2mi3museum, Istanbul (2026)

24/10/2025

1960s Vafiadis Family In Mudanya / Visiting old friends – Bursa has always been one of the frequent stops for the Vafiadis family, both due to our family ties and its location. In addition to Kestel, Uludağ, and Çekirge, Mudanya was also a place the family often visited. And of course, there was a reason for that — visits to Münevver and her family, whom Ashen had embraced as her spiritual daughter in Mudanya. According to family stories, Münevver once worked at Küçük Yeni Han, during which time Ashen grew very fond of her, loving her like a daughter. In time, Münevver and her family moved back to Mudanya. Naturally, the Vafiadis family would visit them almost every time they came to Bursa.

In this photograph, from left to right, you can see Mehmet Bey, Ashen, Giuseppina, Münevver Hanım holding her baby, Yüksel Bey, and the Vafiadis twin brothers. They are sitting in front of what appears to be the doorway of a lovely house—though only partly visible—and smiling for the camera to capture the memory of the day. There is a charming little detail in the photo that makes us smile: Mehmet Bey, sitting at the far end, is in his stribed pajamas. While everyone else is dressed casually, his outfit suggests that he might have been feeling a bit unwell that day. Perhaps it was a visit to the sick. The striped pajamas he’s wearing were a popular model sold by Sümerbank at the time, a style that left its mark on that era.

We have mentioned the Vafiadis family’s visits to Mudanya in earlier posts as well. Longtime followers may remember the photo of young Stavros Vafiadis on Yüksel Bey’s farm, posing on a donkey named Boncuk.

⬇️ Türkçe'si Yorumlarda!

==============================
̆raf ̆raflar

29/09/2025

1960s Roadtrip in Turkey / Vafiadis Family at the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus – Looking at the Vafiadis family’s photographs from the 1960s, it becomes clear that they often traveled within Turkey. During these years, Aleko Vafiadis, together with his wife Giuseppina, his mother Ashen, and their three children, went by car to Bursa, Ankara, İzmir and many other cities, taking numerous photographs wherever they went. Among this archive of journeys, the abundance of images from the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus is particularly striking. Moreover, these photographs are not from a single visit; judging by the children’s changing ages, they belong to different occasions. It seems that every time the family traveled to İzmir, they made sure to visit the House of Mary. These repeated visits suggest that the site was, for them, not only a place of religious significance but also a family tradition, a familiar stop woven into their journeys.

Here in this taken in the early , Giuseppina Sanzoni, her mother-in-law Ashen Mıgırdician, and the Vafiadis siblings can be seen behind the cars, losing under the shade of a large plane tree. The children, dressed all in white, radiate the joy of a festive day. Who knows—perhaps this visit coincided with August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin. Although the photograph itself carries no written indication that it was taken in , within the family memory the place is remembered vividly; the black car in the background with its license plate further reinforces the recollection.

The House of the Virgin Mary was rediscovered in the 19th century, following the visions reported by the mystic nun Anne Catherine Emmerich. According to tradition, the Apostle John brought Mary to this stone house, where she spent the final years of her life. While the site has long been recognized as a major Catholic pilgrimage center, it is also venerated by the Orthodox. Thus, the Vafiadis family’s repeated visits carry significance not only within their personal memory but also within the shared heritage of both Christian traditions.

⬇️Türkçe'si Yorumlarda!

05/09/2025

1940s, Family Relics / Threads of Memory; Embroidery by Giuseppina Sanzoni - Handcrafts, especially sewing, embroidery, and weaving, are not merely household practices; they are and elements of identity passed down through generations. Every stitch reflects patience, taste, and life experience, while creating a sense of belonging and continuity within the family. These handmade pieces are not only decorative objects but also , carrying the labor and way of life of past generations into the present.

As those following the project know, our archive holds not only photographs but also pieces shaped by patient hands. In this post, we share two such works—born from imagination and hours of labor, yet made only for use. Likely from the late 1940s to early 1950s: one shelf cover and one backsplash cloth. The shelf cover shows little chefs—one drinking, one with a cake, two carrying a roasted chicken. Perhaps several such covers once hung on each shelf. The other cloth had a practical role: Giuseppina Sanzoni used it to stop oil splatters while frying. Today it feels almost unbelievable that such delicate work would be used this way. Among its floral motifs, two women are stitched, gathered around a table by a window.

In Giuseppina’s memories, especially from her youth in Edirne, gatherings with friends to embroider together were essential. Sometimes they even competed—each taking the same length of thread to see who stitched it fastest. The embroideries here are remnants of just such a day.

Curious about the style’s origins, we searched online. To our surprise, nearly identical pieces appeared, often captioned “from my grandmother’s kitchen,” especially from Poland, Slovakia, and Serbia. Perhaps this embroidery was once a trend, reaching Edirne and finding new life in the hands of young women in Karaağaç.

==============================
⬇️ Türkçe'si Yorumlarda!

09/08/2025

1970s, The Days in Sarıyer / Koulurgioti Family in Canlı Balık Restaurant - Once again we are in Sarıyer, Canlı Balık Restaurant. Canlı Balık was one of the popular fish restaurants of Istanbul, near in Sarıyer. According to information that we learnt from our ancestors, in the begining Canlı Balık Restaurant was owned by an gentleman (some stories tell that he was ) but then it has been sold to Urcan, a well known gentleman in Sarıyer. As the old name of the restaurant was so popular, the new owner changed the name of restaurant to 'Urcan Canlı Balık Restaurant'. It was so famous that we can find information about this place in Kocu’s famous Encyclopedia.

Canlı Balık Restaurant has an important place in the memories of our family members because of Dimitrios Koulurgioti who worked here between the years 1960s and . Naturally, Dimitrios had many memories as he worked here day and night. He saw many famous faces here: Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster, James Baldwin… We know that he met with Burt Lancaster as he told us before. Maybe Dimitrios had the chance to listen Zeki Müren during his visits.

This restaurant also hosted some of the Koulurgioti family’s special occasions. The place was beautiful, close to home, and the father worked there—so naturally, coming here must have seemed like a great idea. This photo was taken on one of those days. Here on this photograph, you see Andonia Koulurgioti together with her son Niko, daughter Golfo and nephew Hristo in between two infants.

On the wall, there is a large frame containing photographs. Although the faces are not very clear, the photos belong to the staff of the Canlı Balık Restaurant. Who knows, maybe Dimitrios is also among the people in these shots. We do have photographs of him with this team in our archive.

Although the Canlı Balık Restaurant no longer exists, it remains in the memories of many people from that era—whether they were from or not.

======================
⬇️ Türkçe'si Yorumlarda!

Address

Istanbul

Website

https://www.2mi3museum.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when 2mi3museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to 2mi3museum:

2mi3museum