Toponym
There are different accounts related to the historical origin of the Greek-derived name of Menemen (Grk.: Μενεμένη – Menemeni or Μαινεμένη – Mainemeni). The most commonly encountered explanation based on the ancient Greek word mainómenos (μαινόμενος ‘furious, raving, out of one’s mind’), which refers to a Greek Mythology story when Herakles went out of his mind for which Euripides wrote the play Herakles Mainomenos (Grk.: Ἡρακλῆς μαινόμενος). In addition, ‘meneménos’ (μενεμένος) meant ‘flood’ or ‘overflow’. In the absence of modern dams and other means of waterflow control in antiquity, the Hermos River (now Gediz River) used to cause serious and frequent damages in the valley until recent times.
On the other hand, a minority of researchers discuss the possibility of a Luwian origin.
In any case, it is obvious, particularly in the light of recent discoveries made at Araptepe and more particularly at Panaztepe and Menemen’s Larissa, that settlement in the region extends far back in prehistoric times, at least until the late Neolithic and early Chalcolithic.
Administration
In 1864 Menemen became a kaza of newly established Ottoman Vilayet of Aydın with its seat in Smyrna.
Population
Until the forcible exchange of populations after the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the administrative seat of the same name was inhabited by a majority of Greeks (4,683 Greeks, 3,606 Muslims), while Muslims outnumbered Greeks in the kaza (17,261 Muslims, 7,195 Greeks).[1] According to alternative data, the total population of the city of Menemen was 20,000. [2] The Greek-Orthodox Christians of the kaza of Menemen belonged to the Diocese of Ephesos, consisting of eighty-five communities with 164,467 inhabitants.[3]
History
Menemen is first mentioned in the 13th or 14th century by Georgios Pachymeres (1242-c. 1310), who writes that the ‘Tourkoi’ [Turks] moved to the ‘Mainomenou kampos’ (‘plain of Mainomeni’).
A late Bronze Age settlement in Panaztepe with a number of tholos tombs indicates an apparent Mycenaean influence. The first nucleus of Menemen was formed on the left bank of the River Gediz in the immediate vicinity of today’s Yahşelli village. This settlement dates back to 1000 B.C. and is on the natural fluvial frontier between Ionia and Aeolia of antiquity. It is believed that the settlement was moved from its former place to today’s Asarlık village between 263 and 241 B.C. and later to its actual place during the Turkish principalities era in Anatolia (13th-14th centuries).
The city was founded by Greek settlers and the region was first under Greek political influence and later came under the rule of Phrygian Kingdom. The region was taken over by the Lydians and their rule lasted between 676 and 546 B.C. until the commencement of the Persian rule in the western Anatolia after the defeat suffered by the Lydians in the face of the famous Persian King Cyrus.
As the Persian Empire collapsed after a series of definitive defeats against the Macedonians, the region became a part of Alexander’s Empire. After Alexander’s death in 323 B.C. Menemen and its environs had been ruled by the Pergamon Kingdom.
In 64 B.C. the region became a part of the Roman Empire. Later, with the division of the Roman territory into two independent states in 395 A.C., it came under the Byzantine rule with the rest of the eastern Roman provinces.
With the commencement of the Turkish rule in Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) (1071 A.C.), the region became a part of the Seljuk Empire in 1084. But the Seljuk rule was frequently interrupted by the Crusades which had a devastating influence on both Byzantine and Seljuk territories in Asia Minor.
With the decadence of Seljuks in the last quarter of the 13th century, local feudal lords had founded several principalities on the Anatolian territory. The Beylik of Saruhan, founded around Manisa, captured the site of Menemen together with Foça and its surroundings in 1313. At the moment of the Turkish conquest, Menemen did not exist as a town: it was only the center of the domanial complex the aristocratic Byzantine family of Tarchaneiotes possessed in the area. But it seems that under the Saruhanoğlu its emergence as a locality was relatively fast. As a reminder of its origin, this new locality was called Tarhaniyat, and this alternative name survived for a long time, as the Ottoman documentation shows, in particular census registers.
But the Saruhan rule on Menemen did not last too long as the new emerging power in Anatolia, the Ottomans took over the city in the last quarter of the 14th century during the reign of Bayezid I the Thunderbolt.
