Pontos is a historic region located along the southern coast of the Black Sea, in what is now northeastern Turkey. For over 3,000 years, it was home to a vibrant and resilient Greek population known as the Pontian Greeks. With deep roots in Hellenic, Byzantine, and local traditions, Pontian Greeks developed a distinct cultural identity—expressed through their unique dialect, music, dances, religious traditions, cuisine, and strong sense of community. Despite centuries of foreign occupation, particularly under Ottoman rule, the Pontian people maintained their language, customs, and Orthodox Christian faith.
In the early 20th century, the Pontian Greek population faced one of the darkest chapters in its history. During the period of the Greek Genocide (1913–1923), hundreds of thousands of Pontian Greeks were murdered, forcibly deported, or displaced from their ancestral homeland as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing. Survivors were scattered around the world, many resettling in Greece, while others eventually made their way to North America, carrying with them the memory of their homeland and the pain of exile.