The ‘House of Asia Minor Greeks’ operates under the care of the ‘Agios Polykarpos’ Brotherhood of Asia Minor Greeks of Chania. It houses evidence and objects relating to the history of the Asia Minor refugees in Chania.
A crimson wedding dress from 19th century Cappadocia was donated to the Brotherhood by Alexandra Melita. It is accompanied by a photo of the couple. In all likelihood, the bride was not the first young woman to wear it and the dress was probably a family heirloom.
What is known about the history of this wedding dress is that it was worn during the couple’s wedding at the beginning of the 20th century. The groom was the Sultan’s doctor and the couple lived in Constantinople. However, the wedding dress hails from Cappadocia, while also representing a break from the strict tradition of Cappadocian women’s outfits. Due to its simplicity in comparison with earlier versions of women’s wear from the region, the dress points to a somewhat modernized female presence.
This photograph, probably taken after the wedding, is signed by Nikolaos Andriomenos, a prominent photographer of Constantinople, and bears the logo of his studio in Pera. Therefore, the photograph is dated between 1895 and 1920, when Andriomenos was operating his own studio in Pera, before his son took over the business.
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Refernces:
Panagiota Andrianopoulou, ‘‘Folk Costumes in Cappadocia’’, Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor.
Mavi Boncuk, Nicolas Andriomenos (1851-1929) (07-03-2014)