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Witness History: The Great Fire of Smyrna

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The Great Fire of Smyrna

13/09/2016 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Great Fire of Smyrna

In 1922 a huge fire destroyed the ancient city of Smyrna on the Aegean, thousands died

In 1922 a huge fire destroyed the ancient city of Smyrna on the Aegean coast. Tens of thousands of people died.

Smyrna on Turkey's Aegean coast was one of the richest cities in the Ottoman Empire. It had a diverse mix of peoples and religions - Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Levantines, and Jews. The city was famous for its tolerant and cosmopolitan way of life. 

But that began to change in the aftermath of World War One. The Greek army occupied Smyrna and its surroundings and was responsible for atrocities against Turks. Then in September 1922, Turkish forces routed the Greek army and re-entered the city. They began a campaign of rape, murder and looting mainly targeted at Armenians and Greeks. Within days the city was ablaze. 

Rob Walker has been speaking to Jacques Nalbantian, who was five years old when the fire broke out, and to the historian Giles Milton.

(Photo: Turkish soldiers on the march near Smyrna in September 1922. Credit: Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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