Misthi, Cappadocia
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Misthi or Misti ( or ) was a Greek city in the region of
Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...
, which is in modern-day
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. It was situated 82 kilometres southwest of the regional capital, Caesarea (Greek: Καισαρεία), now known as
Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
, Turkey. Administratively, it was a part of the nearby city of Niğde, situated 26 kilometres north-northwest at an altitude of 1380 metres above sea level. The current name of the town is Konaklı.


Introduction

(From Misthi I am, let's go to Misthi)


Origins

There exist multiple explanations about the origins and establishment of the city as well as about the etymology of its name. For instance, according to Koimisoglou some sources trace the origin of Misthi to 401 BC when Greek mercenaries came to work for the Persian king Cyrus in the battle against his brother Artaxerxes II.Κοιμίσογλου, Συμεών Κ., (2005), Καππαδοκία: Μνημείο Παγκόσμιας Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς, Ελλήνων Ιστορία, Πίστη, Πολιτισμός, Θεσσαλονίκη:ILP Productions, p. 434 A group of Greek soldiers was given the order to search for food and water. Some of them found an uninhabited area and settled down. Allegedly, they built a city there that became Misthi. This version of the city's creation, although interesting, has not yet become scientifically verified. Another version is that of Anastasiades (1995:16) who argues that the city was built by Greek mercenaries that were part of Alexander the Great's army. Rizos (1856:99-100), on the other hand, claims that the inhabitants of Misthi were originally from the Greek islands of Delos, Lemnos and Naxos while Carolides argues that the inhabitants of Misthi were simply Greeks from the lower port cities that came to Misthi to work as paid labour farmers. Koimisoglou also provides an explanation as to the etymology of the city's name. The ancient Greek word for mercenary is Μίσθιος (Místhios) (sing.) and in plural Μίσθιοι (Místhii) and in Modern Greek Μισθοφόροι (Misthofóri) or Μισθωτοί (Misthotí). Thus the name of the city he argues was a reflection of the inhabitants' original occupation. However, this is also a non-verified explanation. As it happens, the connotation of the word ‘Misthii’, although originally meaning mercenary, transformed during Byzantine times to denote labour-work, i.e. paid labour. Thus some authors have been inclined to suggest that the name refers to the skilled church builders of the city who often travelled far and took part in the constructing of churches. The city was inhabited purely by Greeks practicing the orthodox religion and wrongfully described as being turcophonic (speakers of the Turkish language). At closer scrutiny however, the Greek dialect spoken, also referred to as Misthiotica, is a dialect based on ancient Greek drawing heavily on Byzantine Greek and with major influx of Turkish loan words. Misthiotica (still spoken today) is a unique dialect (language) linguistically belonging to the Greek Cappadocian group of languages. Misthiotica was a consequence of the isolation the inhabitants suffered from that of other Greek cities and villages. Misthiotica was, however, also spoken by inhabitants of the nearby villages of Tsaricli, Dila (Dilion), Tseltek and Cavaclou because these villages were founded by Misthiotes.Κωστάκη, Θανάση Π., (1977), Το Μιστί της Καππαδοκίας, Αθήνα: Ακαδημία Αθηνών, p. xxv, 48. In reality Misthi ceased to exist after the exodus of the Misthiotes from Misthi which occurred following the population exchange according to the
Treaty of Lausanne The Treaty of Lausanne (, ) is a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–1923 and signed in the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially resolved the conflict that had initially ...
of 1923 signed by Greece and Turkey. Many of the Misthiotes would simply not believe that they would be forced to leave their homeland and continued to conduct their daily duties as traders, farmers and handicraftsmen after the news had arrived. However, when Turkish authority officials entered the village and forced them to leave they had no choice. In just two days, between Tuesday, 24 June and Wednesday, 25 June 1924, the population of Misthi comprising then of approximately 4400 people left Misthi and
Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...
for Greece never to return again. They went by foot to the seaport of
Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...
a and embarked on the dangerous journey by sea to the port of
Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...
,
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
,
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. They left Turkey as Greeks and were received in Greece as Turks. The Mistiotes were among the last identified Greeks to leave Turkey, their exodus ended permanently a period of over 2500 consecutive years of Hellenic presence in Asia Minor. The Misthiotes settled down in the following places in Greece but as their descendants have reached the fourth, and in some cases the fifth and sixth generation, they are to be found predominantly in the larger cities of Greece such as
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
and
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. List of settling places of the first generation Misthiotes in Greece: * Ξηροχώρι Xirochori n the Misthiotica dialect: Gördana²(
Salonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
, Prefecture of
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
) * Νέο Αγιονέρι Neo Agioneri n the Misthiotica dialect: Várlantza(
Kilkis Kilkis () is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2021 there were 24,130 people living in the city proper, 27,493 people living in the municipal unit, and 45,308 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional un ...
, Prefecture of
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
) * Μάνδρα Mandra Larissis n the Misthiotica dialect: Thomai³(
Larissa Larissa (; , , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 148,562 in the city proper, according to the 2021 census. It is also the capital of the Larissa ...
, Prefecture of Thessaly) * Αμυγδαλέα Amygdalea (
Larissa Larissa (; , , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 148,562 in the city proper, according to the 2021 census. It is also the capital of the Larissa ...
, Prefecture of Thessaly) * Νεοχώρι Neochori ( Evros, Prefecture of
Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...
) * Κόνιτσα
Konitsa Konitsa (, see also Konitsa#Name, names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina in Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian Border crossings of Albania, border. ...
(Ioannina Prefecture of
Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...
) * Ξάνθη
Xanthi Xanthi is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope mountain chain, the city is divided ...
(Xanthi Prefecture of
Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...
) * Διπόταμο Dipotamo (
Kavala Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...
, Prefecture of
Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...
) * Κομνηνά Komnina (Kozani Prefecture of
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
) * Άγιος Χαράλαμπος Agios Charalampos n the Misthiotica dialect: Tsagli refecture of Thessaly ² The name "Gördana" applied by the Misthiotes in their local dialect on current Xerochori seems most likely to be derived from the Bulgarian female name "Gordana". This name is in turn derived from "Gordiana", the feminine form of the Latin "Gordianus" (cf. Gordian). If true then the Misthiotes arriving by foot in the 1920s probably adopted the name from the village's previous inhabitants which are known to have been of Slavic origin and forced to move north due to the various wars the region was faced with resulting in the territory becoming annexed by Greece. ³ The name "Tomai" applied by the Misthiotes on current Mandra seems most likely to be derived from the Serbian and Bulgarian form of the name "Thomas". As with the original name on Xerochori, if true it may indicate the ethnicity of the village's previous inhabitants.


