, Didar; Öztürk, Balkız; Kelepir, Meltem (2016). Exploring the Turkish Linguistic Landscape: Essays in honor of Eser Erguvanlı-Taylan. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 58. ISBN978-9027259400.
^Kieser, Hans-Lukas (2016). World War I and the End of the Ottomans: From the Balkan Wars to the Armenian Genocide. I.B.Tauris; Sew edition. ISBN978-1784532468.
^ abPersecution of the Greeks in Turkey, 1914–1918. Constantinople [London, Printed by the Hesperia Press]. 1919.
^ abcPersecutions of the Greeks in Turkey since the beginning of the European war. Greece. Hypourgeio Exoterikon. 1918.
^Charitopoulos, Evangelos. (in Greek). Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
^Clark, Bruce (2006). Twice a stranger : the mass expulsion that forged modern Greece and Turkey. Cambridge (Massachusetts): Harvard University Press. p. 25. ISBN9780674023680. On the nearby islet which is known in Greek as Moschonisi and in Turkish as Cunda, several hundred civilians of all ages were taken away and killed, only some of the children were spared and sent to orphanages
^NTV MSNBC. "Cunda evlerine nüfus kağıdı" (in Turkish). Retrieved 2009-03-31.
^. Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Harvard Summer School 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
^. Koç University. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
^Treasure hunters destroy historic chapel in Aegean town
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cunda Island.
Cunda Adası
Cunda Adası
January 25, 2023
cunda, island, blacksmith, from, buddhist, mythology, cunda, buddhism, also, called, alibey, island, turkish, cunda, adası, alibey, adası, greek, moschonisi, greek, Μοσχονήσι, Μοσχόνησος, largest, ayvalık, islands, archipelago, turkey, which, historically, cal. For the blacksmith from Buddhist mythology see Cunda Buddhism Cunda Island also called Alibey Island Turkish Cunda Adasi Alibey Adasi Greek Moschonisi Greek Mosxonhsi or Mosxonhsos is the largest of the Ayvalik Islands archipelago in Turkey which was historically called the Ekatonhsa Hekatonisa or Mosxonhsia Moschonisia archipelago in Greek It lies in the Edremit Gulf on the Turkey s northwestern coast off the coast of Ayvalik in Balikesir Province Turkey with an area of 23 square kilometres 9 sq mi It is located 16 kilometres 10 miles east of Lesbos Greece Cunda IslandIsland DistrictA view from Cunda Alibey Island Cunda IslandLocation in TurkeyCoordinates 39 21 38 N 26 38 34 E 39 36056 N 26 64278 E 39 36056 26 64278 Coordinates 39 21 38 N 26 38 34 E 39 36056 N 26 64278 E 39 36056 26 64278Country TurkeyProvinceBalikesir ProvincePopulation Total3 321Time zoneUTC 3 TRT Cunda Island viewed from the sea Cunda Island Ayvalik Balikesir Province Turkey White washed windmills in Cunda Island Interior of large former Greek Orthodox cathedralHistory EditAntiquity Edit According to written sources there have been settlements since the antiquity the sources mention the settlements of Nasos Greek Nasos Pordoselini or Pordoselene Greek Pordoselhnh and Chalkis Greek Xalkis 1 20th Century Edit According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881 82 1893 the kaza of Cunda Yunda had a total population of 4 671 consisting of 4 417 Greeks 89 Muslims and 165 foreign citizens 2 Until the Treaty of Lausanne 1923 the entire population of the island was Greek 3 In 1913 Mehmed Reshid visited the island and he suggested the settlement of wealthy Muslim muhacirs on the island in order to control the Greek population 4 In 1914 persecution against the population started resulting in the departure of many inhabitants from the island 5 The bishop Photios various priests and prominent men were seized beaten and imprisoned in a mill to be released only after some days had passed Men and women were beaten and tortured 6 Later when the inhabitants were deported to Aivali the Greek name for Ayvalik on the mainland without being allowed to take anything with them In Aivali they shared the same fate of oppression with its Christian inhabitants until they were all deported and scattered among the Turkish villages of the vilayets of Izmir and Bursa There they were daily subjected to all kinds of persecutions and dying in great numbers The churches on the island were looted and turned into warehouses and stables the lamps and holy images in them were broken paintings of art destroyed and houses rendered uninhabitable 5 6 In 1915 inhabitants of the island were compelled to pay 2 500 Turkish pounds for the uniforms of the Turkish army and 2 000 