1. The Area – Historical Background

The metropolis of Cyzicus was the ecclesiastical authority of the Hellespont of Propontis and of the westernmost area of Bithynia during the millennium-long Byzantine rule. After the Ottoman conquest it faced financial difficulties despite its former wealth and position, a fact confirmed by the regions that were ceded to it from neighbouring ecclesiastical provinces during the 14th century. Of the metropolises of Abydos, Pigai (Biga), and Cyzicus, the diocese of Cyzicus was the only to survive the 14th century upheaval, due to its strategic position that favored trade. Thus, despite its serious financial problems, the diocese survived and was included in the 15th century bishopric list.¹

In the first ecclesiastical division during the Roman period, Cyzicus was included in the bishopric of Ephesus. During the second half of the 4th century it was reassigned to the direct ecclesiastical dependence of Constantinople as a metropolis with an important number of bishoprics. At the Council of Chalcedon (451) it was ranked fifth in order among the dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople; in the 9th or 10th century it rose to the fourth place. Its uneventful course during the Byzantine period was upset after the Ottoman conquest when, from the second half of the 14th century, most of the bishoprics of the metropolis (from now on: diocese) were abolished. However, the diocese continue to function as proved by the participation of the metropolitan of Cyzicus at various synodic councils during the first years after the fall of Constantinople. The diocese kept the northwest edge of Asia Minor peninsula under its jurisdiction and its seat was later moved to Artaki (Erdek).² Its dominion was reduced in 1913 when the area of the Dardanelles was extracted to form the Diocese of the Daradanelles and Lampsacus.³

During the 19th century the diocese was in period of prosperity; when its cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1854, a larger church was built in its place. It was a domed basilica with extensive use of the local coloured marble. The ambitious initiative for the re-building of the cathedral of St. Nicholas was owed to the then metropolitan of Cyzicus and later Patriarch of Constantinople, Ioakeim II. ⁴

The metropolitan Nikodemos had made a catalogue of the names of metropolitans who had served at the see of Cyzicus from the year 325 until his days. It does not however mention dates; Neophytos was metropolitan from 1474. Much later, Auxentios was metropoltian (69th in order) between 1711-1721. From his days until 1922, in the diocese of Cyzicus served the following metropolitans: Antonios, Ananias II, Gerasimos Chrysoskoulaios, Anthimos II, Gerasimos II, Agapios, Ioakeim I (later Patriarch of Constantinople), Makarios, Konstantinos, Ignatios or Zacharias, Matthaios II, Anthimos III, Meletios, Ioakeim II (later Patriarch of Constantinople), Iakovos, Nikodemos, Konstantinos II Alexandridis (1900-1904), Athanasios II (1904-1909), Gregorios II (1909-1912, later Patriarch of Constantinople), Konstantinos III (1912-1922).⁵

Communal organization was based on the institution of the dimogerontia. The dimogerontia was appointed by the metropolitan until 1900, when it began being elected by the community’s general assembly in a secret vote.⁶

The territory of the diocese of Cyzicus included the northwestern edge of Asia Minor, forming part of the vilayet of Bursa (Prousa) or Hüdavendigâr⁷and the independent sancak of Biga or Kale-sultaniye,⁸ at least until the extraction of the diocese of the Dardanelles and Lampsacus in 1913. The boundaries of the diocese of Cyzicus included the Asia Minor coast of the Aegean and the Hellespont that belonged to the sancak of Biga, and the coast of Propontis until the delta of the Makestos River, with the Cyzicus peninsula at the centre. Its land boundaries followed the Makestos river-bed for a while, by-passed the lake Apollonia (Ulubat Gölü) forming an arch and at Kirmasti met the Ryndakos river, whose course they followed eastwards. At Keşiş Dağı (mount Olympus, today Uludağ) the boundaries turned southwards passing at a distance west of Kütahya. Forming a point at the southern edge of the territory of the diocese, at the centre of Phrygia, the boundaries turned to the northwest and met the boundaries of the vilayets of Bursa and Aydin. There, forming another arch to the north, they by-passed the area of Adramytti (Edremit) and reached to the west the coast of the bay with the same name.⁹

