But for the past 100 years, almost no people have lived there.
The town of Kayaköy, in the southwestern province of Muğla, has been abandoned by its residents and haunted by its past. It serves as a reminder of the country's tumultuous past.
Karaköy, located in southwestern Türkiye, was once a prosperous town before its Greek Orthodox community was forced to leave. Photo: CNN
Memories of a bustling town more than a century ago
Just over a century ago, Kayaköy was a bustling town of between 10,000 and 20,000 Greek Orthodox, many of them artisans, living side by side with Muslim Turkish farmers. But the upheaval of Türkiye’s rise as an independent republic has divided its population.
After the Greco-Turkish War ended in 1922, the town of Livissi became deserted due to the deportation of its residents. The town then became home to Muslims returning from Greece, but they were not used to living in such a barren land and gradually left.
Among the few who remained were Aysun Ekiz’s grandparents, who ran a small restaurant near Kayaköy’s main entrance that served food and drinks to visitors to the town. Stories of those difficult years have been passed down through the generations.
“The Greeks didn’t want to leave and they cried, my grandparents told me,” said Ekiz, who now sells handmade jewellery to tourists. “Some even left their children with Turkish friends because they thought they would come back. But they never did.”
Jane Akatay, co-author of “The Kayaköy Guide,” says the reason for the town’s abandonment is the sadness that remains after the tragic events of the 1920s. Nature also played a role in the place’s demise.
Earthquakes and storms
“There have been earthquakes and hurricanes. Climate, weather, rainstorms… everything has affected this place,” Ekiz said. “Over the years, the mortar that holds it together has crumbled and things will collapse if you don’t take care of them.”
Visitors pay just 3 euros at a small kiosk on the main road into Kayaköy. They can walk to the alleys, which can be steep and uneven. Signs point to schools, churches and fountains.
Aysun Ekiz is one of the few people living in Kayaköy. Photo: CNN
It’s worth spending a few hours here. With few visitors even in peak season, you can enjoy the quiet atmosphere here, imagining how bustling it used to be, especially in the old town square, where local men used to gather to drink tea and tell stories.
Most of the houses now have no roofs and the walls are overgrown with vegetation. Some have pits in the basement, which were once used for tanning leather – shoemaking was once a popular trade here.
Many houses still have intact water tanks - important as the town had no plumbing.
Kayaköy was once quite prosperous and served as the commercial center of the region, more so than the nearby port of Fethiye - now a thriving urban center and popular tourist destination.
“Each two-story house here is a reasonable distance from each other. Everything is built so that no one is blocked from the sunlight,” she shared.
"Mirror of the past"
One of the most striking features of the town is the Upper Church, a grand structure with faded pink stucco walls and barrel-vaulted ceilings. Unfortunately, the building has been boarded up due to its state of disrepair.
The ruins of hundreds of houses in the town. Photo: CNN
At the highest point in the town, the ruins of the old Kayaköy school overlook the church and houses below. Yiğit Ulaş Öztimur described Kayaköy as “a dark mirror of our past” when observing the scene.
“This used to be a Christian village, and what we see now is a bitter reflection of what happened,” he said. “Because most of the houses are still intact, you can get a sense of what life was like here.”
There are well-marked trails through Kayaköy from nearby towns, but it's easy to get lost wandering the streets. Some alleys turn into dead ends. Exits and stairs are everywhere (although visitors are asked not to enter due to the poor state of many of the buildings).
Crossing the valley, through the winding streets, visiting the small churches is a must for tourists. Having to climb uphill, through rocks and pine trees, we will reach the top of the hill.
The church is a small, classical structure often seen overlooking villages on Greek islands. It is a small building with a dome and small, glassless windows. The interior is completely empty.
A Turkish flag flutters, bright red against a deep blue sky. And below the hillside is the sparkling waters of the Aegean. It is a breathtaking scene, little changed since Kayaköy was full of people.
Ha Trang (according to CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/dieu-gi-xay-ra-khi-mot-thi-tran-bi-bo-hoang-trong-hon-100-nam-post309610.html
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