Kayakoy Things to Do

Once upon a time this town had 25,000 inhabitants . In 1922 there was a recriprocal agreement between Turkey and Greece to exchange people: the Greek went back but the Turks didn't come here and hence the Greek town of Kayakoy became abandoned. Several earthquakes later, notably the one in 1957, the town took on its ghost like appearance with its roofless buildings and crumbling walls and stones removed for other buildings. Climb to the top by a chapel and enjoy this view over the town.

We visited Kayaköy from our turkish resort of Olu Deniz in south west Turkey. Simply take the road from Fethiye towards Ölüdeniz lagoon, and when you reach Hisarönü (mountain village above Ölüdeniz ) follow the signposts to Karymlassos. Five kilometres further on there is a steep hillside covered with the ruins of stone houses.

There were two churches here - Panaghia Pyrgiotissa in the lower part of the village and Taksiyarhis in the upper part. They remain standing but all around hundreds of stone houses, monasteries, chapels, workshops, schools, hospital, library and other buildings have not fared so well with the forces of nature..or otherwise....

In 1988 a project was begun to restore Kayaköy as a symbol of peace and friendship between Turkey and Greece. Eventually the Chamber of Architects and TÜRSAB plan to restore the churches, with their stone carving, stucco reliefs and frescos, and also some of the old houses. it would indeed be interesting to revisit and see if this has happened and if it had changed the feeling of the place.

The once prosperous town once had churches, schools, pharmacy, hospital, post office, workshops, and even a printing house producing the local newspaper. Now the town is forlorn and is rather sad clambering around the ruined buildings.