As Timur invaded Anatolia following the Battle of Ankara in 1402, the Ottoman state was dismembered and the Saruhan Principality took over the region once more until a definitive annexation to Ottoman territory in 1425 during the reign of Murad II.
At least under the end of the 18th century, Menemen was one of the important traditional centers of production of textiles and clothing in western Anatolia, advantaged by its location right in the middle of a region where cotton was cultivated in a large scale. Its fabrics, and particularly those called the ‘demite’, ‘demiton’ and ‘escamite’ were much sought after, notably as export products in overseas markets.
Early 20th century
In 1914, the local Greek population in the area was affected by the genocidal campaign of the Ottoman state, while Ottoman irregular bands, Bashi-bazouks, some were Cretan Muslims , many of them were Muslimrefugees (muhacirler), were looting and murdering local Greeks. The CUP saw this as retaliation for the Muslims suffering under Greek domination since the Balkan wars (1912-1913), in which tens of thousands had left their homes. In Sereköy (kaza of Menemen), the Greek villagers were killed by these irregulars, after attempting some kind of self-defense. A few escaped to the town of Menemen. The Bashi-bazouks shot those, who left the town but did not attack the town itself.
In May 1919 Hellenic troops landed at Smyrna and advanced inland during the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). After the battle at Bergama retreating Hellenic army units managed to enter Menemen as part of the Greek occupation zone of Smyrna. However, they had to retreat temporarily from the town after fierce Turkish resistance during which excesses were committed by both sides. The subsequent massacre, on 17 June 1919, due to these developments, resulted in 200 Turkish civilians being killed and 200 others being wounded by Greeks, while Turkish sources themselves claim 1000 dead. The events were protested by the Ottoman Sheikhulislam. The Greek military claimed that they were attacked in the town. On the other hand an Allied commission, after investigation, believed that their statements was not correct and found the Greeks alone responsible for the bloodshed, however they agreed that the massacre was not organized by the Greek Command, but was as a result of the panic and anger of the young Greek troops who were still affected by the Bergama events and whom their officers were not able to calm.
The town was recaptured on 9 September 1922 by the Kemalist forces. The Greek inhabitants had to leave Menemen late in 1923 and in 1924 under the agreement for the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations between the two countries according to which Turkish immigrants from different parts of Greece were later lodged in town.
Destruction
May-June 1914
“1. GUERENKEUY [Gerenköy].— This village was assaulted on the night of the 29th of May, 1914, by bands of armed Turks under the command of the Chief of the Gendarmerie of Menemen. It was set fire to. At first the inhabitants withstood the attack, but were obliged later on to evacuate the place and flee with their families to the village of Serekeuy [Sereköy], at a distance of two hours. There they parted, one company going down to the sea shore where they embarked for Mitylene, the other taking refuge in Menemen and Smyrna.
The Metropolitan of Smyrna, Chrysostom, demanded from the Vali of Smyrna, Rahmi Bey, the permission for the latter to return to their homes, in conformity with the promise made to him by Rahmi Bey. The Vali, however, established Moslem emigrants in the village of Guerenkeuy [Gerenköy] and refused to receive a deputation of the villagers when they solicited his protection.
Therefore, the second train of Christians of the village of Guerenkeuy also embarked for Mitylene.
The Church, school, and half of the village houses were burnt. The following are the victims of the fire: Evangelos Spirou Kehaya[4], Nasselos with his small child, Manolis Tsalapassis, Jean Smyrnadis, Panayiotis Tsoulios, Petros E. Tsouglas, Georgios Mougharakis, and G. P. Kambako. Besides these, a great number were dangerously wounded.”[5]
“10. MENEMEN. — Subjected to constant threats, the inhabitants were kept in a state of daily terror. The disorder and insecurity that prevailed in the district obliged them finally to resort to Smyrna en masse from whence the greater part went to Mitylene. In the village of Kaklitch (Menemen region) Djelal Bey murdered the kehaya[6], Stalio Midildji, and stole his 800 sheep. In the village of Banidja, Garougalis Tzakmakliotis was found drowned in a well.
- OULOUDJAK [Ulucak]. After the destruction of Sere-Keuy [Sereköy] the Moslem aggressors plundered this village, the Moslem women taking part also in the plundering. George Kaskavalis was murdered. Many peasants met a horrible death in the neighbouring fields. The inhabitants of this village expatriated.
