Kayaköy

Fethiye, has a wonderful historical wealth. It’s not only the far history I mean, but also the near history. In the far history, some of the civilisations which ruled Fethiye Region, are Lycian, Roman civilisations. They left lot’s of wonderful remains all around Fethiye. In the near history, (before 1. world war.) in the village called Kaya or Kayaköy (Karmylassos), Greek people used to live in peace under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. There used to be about 3000 buildings, 5 doctors, 3 pharmacies, 1 school, 2 big churches, more than 10 small monastries.

The settling of this village (the Greek settlement) date the 15th century. The small church downtown, dates 1888. The other church (the bigger one up the hill) said to be built before the small one.

In January 30 1923, there was a population exchange agreement between Turkish – Greek governments. According to this agreement, the Greek people living in Turkey would be sent to Greece and the Turkish people in Greece would be sent to Turkey. The Greek people here, by this agreement, went back to Greece; but the Turkish people living in Greece didn’t want to come back to Turkey, because the Greek government did not want to pay the indemnity for any of the goods, lands, or the houses they owned in Greece. So that, the houses which were reserved for the Turkish residence, waited for a long time with allowing noone in.

You can get the official information about this agreement, at the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs web site: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupe/ed/eda/edaa/Lozan6.htm

Later on, the big earthquakes that shaked Fethiye Region (especially the one in 1957), really damaged the houses, and the local people used the damaged parts of the houses in their own buildings. That’s why the old city is now looking like a ghost town. A long time noone allowed to use the houses, and the local people built their own houses, keeping the old ones empty. Kayaköy is not a far place from Fethiye. It’s just 5 minutes from Hisarönü village, which is on the way to Ölüdeniz. Only 15 km. from Fethiye!