The chronicle of a national catastrophe

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Benaki Museum and the Center for Asia Minor Studies present a chronicle of the Greek presence there through an exhibition beginning on Thursday and titled ‘Asia Minor Hellenism: Heyday – Catastrophe – Displacement – Rebirth.’ More than 1,000 exhibits and over 500 photographs bring to life the heyday of Hellenism before the persecutions, the dramatic period of 1919-1923 and the settlement and integration in Greece of thousands of refugees. The Asia Minor Catastrophe in the wake of the Greek-Turkish war led to the uprooting of native Greeks, ending a 3,000-year Hellenic presence in the region.