- SERE-KEUY. On the 30th May, the refugees of Gueren-keuy [Gerenköy] took shelter here. The inhabitants of Sere-keuy had decided to withstand all aggression on the part of the Turks. The next day thousands of armed Turks closely besieged the village, and a regular combat ensued. The Turks were headed by a dozen mounted gendarmes, assisted in their turn by all the keepers of the region, armed with rifles. At last the Christians, having run short of munitions, were obliged to surrender conditionally. It was agreed that they should hand over their arms, leave their fortunes behind them, and evacuate the village with their families. Contrary to this understanding the Turks entered the village, set fire to it, and massacred the inhabitants. Indescribable scenes took place, as these fiends fell upon the women and children whom they literally butchered. The gendarme Moustafa broke into the house of Paraskevas Skoufou, in which seventeen persons had taken refuge, and mercilessly massacred them. He tortured the daughter of Skoufou Olympia, wife of Mihalaki Leondaki, of whom he demanded money, and murdered her child four years old. The Turks spread over the different quarters of the village and plundered it. They bajonetted the old men and desecrated the Church, took hold of a woman, Eleonora, stripped her of her clothes, and let her run about the streets naked. The following persons were murdered: Michail Leondakis, Likos Leonidakis, loannis Skoufos, Maria Skoufou, Evangelos Trikaliotis, loannis Skinas, Antonios Tselingas, Apostolos Simas, Paul Boyatsis, Stamatios Vourliotis, Athanassios Geurekiotis, Paraskevoula Kerekiotissa, Athanassios Dikeliotis, Nicolaos Papaliaras, Athanassios Kolomidis, the two brothers Kolymenou, Panayiotis Katoulas, Athanassios Limberis, loannis Geurekiotis, Panayiotis Geurekiotis, Kostis P. Kateoulas, Vas. Panayiotou, Nic. Kokos, Stefanos, Kokou, Christos Tsakmakliotis, Atha, Tsakmakliotis, Christos Poupoulas, Panay, Georgalas, loannis Tridas, Athanassios Tsouras, Eleftherios Eleftheriou, Stelios Tokmis, together with a host of others.
Robbed of everything, the inhabitants hastened towards Smyrna. They were, however, prevented by armed Turks of the village, and gendarmes, from proceeding any further than Tchili [Çili], and were obliged to return to Ouloundjak [Uluncak], where seven peasants were also murdered.
The dragomans [translators in diplomatic service; diplomats] of the Constantinople Embassies of the Great Powers visited Sere-keuy and verified the catastrophe. In a report of the Bishopric of Ephesus, under date of 12th June, 1914, the following statement is given : —
‘We reached Sere-keuy at 10 p.m. to-day. At first I conducted the Dragomans to a well, in which the corpse of an old man of seventy years, Christoforos Karaghiozi, was found. I then visited along with them the burnt houses. In one of them belonging to Batista Nicolaou we found several carbonised corpses of persons unknown to us. The houses burnt down numbered thirty-four. We next visited six shops, and in one of them alone, that of Mr. Leonaki, goods worth more than Ltqs. 600 were stored. Nothing now remained. The dragomans carefully examined the Churches; we found everything in ruins, not-withstanding the attempt made by the Turks to repair the damage done, and clear up the place. The Eikons [icons] were cut to pieces. The Altar was overthrown and the earth under it dug up in the hope apparently of coming across treasure. The Church and school grounds were also dug up, possibly for the same purpose. Fire has completely destroyed the girl’s school; in general, the destroyed and deserted village offers a pitiful sight.
All available means had been made use of in an attempt to hide the ravage done. Government officials were sent to close the doors and windows of the houses, and clear the streets of the ruins and corpses, in spite of which the signs of the crimes perpetrated were easily discerned by the dragomans. I expressly opened the doors of some houses for them, and they witnessed the horrible spectacle of the corpses mingled with the rubbish from the ruins.
On going through Menemen, the Caimacham [kaymakam] showed the dragomans certain postcards, representing the Turkish flag being trampled under foot by Greek soldiers, which he himself had procured, in order to justify, as he thought, the savagery of the Turks.’”[7]
1919
On the 24 February 1919, “four brigands forced their way into the house of Georghios Meimaroglou of Menemen and tied up him and his wife, demanding all their valuable things and threatening them with knives and revolvers. They went away after looting the house and leaving the owners half dead.”[8]