Nilüfer Municipality’s “House of the Exchange of Populations” Museum: Promoting Cultural Diversity and Co-existence by Preserving Social Memory

The Municipality of Nilüfer commits to promote cultural diversity and co-existence through the "House of the Exchange of Populations" museum. Founded by the municipality and local associations, this museum commemorates the displacement of 1.5 million people following the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 and preserves the history and folk culture of the region's communities.

Nilüfer is home to diverse cultural identities stemming from historical displacement in the region and Balkan immigration. The museum champions cultural diversity, enriches local understanding of differences, encourages social harmony and participation in cultural, political, and artistic movements, especially by civil society and women’s groups. It facilitates exchanges between people affected by war and forced migration in Turkey and in Greece, and provides a space that questions nationalistic approaches while allowing for discussions on identity, personal and collective memory.

The municipality hosts biannual anniversary events, fostering dialogues on topics like memory, identity, and cultural rights. In 2022, an event was hosted to commemorate the 1923 Great Exchange. It gathered 5 thousand people, including migrants from all over Turkey. The Mayor publicly acknowledged migrants’ and refugees’ communities’ invaluable contributions to economic change, social and cultural transformation in Turkey