1. Location – Administration – Population

Coastal town in the south-southwestern area of the Cyzicus peninsula, 16 kms. NW of Panormos (Bandirma), 110 kms. W-NW of Prousa (Bursa) and 120 kms. SW of Constantinople (Istanbul). The settlement’s Greek name was Artaki (in antiquity it was known as Yrtaki or Yrtakion and was probably a colony of Miletos) and was thus listed in official ecclesiastical documents. The settlement’s official name and its recording in official Ottoman documents was Erdek. Artaki was a town contemporary to or perhaps even older than ancient Cyzicus, and was continually inhabited until 1922. It was located 10 kms. NW of the ruins of ancient Cyzicus and was built on a triangular peninsular with the islet Kera opposite forming a small but safe harbor. After the destruction of the town of Cyzicus in 1063 by an earthquake, Artaki became the see of the diocese of Cyzicus, while after its conquest by the Ottomans in 1339 Artaki became an administrative seat (kaza).¹

According to evidence for the beginnings of the 20th century, Artaki was a kaymakamlık seat which belonged to the Balikesirmutasarrıflık of the vilayet of Bursa. The province, apart from the villages of the Cyzicus peninsula, also included the islands Marmara, Aloni, Afisia, Koutali. Artaki had an eight-member dimogerontia, with two secretaries.² At the same time there was an ecclesiastical board(which consisted of 4 priests) and a Mixed Ecclesiastical Court (consisting of 4 elders) both under the presidency of the bishop of Cyzicus.

Artaki’s population reached around 10,000 inhabitants, of which around 7,000 were Greek-Orthodox, 2.500 were Turks and 500 were Circassians. There were also 5-6 Jewish families and a few Armenians.³ The Turks of Artaki were farmers, wealthy landowners or civil servants. The Greek element controlled the town’s financial and intellectual life. Most of the Greek-Orthodox inhabitants were thought to be of local descent. There was, however, a number of settlers from the Aegean area (Crete, Dodecanese, islands of the North Aegean, and mainly Lesvos), and from Macedonia. The presence of many inhabitants of island descent may explain both the “insular” nature of many Artaki folk songs and the presence of many dialectic peculiarities in the Artaki vernacular.

As has already been mentioned, the majority of Artaki’s Greek-Orthodox inhabitants were considered local. Two of the town’s quarters, however, housed the town’s Greek settlers: the “Gkotka” quarter and the “Kouzani” quarter. The first quarter’s name is probably a corruption of the word “Kotika”, which shows that its inhabitants had their roots in Kos. The “Kouzani” quarter respectively, which was positioned in the northeastern part of the settlement and outside the town’s ancient walls, was inhabited by settlers from Kozani in Macedonia. Further to the east was the “Katsouri” quarter (a quarter by this name was also found in Panormos), whose inhabitants also came from Macedonia (Kastoria). The Greeks in these quarters must have settled there at the beginning of the 19th century and were mainly woodcutters and miners, in contrast with the rest of the inhabitants of Artaki who were mainly involved with commerce and shipping. After 1862, 32 Circassian families settled in the “Katsouri” quarter and further along the northwestern end of the town. They had their own mosque and had closer relations with the Greek population than with the Turks.

Artaki was divided into two uneven parts by a river, Potamokoitis. Potamokoitis stemmed from Mount Dindymo (or Didymo), of the Kapi Daği mountain range, and cut through the town.

2. Church

Artaki was the see of the diocese of Cyzicus. The bishop of Cyzicus’ full title was “bishop of Cyzicus, supreme and exarchate of all of Hellespont”. The diocese was fifth in the hierarchy of dioceses of the Ecumenical throne (in 1905 it rose to 4th place).

