Lost Solun: A History in Pictures

Niko777 · 03-09-2011, 06:52 PM

SOLUN - NEVER FORGET!

Zlatnata Porta (The Golden Gate), destroyed in 1911

View of some Roman Ruins in 1831, destroyed later, the sculptures were saved in the Louvre museum in Paris

Solun in 1688

Solun in 1831

Solun in 1897

late 19th century

White Tower, the outer walls were destroyed in 1911

Macedonians executed (thrown off) the White Tower

French Drawing of the VMRO attack on Ottoman trains, 1903

VMRO attack the Ottoman Imperial Bank of Solun

VMRO (Gemidzite) attack the French liner "Guadalkivir"

Soldiers from Crete sent to Solun as response to VMRO

Greek Army Captures Solun after the Turks left for good

Bulgarian army arrives 5 minutes after the Greek army. Had they arrived earlier today's Macedonia (most of it) would have been under Bulgarian occupation

Street scene in Solun, after 1913

The great fire of 1917 destroyed most of the city and its buildings, leaving a clean slate for the Greek occupiers...

Map of the destroyed city:

Map of the Greek government's urban plan for Solun, giving the city a new face.

Nazis occupy Solun, 1941

50,000 Macedonian Jews of Solun, who made up the majority of the city's population, deported to the concentration camps.

julie · 03-09-2011, 06:59 PM

Thank you Niko.
We lost so many Macedonians

George S. · 03-09-2011, 07:35 PM

thanks for the pics niko.

Niko777 · 03-09-2011, 07:39 PM

Quote:

We lost so many Macedonians

Macedonians were not the only ones.

I will be posting more photos soon featuring the city's multicultural past. Everyone should remember the Solun was a cosmopolitan city with many different and unique ethnic groups. It was a city shared by many, a city of tolerance, not meant to be dominated by a single racist nationalistic group.

Niko777 · 03-10-2011, 12:58 PM

The Jewish community of Solun

Please take the time to read this.

Solun was the home of a historical centre of Sephardic life; the city was called the "Mother of Israel" by Samuel Usque. Macedonian Jews played an important role in the early development of Christianity, and became a source of education and commerce for the Byzantine Empire and throughout the period of Ottoman Macedonia, until suffering devastation in the Holocaust after Greece was occupied by the Axis powers in WWII.

The majority of the Macedonian Jews are Sephardim whose ancestors had left Portugal, Spain and Italy. Their traditional language was Ladino, and, until the Holocaust, "was a unique blend of Ottoman, Balkan and Hispanic influences". After their expulsion from Spain, between fifteen and twenty thousand more Jews settled in Solun.

The Jewish community comprised more than half of the city's population by the early 1900s. As a result of the Jewish influence on the city, many non-Jewish inhabitants of Solun spoke Ladino, and the city virtually shut down on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Many sea-travellers reaching the port of Solun humorously recalled that Solun was a city where people worked only four days while resting three consecutive days. This was due to the three major religions the population adhered to and their respective resting days: Friday for Muslims, Saturday for Jews and Sunday for Christians.

50,000 people were sent to Auschwitz. 1,950 returned to find most of their synagogues and schools destroyed, and property seized by Greece. Many survivors emigrated to Israel and the United States.Today the Jewish population of Solun numbers roughly 1,000.

Ezdra Isak Florentin - A Jew from Solun who fought in the VMRO

Jewish Family in Solun

Jewish lemonade seller

Jewish men

Jewish family

Jewish women

Jewish cemetery of Solun

The Jewish cemetery was destroyed by the Greeks once the Jews had left. They build the University of Thessaloniki on top of it. Here is what is left of the cemetery today, on the property of the university:

Here is one of few survivng synagogues of Solun. It is called "Synagogue of the Monasteriotes" by Greeks because it was built by Jews from Manastir (Bitola).

Here is the city's other synagogue, the "Italia Yassan Synagogue"

Jewish newspapers from Solun 1900 - 1930

The LION will ROAR · 03-10-2011, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Greek Army Captures Solun after the Turks left for good

These soldiers are Cretan gendarmes, picture taken in Solun, 1912-1913

The LION will ROAR · 03-10-2011, 10:32 PM

SOLUN

1913

The LION will ROAR · 03-10-2011, 10:34 PM

Jews in 1942

The LION will ROAR · 03-10-2011, 10:40 PM

West of Solun ablaze on the morning of 19th August 1917

Hotel Splendid during the fire

Solun during the Great Fire in 1917.