Konaklı – Misthi today

The city of Misthi is today inhabited by about 4000 Turkish citizens originating from the population exchange of 1924 between Greece and Turkey. The inhabitants are mostly descendants of Turks born in Thessaloniki, Greece (Tr. Selanik) and in the Kozani region at the turn of the 20th century. Descendants of the current inhabitants of the city came to Misthi while the Misthiotes had not yet left the city. When the Greeks population left the city the name changed from Misthi to Misly. Today, the city is known as Konaklı.


Culture


Γαβούστημα (Annual Panhellenic Meeting)

By the end of the 1990s the organizing committees of the descendants from the cities of Misthi and the towns of Tsaricli, Dela (Dilion), Tseltek and Cavaclou agreed to a first Annual Panhellenic Meeting in Mandra, Larissa (Greece). These meetings have since then been arranged at different locations in Greece where Misthiotes (and those related to them) settled down. In reality, the Annual Panhellenic Meeting is a cultural festival with activities ranging from art, music and dance exhibitions, academic lectures (often concerning history), gastronomical tours as well as book exposition. This event has proven highly successful in many respects and has attracted more than 3000 participants every year. In many cases, families have found relatives they did not know exist which has resulted in the illumination of their ancestry. The Gavoustema has also meant the resurrection of the Misthiotic culture which to many, especially to the youngest generations, has been completely unknown. As a result, the Gavoustema has spurred several individuals to engage in layman investigations or professional academic research about the history, culture and language of the Misthiotes. The Gavoustema has been hosted by the following cities: * 1997 Mandra,
Larissa Larissa (; , , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 148,562 in the city proper, according to the 2021 census. It is also the capital of the Larissa ...
(August) * 1998
Xanthi Xanthi is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope mountain chain, the city is divided ...
(August) * 1999
Konitsa Konitsa (, see also Konitsa#Name, names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina in Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian Border crossings of Albania, border. ...
, Ioannena (August) * 2000 Kokkinochoma, Kavala (August) * 2001 Ano Mavrolofo, Magnesia (17–19 August) * 2002 Xerochori, Salonica (23–24 August) * 2003 Neo Agioneri, Kilkis (22–24 August) * 2004
Alexandroupolis Alexandroupolis (, ) or Alexandroupoli (, ) is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros (regional unit), Evros regional unit. It is the largest city in Greek Thrace and the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, with a population of 71,75 ...
(6–8 August) * 2005 Mandra, Larissa (19–21 August) * 2006
Kavala Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...
(August). Guest lecture will be given by prominent professor of Linguistics and Classics
Mark Janse Mark Janse (born 31 August 1959 in Sas van Gent, The Netherlands) is BOF-ZAP research professor in Asia Minor and Ancient Greek at Ghent University. Biography Janse studied classics, Hebrew and linguistics at Ghent University. Janse was profes ...
who has focused his research on Cappadocian Greek dialects. Visi
Professor Mark Janse's homepage
) * 2007 - . * 2008 Plagia, Kilkis (August). * 2009
Kavala Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...
(August). * 2010 Alexandroupolis (20–22 August). * 2011 Neos Mylotopos, Pella (19–21 August). * 2012 Neo Agioneri, Kilkis (24–25 August) * 2013 Neokaisaria, Ioannena (23–25 August) * 2014 Petrana, Kozani (22–23 August)