Artaki had two churches: the cathedral church of Agios Nicholaos (St Nicholas), which was situated on the town’s western shore, and an older church, dedicated to the Agioi Theodoroi (St Theodoroi), in the centre of Artaki. The old cathedral church was oddly enough not situated within the old parish of Agios Nicholaos but in the parish of Megali Panagia or Levendistra, and was built on the ruins of the old church of the Virgin Mary. Makris suggests that both churches, of Agios Nicholaos and of the Virgin Mary, must have been destroyed by fire (he places the incident before 1800), and the inhabitants decided to build a unified cathedral church. Because, however, the parishioners of Agios Nicholas were more affluent through their involvement with shipping, they imposed the name of Agios Nicholaos on the new church. The new cathedral church was also destroyed by fire in 1854 and was rebuilt more magnificent in 1857 by the then metropolitan of Cyzicus (1845-60) and later patriarch Ioakeim II (1860-63, 1873-78). The new bishopric building, which was also the metropolitan’s residence and which had also being destroyed in the great fire of 1854, was built within the cathedral church’s courtyard. This building was completed in 1909, during Constantinos (Alexandridis)’s term of office as metropolitan of Cyzicus. The church and the bishopric mansion were destroyed in the great fire of August 1917. Also in Artaki was the small church of the Metamorphosis (Transfiguration), which was built outside the town after an initiative by a society by the same name, which was formed by the town’s craft guilds and other professional groups for this purpose.

Artaki boasted the holy monastery of Panagia Faneromeni, also known as Teke Manastır.⁴ The monastery was situated 14 kms. NE of Artaki and 14 kms. NW of Peramos, in a valley of Mount Dindymos which was formed by a river of the same name. The monastery was famous for the miraculous icon of the Virgin, which was reputed to have been painted by the Evangelist Luke. The icon was possibly moved here from the monastery of the Theotokos (or monastery of Megalos Agros),⁵ which is situated next to the coastal village Kursumlı, situated between the Cyzicus province and the Rhyndacus river delta. The icon was housed in a simple chapel until 1846, at which time the archimandrite Panagiotis Papadopoulos or Papadimitriou (known as papa-Panos) from Vysani in Epirus decided to build a church which formed the nucleus of the new monastery. Papa Panos was abbot of the monastery for over thirty years. After its refurbishment in 1895 and the building of new hostels for pilgrims, the monastery’s income grew suddenly, resulting in a deep conflict over the control of this revenue between the councils of elders of Artaki and Peramos. The conflict finally ended in 1903, when the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to take the monastery under its control and share the revenues between the two councils: 60% to the council of elders of Peramos and 40% to the council of elders of Artaki and the surrounding villages. In Artaki there also existed several chapels: Agia Paraskevi (in the town), Agios Charalambos, Agios Andreas, Agioi Apostoloi, Agios Ilias, Agios Symeon, Agia Sotira (chapel behind the town’s boy’s school, which also had a spring of holy water (agiasma).

3. Education

The first school in Artaki was established probably in a rented building at the beginning of the 19th century during the term of office of the metropolitan of Cyzicus Makarios (1806-1811). Its establishment and funding was greatly supported by the Theologos family from Artaki. When they abandoned Artaki and settled in Constantinople because of intercommunity conflicts, the school fell into decline and closed.

After two decades, during the term of office of the metropolitan of Cyzicus Matthaios II (1827-1831), the town’s first school was built. This school was not destroyed in the great fire of 1854 and continued to function until 1890/1, at which time it was demolished and a new boy’s school was built on the site. Until 1878 Artaki had only two educational establishments: a first school attended by approximately 300 pupils, both boys and girls, with one teacher who was assisted by a lay vicar, and a gymnasium-level school with around 30 pupils divided into 3 classes. From 1878-9 educational matters began to improve with the establishment of a girls’ school and a nursery school and the concurrent conversion of the mixed school into a boys’ school. At the beginning of the 20th century the educational situation in Artaki was as follows: a) a seven-class boys’ school, housed in a tall and airy building, built in 1890-1; it was attended by approximately 400 pupils and had 7 teachers, b) a girls’ school, housed in a rented community building, with 5 classes, 4 teachers and 150 pupils, and c) a nursery school, also in a rented building, with 200-300 children. The community’s expenses for education came to around 500 gold Ottoman lira.⁶ In 1908, during the term of office of the metropolitan Athanasios (Megakleous), the foundations for a new boy’s school were laid; it was designed by the architect Kambanakis, who lived in Constantinople. Architecturally the building was a miniature version of the National University of Athens. Its construction cost 7.000 gold Ottoman lira and was inaugurated on 8 November 1911 during the term of office of the metropolitan of Cyzicus Gregorios Zervoudakis (who later became Ecumenical Patriarch Gregorios VII). There was also an Ottoman school in Artaki, which was funded by the state and attended by around 150 pupils.

