When considering a name for one’s business, perhaps there is an appeal to choose a fancy name to spark the curiosity of potential customers and to attract upcoming reservations.

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However, for our apartments it was important to stay true to our roots, so we decided to use our Surname “Skamagkas” to represent and capture the essence of our down-to-earth family-run business. We come from a strong and meaningful heritage, which we are very proud of and are always happy to share our story with our lovely guests.

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If you have visited Crete before, you might be aware that the vast majority of surnames here end in –akis, but not ours! This is because our ancestors were not native to Crete but from what is now modern day Turkey. During the early 1900’s thousands of Greeks were settled in various regions around the coast of Asia. Our great grand-parents lived in Seferihisar.

 

Tragedy struck many Greeks in 1922, when the Asia Minor Catastrophe occurred. Close to one third of the Greek population fled from their millennia old homelands. These people suffered greatly, including our family. They left their homes and belongings and were forced to build their lives elsewhere. Months after the catastrophe, my great-grandparents arrived in Chania, Crete, where they pursued a fresh start. Fighting through poverty and deprivation they bravely managed to stand on their feet. These are our roots, this is who we are and why we decided to name our apartments, Skamagkas Apartments and pay respect to our personal history. It means the world to us and we couldn't be happier with the fact that such a rare surname is now used for our family business.

Below you will find lots of pictures from my family's trip to Seferihisar. It's incredibly emotional to see all these old abandoned Greek homes.