Turkish pounds for the construction of barracks to pay a wheat tax for the upkeep of the navy and to buy at no cheap price post cards Also some inhabitants were killed and tortured 6 For a short period 1921 1922 the island was the see of a Greek Orthodox metropolitan bishop while the neoclassical mansion of the last metropolitan Ambrosios who was executed by the Turkish army still survives on the seafront of the island s town center 7 On September 19 1922 several hundred of the Greek islanders were killed on Cunda only some children were spared and sent to orphanages 8 The next year following the Treaty of Lausanne and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey the few remaining islanders were forced to leave for Greece and were replaced by Cretan Turks and Turks from Lesbos Present day EditCunda Island has the character of a typical Aegean resort town There are frequent bus and ferry services to Cunda Island from the town center of Ayvalik Cunda Island is connected to Lale Island and thence to the mainland by a bridge and causeway built in the late 1960s This is the first and currently the oldest surviving bridge in Turkey that connects lands separated by a strait The main landmark of Cunda Island remains the Taxiarchis Church Turkish Taksiyarhis Kilisesi The large former Greek Orthodox cathedral was abandoned and dilapidated but has now been restored and houses one of the Rahmi M Koc Museums Poroselene Greek Poroselhnh bay in the north of the island is among Cunda s main sights In antiquity it was the home of a dolphin which saved a drowning boy according to a story mentioned by Pausanias In 2007 after a two year work all 551 buildings in Cunda Island were inspected and registered by the Turkish Science Academy and Yildiz Technical University Faculty of Architecture as part of the Culture of Turkey inventory project 9 USA based Harvard University and Turkey s Koc University have established a joint project in Cunda Island and run a Harvard Koc University Intensive Ottoman amp Turkish Summer School every summer 10 11 The Ayvalik Strait Bridge connects Cunda Island with Lale Island In 2020 the Greek monastery of Saint Demetrius also known as Ai Dimitri Monastery which has been built in 1766 with donations from the citizens of Cunda was completely destroyed by treasure hunters 12 Gallery Edit Houses in Cunda Island Paterica Cove Camping area in Cunda Taksiyarhis Church Taksiyarhis Church A street from Cunda Island Paved walkways of Cunda Island Cunda Island Windmill Cats of Cunda IslandSee also EditList of islands of Turkey Aegean IslandsReferences Edit Ayvalik Industrial Landscape Kemal Karpat 1985 Ottoman Population 1830 1914 Demographic and Social Characteristics The University of Wisconsin Press p 130 131 Guven Mine Akar Didar Ozturk Balkiz Kelepir Meltem 2016 Exploring the Turkish Linguistic Landscape Essays in honor of Eser Erguvanli Taylan John Benjamins Publishing Company p 58 ISBN 978 9027259400 Kieser Hans Lukas 2016 World War I and the End of the Ottomans From the Balkan Wars to the Armenian Genocide I B Tauris Sew edition ISBN 978 1784532468 a b Persecution of the Greeks in Turkey 1914 1918 Constantinople London Printed by the Hesperia Press 1919 a b c Persecutions of the Greeks in Turkey since the beginning of the European war Greece Hypourgeio Exoterikon 1918 Charitopoulos Evangelos Diocese of Moschonisia in Greek Egkyklopaideia Meizonos Ellhnismoy M Asia Archived from the original on 3 February 2014 Retrieved 14 October 2012 Clark Bruce 2006 Twice a stranger the mass expulsion that forged modern Greece and Turkey Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press p 25 ISBN 9780674023680 On the nearby islet which is known in Greek as Moschonisi and in Turkish as Cunda several hundred civilians of all ages were taken away and killed only some of the children were spared and sent to orphanages NTV MSNBC Cunda evlerine nufus kagidi in Turkish Retrieved 2009 03 31 Intensive Ottoman Summer School in Turkey Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Harvard Summer School 2008 Archived from the original on 2008 04 05 Retrieved 2008 04 26 Department of History Koc University 16 July 2007 Archived from the original on 2008 10 07 Retrieved 2008 04 26 Treasure hunters destroy historic chapel in Aegean townExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cunda Island Cunda Adasi Cunda Adasi Cunda Adasi Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cunda Island amp oldid 1113260772, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