The Cyzicus peninsula, the centre of the diocese of Cyzicus, has a perimeter of 62 nautical miles and its highest peak is mount Dindymo (Kapu Dağı) at 800 metres. The peninsula has a triangular shape with rounded edges. A sandy isthmus, 1 km. long, 1.800 metres wide and 5-10 metres from the surface of the sea, connects it to the mainland.¹⁰

On the southwestern coast of the peninsula is Artaki (Erdek). It was the seat of the metropolitan of Cyzicus and of the Ottoman kaza of the same name.¹¹ On the peninsula was also the town of Peramos. It had two parishes, St. George and St. Demetrios. The monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Faneromeni, which was built in a valley of the peninsula’s mountain region, was particularly well known and a centre for pilgrimage (especially during the feast day on 23 August), because of its miraculous icon.¹² The settlement of Michaniona, on the north-eastern coast of the peninsula, was an important fishing centre where, according to Ippokratis Makris, the famous fishing technique known in Greece as “gri-gri” (fishing with an acetylene lamp) was developed around 1900.¹³

Balıkesir was the seat of the sancak with the same name, which was also called Karasi. The town was the centre of the area of ancient Mysia, as a meeting point of roads from the Aegean coast and Ionia towards the areas of Propontis. In the modern period, it was joined by railway with Smyrna (via Soma) along the line which ended at Panormos (Bandirma) on the Propontis coast.¹⁴ West of Balıkesir, in a sparsely populated area, was Balia.¹⁵

To the southwest of lake Afinitis (Kuş Gölü), was Gönen, a kaza seat. Near the town existed thermal springs.¹⁶ Further north was Panormos, also a kaza seat and important Propontis port.¹⁷

2. Population

According to the census published in the journal Xenophanes of the Club of Anatolian Greeks “Anatoli” in Athens, the diocese of Cyzicus numbered 73.203 Greek-Orthodox.¹⁸ According to I. Makris, at the beginning of the 20th century (and before the extraction of the diocese of the Dardanelles and Lampsacus) the Greek-Orthodox were 71.103 in total and had 75 functioning churches and 109 priests.¹⁹ The Cyzicus peninsula, according to P. Kontogiannis, had 26.500 inhabitants, mostly Greek-Orthodox, and included 3.700 Muslims and 700 Armenians.²⁰ At the beginning of the 20th century it was calculated that the entire peninsula with its 17 settlements had 20.700 Greek-Orthodox, approximately 3.000 Muslims and 1.000 Armenians.²¹

According to P. Kontogiannis, Artaki had 12.500 inhabitants, mainly Greek-Orthodox, and 3.000 Muslims.²² K. Makris, who mentions that his estimates are “based on official statistics”, suggests 6.511 Greek-Orthodox and 2.401 Muslims. Peramos had a Greek-Orthodox population of 3.000 inhabitants,²³ or 3.500 with a particular increase during the 19th century;²⁴ it is mentioned, though, that the number of Greek-Orthodox reached 5.000 in 1914.²⁵

Balıkesir had 36.000 inhabitants, mostly Muslims, with 2.000 Greek-Orthodox and 2.000 Armenians.²⁶ Balia had 6.000 Greek-Orthodox and 2.000 Muslims.²⁷Gönen had 4.500 inhabitants.²⁸ Finally, Panormos (Bandrma) had 20.000 inhabitants with 12.000 Muslims, 4.000 Greek-Orthodox and an equal number of Armenians.²⁹

3. Economy

Artaki (Erdek) had vineyards, which produced white wine, raki and brandy. There were also olive groves and pear orchards. Many of its inhabitants were involved with shipping, as the town boasted a sheltered port with commercial traffic.³⁰ Peramos had fourteen granite quarries which, according to P. Kontogiannis, were exploited by foreign companies under contract with the local community.³¹ Generally, the Cyzicus peninsula produced olive oil, wine, grapes, silk, onions, and also shared a portion of the rich fishing production of Propontis.³²