Waterfront furing the fire

After the great fire of 1917

The city centre after the great fire of 1917

The LION will ROAR · 03-10-2011, 10:42 PM

1923 - Refugees arriving from Asia Minor - Population exchange between Greece and Turkey

Refugees settlement 1962

03-09-2011, 06:52 PM	#1
Niko777 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,895	Lost Solun: A History in Pictures SOLUN - NEVER FORGET! Zlatnata Porta (The Golden Gate), destroyed in 1911 View of some Roman Ruins in 1831, destroyed later, the sculptures were saved in the Louvre museum in Paris Solun in 1688 Solun in 1831 Solun in 1897 late 19th century White Tower, the outer walls were destroyed in 1911 Macedonians executed (thrown off) the White Tower French Drawing of the VMRO attack on Ottoman trains, 1903 VMRO attack the Ottoman Imperial Bank of Solun VMRO (Gemidzite) attack the French liner "Guadalkivir" Soldiers from Crete sent to Solun as response to VMRO Greek Army Captures Solun after the Turks left for good Bulgarian army arrives 5 minutes after the Greek army. Had they arrived earlier today's Macedonia (most of it) would have been under Bulgarian occupation Street scene in Solun, after 1913 The great fire of 1917 destroyed most of the city and its buildings, leaving a clean slate for the Greek occupiers... Map of the destroyed city: Map of the Greek government's urban plan for Solun, giving the city a new face. Nazis occupy Solun, 1941 50,000 Macedonian Jews of Solun, who made up the majority of the city's population, deported to the concentration camps. Last edited by Niko777; 03-09-2011 at 11:56 PM.

03-09-2011, 06:59 PM	#2
julie Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: makedonska colonia Posts: 3,869	Thank you Niko. We lost so many Macedonians __________________ "The moral revolution - the revolution of the mind, heart and soul of an enslaved people, is our greatest task."__________________Gotse Delchev

03-10-2011, 12:58 PM	#5
Niko777 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,895	The Jewish community of Solun Please take the time to read this. Solun was the home of a historical centre of Sephardic life; the city was called the "Mother of Israel" by Samuel Usque. Macedonian Jews played an important role in the early development of Christianity, and became a source of education and commerce for the Byzantine Empire and throughout the period of Ottoman Macedonia, until suffering devastation in the Holocaust after Greece was occupied by the Axis powers in WWII. The majority of the Macedonian Jews are Sephardim whose ancestors had left Portugal, Spain and Italy. Their traditional language was Ladino, and, until the Holocaust, "was a unique blend of Ottoman, Balkan and Hispanic influences". After their expulsion from Spain, between fifteen and twenty thousand more Jews settled in Solun. The Jewish community comprised more than half of the city's population by the early 1900s. As a result of the Jewish influence on the city, many non-Jewish inhabitants of Solun spoke Ladino, and the city virtually shut down on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Many sea-travellers reaching the port of Solun humorously recalled that Solun was a city where people worked only four days while resting three consecutive days. This was due to the three major religions the population adhered to and their respective resting days: Friday for Muslims, Saturday for Jews and Sunday for Christians. 50,000 people were sent to Auschwitz. 1,950 returned to find most of their synagogues and schools destroyed, and property seized by Greece. Many survivors emigrated to Israel and the United States.Today the Jewish population of Solun numbers roughly 1,000. Ezdra Isak Florentin - A Jew from Solun who fought in the VMRO Jewish Family in Solun Jewish lemonade seller Jewish men Jewish family Jewish women Jewish cemetery of Solun The Jewish cemetery was destroyed by the Greeks once the Jews had left. They build the University of Thessaloniki on top of it. Here is what is left of the cemetery today, on the property of the university: Here is one of few survivng synagogues of Solun. It is called "Synagogue of the Monasteriotes" by Greeks because it was built by Jews from Manastir (Bitola). Here is the city's other synagogue, the "Italia Yassan Synagogue" Jewish newspapers from Solun 1900 - 1930 Last edited by Niko777; 03-10-2011 at 01:13 PM.

03-10-2011, 10:32 PM	#7
The LION will ROAR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Australia, Sydney Posts: 3,231	SOLUN 1913 __________________ The Macedonians originates it, the Bulgarians imitate it and the Greeks exploit it!

03-10-2011, 10:34 PM	#8
The LION will ROAR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Australia, Sydney Posts: 3,231	Jews in 1942 __________________ The Macedonians originates it, the Bulgarians imitate it and the Greeks exploit it!

03-09-2011, 07:35 PM	#3
George S. Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10,116	thanks for the pics niko.

03-10-2011, 10:40 PM	#9
The LION will ROAR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Australia, Sydney Posts: 3,231	West of Solun ablaze on the morning of 19th August 1917 Hotel Splendid during the fire Solun during the Great Fire in 1917. Waterfront furing the fire After the great fire of 1917 The city centre after the great fire of 1917 __________________ The Macedonians originates it, the Bulgarians imitate it and the Greeks exploit it!

03-10-2011, 10:42 PM	#10
The LION will ROAR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Australia, Sydney Posts: 3,231	1923 - Refugees arriving from Asia Minor - Population exchange between Greece and Turkey Refugees settlement 1962 __________________ The Macedonians originates it, the Bulgarians imitate it and the Greeks exploit it!

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