Until 1925 the island was part of the monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, while at the beginning of 1925 it was granted to refugees from Asia Minor and specifically from the islands of Propontis (Galimi-Pasalimani-Skoupia). The refugees, coming from these areas, which were adjacent to Istanbul, brought with them their culture, customs and traditions. Today, the number of permanent residents is estimated at around six hundred.
The Museum building
On the ground floor of the stone building is the folklore collection of the Cultural Association of Ammouliani, while the upper floor houses the offices of the community. The Cultural Association of Ammouliani was founded in 1980, consists of 120 members and has 1 choir, 4 dancers and a voluntary blood donation center.
According to the president of the association, Katerina Spyropoulou, “the aim and purpose of the museum is on the one hand to protect the objects we brought with us, on the other hand to make the museum accessible to schools, so that children can learn the history of the place and jobs such as carpenter, viticulturist, etc. “
Through the exhibits of the museum there is a representation of an Asia Minor mansion with the dowries, the living room, the objects of daily use etc. There are still old photos from the first years of life on the island and from the homeland, a loom, carpentry tools, distillate for tsipouro, church objects and sacred relics brought by the refugees, costumes, etc.
The Folklore Museum is located just above the port of the island, in the square, where the church of Agios Nikolaos is. It was a nunnery of the monastery of Vatopedi, built in 1907. With the arrival of refugees on the island, the building was converted into a primary school, where on the ground floor were the kitchens and dining room for meals and on the upper floor the classrooms. It operated until the mid-1960s.
Next to the museum there is another stone building, abandoned, which was originally a temporary residence for refugees and since the 1940s has functioned as a club and event space for cinema, theatrical performances, official festivals, etc.
The exhibits of the Museum
On the ground floor of the stone building is the folklore collection of the Cultural Association of Ammouliani, while the upper floor houses the offices of the community. The Cultural Association of Ammouliani was founded in 1980, consists of 120 members and has 1 choir, 4 dancers and a voluntary blood donation center.
Through the exhibits of the museum there is a representation of an Asia Minor mansion with the dowries, the living room, the objects of daily use etc. There are still old photos from the first years of life on the island and from the homeland, a loom, carpentry tools, distillery for tsipouro, church objects and sacred relics brought by the refugees, costumes, etc.