Misthiotica dialect

The Misthiotica
dialect A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...
belongs to the Cappadocian branch of
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
and is thought to be based on Byzantine Greek with archaic features preserved as well as attached with a plethora of loanwords from Turkish. Some examples of this dialect are:


Misthiotic gastronomy

* Pitoulica ka Mantizis a yoghurt-based soup with pasta and olive-oil croutons. There are variations where fried garlic sometimes adds to the distinctive character of the dish. Another version of Mantiz (from other places of Asia Minor) is a kind of pasta with minced meat, like tortellini, served with tomato sauce with yogurt and paprika (chilli pepper powder). * Toundouri (tandouri) bread is bread baked in the ground-based oven known as toundouri. The toundouri is also found in numerous other cultures. Some examples are the Indian cuisine, the Middle East cuisine as well as in regional Turkish cuisines. * Arjalou fai is a soup made of yoghurt and pligouri ( cracked wheat). * Gilindiria is a kind of soup with little balls of pasta made of pligouri (cracked wheat) and flour, and boukovo (chili pepper). * Goultsigalat fai is a kind of soup with milk and pligouti (cracked wheat). * Xovota avga (eggs) are fried eggs in boiled water instead of butter or olive-oil. * Pintoush is a cream made of eggs, milk, flour and pligouri (cracked wheat) and it's like béchamel cream. * Sougkatous is an omelet with eggs, milk and flour.


Cultural indicators of the inhabitants' ancient/Byzantine origin

* The language (Misthiotica) (archaic elements/Byzantine elements) * Retained names used by the Misthiotes of older settlements, i.e. the nearby villages Nasrados (Tr. Ulağaç, lagatsch Nakroin (Tr. Kıçağaç, itschagatsch, the nearby sites Parapedissos, Nedissos, Maskados, Apsala. * The design of their garments and footwear had a Byzantine origin (differing from the surrounding Turkish). * Seasonal games took place in Misthi originating in ancient times such as wrestling, the Vara-Vara dance and
polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...
on horseback (a 'sport' dating back to Alexandrian times and to the interaction of that army with people they met in today's Afghanistan). * Marriage: The dressing of the groom calls to mind the robings of the Bishop which derived from
Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...
. * A dying individual (often referred to men) was obliged to provide death duties in order to receive forgiveness and gain admission to
Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...
. * There was a general belief, originating from Byzantine times, that the
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
of a man was taken by the
Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...
using his sword. For this reason all water was thrown out of the house as the Archangel was believed to have washed his sword with it (bad omen to use the water). * In accordance to ancient traditions, the
star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
s and
planet A planet is a large, Hydrostatic equilibrium, rounded Astronomical object, astronomical body that is generally required to be in orbit around a star, stellar remnant, or brown dwarf, and is not one itself. The Solar System has eight planets b ...
s were consulted to give the propitious time to leave for work or travel. The moon and the sun were personified as brothers traveling in the sky, the one in daytime and the other at night. Their
eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...
caused anxiety to men, and they tried, with they magic means to relieve these two heavenly bodies from the demon that had sieged them, this being the explanation of an eclipse. * Misthiotes believed that
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
s were caused by the movement of the world from one
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
's horn to the other - because they believed that the world rested upon the horns of a bull. Magic ceremonies for instance accompanied the litany for the invocation of rain. These beliefs date back not only to Byzantine times but to ancient times as well.


Names of the inhabitants

* Below is a comprehensive list of names used by the inhabitants (Kostakis, 1977). The first column shows the Greek name, the second a transcription, the third the English equivalent, and the fourth (unfinished yet) the Modern Greek version. Misthiotic male names Compare with Greek-Cappadocian names from the Old Testament