The production of silk is mentioned as being particularly profitable, making it a lucrative professional outlet. The numbers in total for Peramos (where it was the main source of income) touched 9 - 10.000 gold Ottoman lira per annum.³³ The peninsula’s mountain regions contained granite quarries (not only in Peramos but also in Armenochori and Hamamli). Its inhabitants, apart from farmers, were sailors or migrants to Constantinople (Istanbul) were they worked as grocers, innceepers and hoteliers.³⁴

The flat land around Balıkesir produced grains, pulses, cotton, sesame, opium and vegetables. Because of its position, the town was the commercial centre of the area. Its market attracted the broader commercial traffic of the surrounding region.³⁵ Balia had copper mines, renowned since antiquity. Their modern exploitation began in 1840 and was expanded in 1880 after they were bought by the Lavrio Mining Company. In 1893 they were sold to a French company based in Istanbul.³⁶

Gönen was the centre of the lower valley of Aisepos, built in a grain-producing valley. The town held an annual horse-trading fair (10-13 June). On the shores of Lake Afinitis (Kus Gölü) existed a Cossack village, whose inhabitants were involved with fishing and fish-curing; the monks of Mount Athos consumed quantities of this production during their periods of fasting.³⁷

Panormos (Bandırma) had a port that served the town’s hinterland, particularly the areas around Lakes Apollonias and Afinitis (Kus Gölü and Ulubat Gölü), and areas of Balıkesir. After its construction, the railway line facilitated access to the port from where were exported sheep (P. Kontogiannis suggested that in 1893 their number reached 350.000), poultry, grains, corn, broad beans, linseed, opium, sesame, cotton and even borax mined at Sultançayır. On the outskirts of the town there were vineyards and orchards, while apiculture and sericulture were also prevalent.³⁸

A particularly successful local businessman was Mikes Papadopoulos, sponsor of the Papadopouleion School in Peramos. He began his career as a clerk for an Armenian carpet wholesaler in Constantinople at the end of the 19th century, organizing commercial carpet networks and being in charge of almost the entire export market of carpets from the East to the West. After some years, he succeeded to merge the rival American companies Cazan Carpet Co. and Castelli with the Oriental Carpet Co., later serving as its managing director and president. At the same time he became involved with banking by establishing the Deutsche Orient Bank in Constantinople in collaboration with British and German banking circles. His successful life ended on 7 May 1915 with the sinking of the Lusitania liner in the Atlantic³⁹ after a German torpedo attack.⁴⁰

4. Education – Culture

In Artaki the first school was established at the beginning of the 19th century and a little later in Charaki, Michaniona ans Panormos. Of course, there was no shortage of hurdles and problems in the function of schooles, which were finally overcome through various interventions. At the beginning of the 20th century, Artaki had a seven-class boys’ school with 7 teachers and approximately 400 pupils, housed initially in a community building built in 1890, until it was moved to a majestic building in 1911. The girls’ school had five classes with four teachers and approximately 150 pupils. Finally, the town’s nursery school had 200-300 pupils. The community’s expenditure for education during this period reached 500 gold Ottoman lira per annum. Important for the schools was the contribution of educational institutions established during this period (“Dindymos Society”, the “Educational Society of Constantinople”, the “St. Nicholas Society”, the “Cyzicus Educational Society”, and others).⁴¹

Peramos had a five-class boys’ school with three teachers and 200 pupils, as well as a five-class girls’ school with 1 teacher and 60 pupils. The inhabitants of Peramos had also established educational societies, firstly “Elpis” and later (1907) “Taxiarchis” in Constantinople, which was re-established in 1919 with the name “Reformatory Association of the Peramians”. Panormos and Balıkesir had a communal school and a girls’ school. In general, most settlements of the Cyzicus peninsula at the beginning of the 20th century had some form of teaching establishment.⁴²

At the beginning of the 20th century, the entire diocese of Cyzicus, including the area of the Dardanelles and Lampsacus (Lapseki), had 84 schools (64 boys’ schools, 14 girls’ schools, 6 nursery schools) with a total number of 6.247 pupils (4.163 boys, 1.190 girls and 894 infants) and 119 teachers (88 male teachers, 25 female teachers, 6 nursery school teachers). The total expenditure for these teaching units reached in 1905 3.541 gold Ottoman lira.