Genealogy of the People of Afisia
Every family has a story, and every story begins with people.
The greatest treasure of our Museum is not only the objects preserved from the past. It is the people of Afisia (Avşa Adası)—the women, men, and children who were born, lived, and walked the land of their ancestral homeland, shaping its history until they were forced to leave on 18 October 1922.
Their story, however, did not end there.
It continued in Sarti (New Afisia), where the refugees built a new homeland. There they raised new generations, preserving the memory of Afisia and hoping that their children and grandchildren would live in freedom, never again experiencing the pain of forced displacement.
This genealogy preserves the family connections of the people of Afisia, tracing the community that flourished on the island until the forced displacement of 1922. More than a list of names, it is a living record of relationships, memories, and shared heritage that continues through their descendants today.
Our Museum is built around these people and their stories. We owe it to those who came before us—and to those who will follow.
This ongoing work has already reunited relatives who had lost touch over the years, helping preserve family connections and the shared heritage of the people of Afisia.
Nikolaos Petsavas
Genealogy
- To protect personal privacy, information relating to living individuals is not available through the public version of this genealogy.
- At the Museum, the database is continuously updated with new information generously shared by descendants of the people of Afisia, allowing each family story to grow with every generation.