Aunt Malama's place
Our history
Aunt Malama's place
The smell of history and the sounds of children’s voices in the air bring back memories of another time. At AUNT MALAMAS Place, the taste of Asia Minor and the vibrancy of everyday life intertwine to create a unique space. In this blog post, we’ll explore the details that make this place stand out and how its magic connects to our experiences.
AUNT MALAMAS Place is not just a house, it is a traditional Greek experience, full of history and emotions. Every corner of the house tells a story, and every smell takes us back in time. Visit it and discover the magic of this unique place that brings together the memories and flavours of Asia Minor.
The clock of time turns its hands back many years. Children’s footsteps stumble down the narrow alley between the New Gate and the Falta Mosque, as the locals called the Valide Mosque.
They are standing at the corner of Kallonades and Archanes. The white oblong house is there. The shutters of the two windows on the ground floor are open. You can see the knitted curtain on the right, where the living room is, and the cut curtain on the left, in the kitchen.
Among them is the main door. Where the living room ends, the courtyard begins with a high wall and its own door. He cannot see the flowers, the weakness of the owner, but he can smell them. At the back of the yard is the toilet, separate from the rest of the house, with the iron tap for a washbasin.
He walks up the small sidewalk and the main door opens. Three steps lead down to the hall with the panoramic photo of the Alatsata. It smells of Asia Minor. Aunt Malama in the kitchen, bent over the food. He walks past her and climbs the narrow wooden staircase leading to the oda. It is the only bedroom in the house. Above the iron bed the embroidered cross and next to it the icon of Archangel Michael, her patron saint.
The house was much bigger” she hears Aunt Malama. “The upper part was all wooden, spacious oasis that protruded from the ground floor. It hosted engagements and weddings and many parties. An old Turkish house.
1924/1925. Michalios from Vourla and Malama from Alatsata in Asia Minor set up their household in this house. Michalios left quickly. Then came the urban sprawl. The road became bare and raised and the house dried up. But the owner’s heart did not shrink. She became a big hug full of love for her nephews, for the children of the neighborhood, for the children of the world. He always had something to kiss them, always made sure to warm their wet feet from the rain…
Today, the relatively newly built – it was rebuilt in the 1990s – but tastefully renovated building, with modern amenities, could not be anything other than a welcoming place having taken on the aura and warmth of Auntie Malamas. Those who still remember her, passing by, leave a smile and a wetted look at the sign that says: Aunt Malama’s place.
A visitor