Both Moschonisi and Aivali have a long history of Greek civilization. In ancient times, they formed the core of a territory called Aeolia. This territory included the island of Lesvos, and the coast of Asia Minor between Troy and Smyrna, with a certain hinterland. Aeolia was first settled between 1100 BC and 1000 BC. Cities such as Pergamon, located southeast of Aivali, with its famous Attalid dynasty, flourished during the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman times. In particular, Nasos and Poroselini, on Moschonisi, were well known cities during the classical and early Byzantine periods. These cities had economic and cultural ties with cities across the Aegean such as Mytilene. Throughout the Byzantine period, a line of bishops was established in Moschonisi and Aivali, and remained unbroken until well into the Ottoman period. In 1650, a brief persecution of the Christians in the area ended the traditional line of bishops.

When the Greeks returned in the islands off the shore of Aivali later during the 17th century, they built Moschonisi, the main town of the largest island. One tradition explains that the name of the town derives from a formidable pirate, named Moschos, who had his Aegean headquarters on the island. Another, more rational, explanation is that the town and subsequently all the nearby islands were named after the scent of the spices that still aromatize the area. Aivali was built around 1600, but remained a rather inconspicuous town until 1770 when it received certain economic privileges and exceptions from the Porte. For example, after 1770, the center of the town became exclusively Christian Greek; the inhabitants were exempted from Ottoman heavy taxes; and the governor of the town was to be chosen by inhabitants of Aivali. The town became a refuge for many emigrants that had to escape Ottoman laws.

In 1763, the parishes of Smyrna merged with Moschonisi, but were separated from Aivali, which remained attached to Ephessos, something that was a cause for constant friction between the inhabitants of Moschonisi and Aivali. Although, from 1763 until 1919, Moschonisi and Aivali belonged to different parishes, militarily were under the jurisdiction of the Turkish commander of the Aegean islands. The town of Moschonisi was destroyed and the inhabitants had to flee their land in June 1821, when the islanders decided to participate in the wider militant Greek independence movement that was in development in Greece proper, and had been initiated in March of the same year, against Ottoman Turkish rule. After ten years, the Greek independent state that had emerged from the national revolution of 1821, and in agreement with the Ottoman state, sent the people of Moschonisi back to their land. In Aivali, throughout May 1821, some acts of subversion against the Ottomans triggered yet another destruction. Aivali was burned to the ground and the inhabitants had to temporarily flee to Moschonisi and the Aegean islands.

Throughout the 19th century, Moschonisi and Aivali recovered their past wealth and prospered accordingly. Consequently, in 1880 the municipality of Moschonisi became prefecture. Nevertheless, this prosperity did not even last a century. The outbreak of the First World War in the Balkans brought more misfortune upon the inhabitants of Moschonisia and Aivali. Turkey had sided with Germany against the allies a decision that brought it to war with Greece. On November 1915, as a result of Turkish national security measures, the entire population of Moschonisi was relocated to Aivali and the adjacent areas. In 1917, many Greeks of Aivali and Moschonisi were forced to march inland and remained there until 1919.
Between 1919 and 1922 both Moschonisi and Aivali, although Turkey still had nominal and administrative control, passed under the Greek flag, as Greek troops moved in to occupy these areas on behalf of the allied states. Decisions made during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 about the future of the Ottoman state, showed that as the first step towards the division of the Ottoman lands, the Greek army had to remain in Aivali and Moschonisi until the signing of a formal treaty between the allies and Turkey. Initially the decision to occupy a certain area in Asia Minor, which included Smyrna, seemed promising for many Greeks, and had certain international support, but the results were catastrophic for the entire Greek population of Asia Minor.

In the Treaty of Sevres of 1920, prime minister Venizelos seemed to secure Greek claims in Asia Minor. It was the legitimate seal of Greek interests in Aivali, Moschonisi, Smyrna, and their respective hinterland. Yet, the treaty not only was not recognized by the popular Turkish nationalist movement of Mustapha Kemal, that was operating by now as a second government from Ankara, but also was never followed by certain Great Powers such as Italy and France. To make matters worse, the newly elected Greek government and the return of king Constantine at the end of the same year lost the Great Powers' support for the Greek claims in Asia Minor. Moreover, by 1921 the new command of the Greek army in Asia Minor was ordered to press for an extensive and fatal invasion of Anatolia. In August 1922, after repeated futile attempts for a total victory over the Turkish forces of Mustapha Kemal the Greek army exhausted from its own tactical mistakes suffered defeat and begun its retreat.

The people of Aivali and Moschonisi suffered the tragic consequences of the military and political developments of their time. As the Greek army was retreating, Turkish nationalist militants followed conducting cleansing operations against subversive civilian elements who they thought had undermined the Ottoman state during the years of Greek enterprise between 1919 and 1922. Unfortunately, many innocent civilians were executed or imprisoned during August 1922. Both the Greek army and the subsequent Turkish army actions left permanent scars on the population of Moschonisi and Aivali. The Greek army retreated in a very disorganized and desperate manner having no respect for Muslim property or dignity. Inevitably, this situation had a dramatic effect on the Greeks of Asia Minor. The inhabitants of Aivali and Moschonisi had to flee their homeland before the Turkish reprisals. The Greek state and army never provided for a proper evacuation of civilians. The Turkish state demonstrated recklessness and brutality. During late August and beginning of September 1922, many lost their property, others lost their family. In Moschonisi and Aivali, uprooting left around 6,000 dead in the first case, and many hundreds in the latter case, all in one day, the 15 of September.

The Greek civilization of Asia Minor was destroyed indefinitely during these last months of 1922 and the painful process of expatriation reached a conclusion with the formal exchange of populations in 1923. Since then, the culture and traditions of this ancient Hellenic history of Asia Minor was kept in the hearts and minds of the surviving refugees that still live in various areas of Greece today. It is a national duty to record and preserve the language and the history of this major part of Greek civilization.

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1. According to the last 1915 census. After 1915, because of the frequent dislocation of the inhabitants figures are unreliable.
2. Again, for Aivali, there are no official figures after 1915.