Bringing the past to life!
Anatolikis is a non-profit initiative dedicated to preserving family histories and assisting individuals in tracing their Greek ancestry from Anatolia and the Levant. Through research, documentation, and collaboration, the project helps reconnect people with their heritage and ancestry and shed light on the stories of Greek communities displaced or dispersed throughout the region.
Who are the Greeks of the East?
During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Greeks in Anatolia and the Levant were prominent in commerce, publishing, and education, playing an important role in shaping the cultural, economic, and political landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean. Concentrated in coastal cities such as Smyrna (İzmir), Constantinople (Istanbul), and Alexandria (in Egypt), as well as in communities throughout Asia Minor and the Levant, the Greek populations were part of the Ottoman Empire’s diverse Christian minorities.
The nationalist conflicts of the early twentieth century disrupted and dismantled these long-established communities. Beginning with the Balkan Wars (1912-1914), and culminating in the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) and the Population Exchange under the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), around 1.5 million Greeks were forcibly displaced from Anatolia and the northern Levant region to Greece, and 500,000 Muslims from the Balkans to Turkey. Today, the legacy of these communities persists in the rich tapestry of enduring social, cultural, political, and religious traditions.
Historical and Archival Records
Anatolikis is a historical documentation project designed to support those researching Greek ancestry from Anatolia and the northern Levant. It provides family historians with essential context on major historical events and practical guidance for accessing archival records.
Anatolikis was created to help family historians overcome the challenges of accessing region-specific historical records from Anatolia and the northern Levant. While records do exist, their organisation and availability is haphazard, their accessibility is restricted, and they are generally unindexed. Anatolikis helps overcome these challenges by tracking, indexing, and contextualizing available records, and offering specialized research services.
Bespoke genealogy research
Beyond the resources provided here, Anatolikis offers professional, fee-based family history research services led by Dr. Nicole Dados, a qualified specialist with a Diploma in Family History.
We’d love to hear from you—just use the contact form to send us your inquiry.
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Support us!
If Anatolikis has helped you in your family history journey—or if you simply value the stories and content we share—you can support our work by making a donation. Every contribution makes a difference.
