One of the refugee families that settled in Chania after the population exchange brought over with them from Asia Minor a piece of silk fabric decorated with Ottoman embroidery. The gold embroidery stands out against the white background of the fabric. In the centre, there is a sultan’s signature and the sides are adorned with proverbs in Ottoman writing. The family kept the fabric safe for decades until the descendants donated it to the ‘House of Asia Minor Greeks’ when it was inaugurated by the ‘Agios Polykarpos’ Brotherhood of Asia Minor Greeks of Chania.
This Ottoman embroidery is not just a memento of the history of Asia Minor refugees, but also highlights the co-existence of national and religious groups on the eastern coast of the Aegean before the population exchange.
