The story of 47 Greeks of Istanbul who had to leave Istanbul at different times and for different reasons will be shown at an exhibition opening Friday at the Greek Consulate’s Istanbul cultural center. The exhibition, ‘My Longing Istanbul: Immigration and Longing Stories by Greeks of Istanbul’ is organized by the Lausanne Immigration Exchange Foundation.

Featuring the stories of Istanbul Greeks that have had to leave the city at different times for different reasons, a new exhibition at the Greek Consulate is opening Friday at 6 p.m.

Supported by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, the “My Longing Istanbul: Immigration and Longing Stories by Greeks of Istanbul” exhibition has been organized by the Lausanne Immigration Exchange Foundation and is opening at the consulate’s Sismanoglio Megaro building.

The exhibition features visual and written materials collected from 47 Greeks of Istanbul who had to leave the city throughout the 20th century for a variety of reasons before eventually settling in Athens and Thessaloniki.

The exhibition will present a display board for each interviewee, bearing old and new photographs, along with excerpts from the interviews.

The locations in the visuals were photographed by the project team in accordance with information provided from the interviewees. The display boards, meanwhile, are organized according to the immigration dates of the interviewees.

Book for the exhibition

During the 47 interviews realized by the Lausanne Immigration Exchange Foundation project team for the project, the Greek interviewees were asked about their longing for Istanbul, their families, as well as the dates and reasons for their emigration.

The data that was acquired was evaluated in a research report and was collated into a comprehensive book also titled “My Longing Istanbul: Immigration and Longing Stories by Greeks of Istanbul.”

The book is available in Turkish, Greek and English, and will be distributed to guests as part of the project and exhibition. The book also includes summaries of the interviews both in Turkish and Greek. 

Documentary on the longing for Istanbul of the city’s Greeks

Another important outcome of the project is the documentary “My Longing Istanbul” directed by Tahsin İşbilen. The documentary is based on interview records and material collected from the informants.

The documentary aims to add a tangible quality to the longing of Istanbul’s Greeks who say, “Istanbul is my land, I miss every part of it.” The documentary will be screened every hour during the exhibition days.

After the exhibition in Istanbul, the second of exhibition “My Longing Istanbul” will be on display in Athens on Oct. 23. The third one will be open in Thessaloniki on Nov. 6.

“My Longing Istanbul” at the Sismanoglio Megaro building (İstiklal Avenue, No.60) can be visited everyday from 12 to 8 p.m. until Oct. 19.