“The Unforgettable Aretsou of the Constantinople” by Gregory Oikonomidis

The historical documentary of Dr. Gregory Oikonomidis, “The unforgotten Aretsou of the Constantinople”, focuses on the historical development of the town of Aretsou, the Byzantine Rysion (Darica nowadays) from the antiquity until today and on the everyday life of its inhabitants. The documentary makes an extensive reference to the geomorphology of the area, the connectivity of Aretsou with Constantinople and its architectural tradition.

It comprehensively presents the religious life, the education, the relationship between the locals and the sea, the professions, the social and economic life, various elements related to the administrative organization of the community, the local products and the folklore of the area, with emphasis on the musical idiom. Particular reference is made to the fire of 1910 and the accelerated abandonment of the city during the Asia Minor Catastrophe in late September 1922.

Finally, the documentary reveals the modern history of Aretsou, from its evacuation due to the compulsory exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey in the context of the implementation of the Treaty of Lausanne, until today, with references to the places where the Greek refugees settled (Aretsou of Kalamaria, New Rysion of Thermi, Aretsou of Anavissos, Lavrion and the U.S.) and the development of Darica by Muslims, who arrived there mainly from Crete, Thessaloniki and Drama.

The documentary is embellished by interviews of first and second generation refugees and scientific reports associated with the region, enriched by rare archival and contemporary visual and photographic material.