Educational establishments in Artaki were supported by societies and clubs such as “Dindymos” (which contributed particularly to the construction of the boys’ school in 1890-1), the club "Educational Society of Artaki" (whose actions were hindered by the then metropolitan of Cizycus Nikodemos). Other clubs functioned in Artaki such as the “Brotherhood of Agios Nikolaos” (which was established for the refurbishment of the town’s cathedral, while after its destruction by fire in 1917 it contributed to its rebuilding), the “Union of the Metamorphosis”, “Pluto”, the brotherhood for the adornment of the cemetery, or even the club “Communal Educational Association Cyzicus”, many of whose members were connected to the Organization of Constantinople (Organosis Konstantinoupoleos) established by Ion Dragoumis and Souliotis-Nikolaidis.

4. Economy

Artaki was the commercial centre for all the villages of the Cyzicus Peninsula (Gonia, Roda, Charaki, Drakounta, Vathy, Katatopos). Both the shops (the merchants from these villages) and their residents purchased goods from Artaki’s market; this was also the case for the islands (Marmaras, Aloni, Afisia, Koutali). On the other hand, Artaki’s merchants purchased food provisions from Panormos and clothing materials from Constantinople.

Many of Artaki’s inhabitants were involved with agriculture and fishing. Agricultural activities were centered on the cultivation of olive trees and vines. Large areas of land around Artaki were covered by olive trees. Annual production reached four million oka (1 oka = 1280 grams), half of which were processed for eating and the rest were used for the production of oil. Large part of the oil production was destined for exportation to Romania, Russia but also for the internal market (Constantinople).

Artaki’s main agriculture product however was grapes in many varieties (vasilika, white, kolovika, rozakia, tragana, moschato, etc). These grapes also produced around 4 million okas of wine annually, which was mainly absorbed by the market of Constantinople because of its wonderful quality. The wine was transported to Constantinople by sailing boats which belonged to locals who were also winemakers. Many Artaki winemakers and wine merchants had become rich during the period when French wine making had been affected by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century. Another product which was important for the town’s economy was silk, which was sold to the market of Mudanya. Annual silk-cocoon production in Artaki reached 250.000-300.000 okas.

Artaki also produced important supplies of various fruits (cherries, apricots, melons, water melons). The town’s financial life was also based on fishing and shipping. Fishermen from Artaki fished mainly for sardines, mackerel and tuna. Before the Asia Minor Catastrophe, Artaki boasted around 60 sailing ships; only one of these belonged to a Turk but was manned by a Greek crew. Artaki had two markets: the Turkish market, which was situated next to a location known as “Porta” near the town’s old wall gateway, and the Greek market, which was near the harbor, around a large square. The first had a few cafes, grocery stores and workshops (farriers, etc.). The Greek market housed most of the town’s shops and its large weekly market (held every Saturday). Above the steamers’ wharf was the town hall, the custom’s house, the building of the Tobacco Monopoly, as well as Artaki’s largest cafes, the most important of which was the community café known as “Tsardaki”.

5. Folk Customs

One of the most characteristic traditions with wider implications on the functioning of social institutions, was the marriage custom according to which a daughter did not abandon her family home after her wedding but receiving it as her dowry so that she would look after her parents in their old age. This custom was also known in islands of the Aegean such as Lesvos and Samos. Another custom, also characteristic of Greek-Orthodox communities within the Ottoman Empire was the burning of an effigy of a Jew on Easter Sunday, after the second resurrection (to be exact they shot the effigy with small front-loading rifles called kartisia, while it hung from a tree in the churchyard. This was the only occasion during which the Ottoman administration allowed residents to carry weapons).

6. Immigration – Refugees

Many of Artaki’s residents emigrated away from their homeland. Many immigrated to America at the beginning of the century, mainly after the Ottoman government decided to conscript Christians to the Ottoman army. There is an Artaki community in Astoria in New York. Apart from external emigration, there was also internal emigration within the Ottoman Empire, mainly towards Constantinople. There were around 30 families from Artaki who settled in Constantinople, who were mainly involved with wine merchandizing. After the Exodus, families from Artaki settled in Mavrochori and Polykari in Kastoria and New Artaki in Evia. On the other hand, Muslim families from Ierapetra in Crete settled in Artaki.