Surnames

Surnames were seldom used in the sense we know of today. Misthiotes referred to one another on a first name basis (a very common procedure during the Ottoman era for all Ottoman population). To separate between persons with similar or equal names they used patronymes or toponyms, i.e. names from places of origin. For instance "Daniil dou Yaserli" ανιήλ dου Γάσερλη Daniel the Caesarian's / Daniel Caesarian's son. Such surnames became through transformation unrecognizable to the holders. The Yaserli surname for instance was originally in Greek (and Latin) Caesarius/Kaisarios αισάριος or plural Καισάριοι denoting a person from Caesaria (
Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
). With the influx of Turkish, the name went through a transformation process that rendered it adaptable to the Turkish equivalent Kaiserli (from
Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
and the suffix 'li' denoting belonging). Usually an initial 'K' in
Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the F ...
was transformed in the Misthiotica dialect either as "ch" or "Y". In this case it was transformed as "Y". When the bearers of the name entered the port of Mersina from where they were taken by boat to
Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...
, Athens, their name were written in Turkish as "Kaiserli". Entering Piraeus the Greek authorities "re-Hellenised" their name by adding a common Greek surname suffix "-(i)dis" and once again transformed the surname into its current form "Kaiserlidis". Some members continued however to pronounce the name "Yaserli", and due to the civil war that broke out in Greece following WWII with the loss of the village archives, they were recorded as "Gaserli" or "Gaserlidis" άσερλη, Γασερλίδηςduring their entrance to Greek army service.


Facts

* The international academic community of linguists considered Misthiotica and other Cappadocian-Greek languages to be extinct until recently when researchers discovered speakers of the language in Greece. (Studies are currently in progress of both linguistic as well as social character). * Many Misthiotes left Misthi to establish themselves as traders in the United States of America and in Russia. Travels to Russia was usually a collective endeavour of 20-30 persons and took normally about 20–25 days. The Misthiotes would spend 2–3 years if not longer before returning home when another group would leave to the same destination. * Many of the surnames of Misthiotes of today are of Turkish origin while some are just transliterations of Byzantine names. Many of the surnames of Turkish origin could be classified as having a derogatory meaning. For instance, Sismanides - 'sisman' meaning fat, or most commonly Delioglou - ('deli'=idiot) meaning the idiot's son. Only few of the first generation Misthiotes in Greece have understood the meaning of their surnames. These surnames were often given by the Turkish authorities. Numerous accounts show that Misthiotes would not recognise themselves by these names as they referred to themselves either only by their first name or by the first name followed by a patronyme and/or a name of the city of origin. The completely different level of literacy of the second and third generation has however spurred an interest of the subject and subsequently several name changing processes. * Many of the second generation of the Misthiotes from Greece emigrated during the late 1960s from Greece to northern European countries such as Germany, Belgium, and Sweden but also to Australia and the US making Greece only a temporary place of stay along their history.


See also

*
Cappadocian Greek Cappadocian Greek (, also known as Cappadocian is a dialect of modern Greek, originally spoken in Cappadocia (modern-day Central Turkey) by the descendants of the Byzantine Greeks of Anatolia. The language originally diverged from Medieval Gree ...


Resources on Misthi and Cappadocia


Kappadokes.gr
General information on Greek Cappadocia by the Greek Cappadocean Federation
Cappadocia.gr
General information on Greek Cappadocia
Misti.gr
Information on Misthi provided by Misthiotes from Neo Agioneri, Kilkis *
Cappadocian Greek Cappadocian Greek (, also known as Cappadocian is a dialect of modern Greek, originally spoken in Cappadocia (modern-day Central Turkey) by the descendants of the Byzantine Greeks of Anatolia. The language originally diverged from Medieval Gree ...
Information from Wikipedia by Prof.
Mark Janse Mark Janse (born 31 August 1959 in Sas van Gent, The Netherlands) is BOF-ZAP research professor in Asia Minor and Ancient Greek at Ghent University. Biography Janse studied classics, Hebrew and linguistics at Ghent University. Janse was profes ...
on the Cappadocian Greek language


References


Greek

* Κοιμίσογλου, Συμεών Κ., (2005), Καππαδοκία: Μνημείο Παγκόσμιας Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς, Ελλήνων Ιστορία, Πίστη, Πολιτισμός, Θεσσαλονίκη:ILP Productions. * Κωστάκη, Θανάση Π., (1977), Το Μιστί της Καππαδοκίας, Αθήνα: Ακαδημία Αθηνών. * Σπυρώνη, Σταύρου Ι., (1996), Τι Δεν Είναι Ελληνικό Στην Ελληνική Γλώσσα: Τα Τούρκικα στη Γλώσσα που μιλάμε Λεξικογραφημένα με 7.000 περίπου ελληνικά επώνυμα τουρκικής καταγωγής, Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Τάκη Μιχαλά. * Χαρακόπουλος, Μάξιμος, (2003), Ρωμιοί της Καππαδοκίας: Από τα βάθη της Ανατολής στο Θεσσαλικό κάμπο - Η Τραυματική Ενσωμάτωση στη Μητέρα πατρίδα, Αθήνα, Ελληνικά Γράμματα.


Citations

{{Greek language , 1 , 2 , Misthi Misthi Anatolian Greeks