KAYAKOY
Heading away from the coastline of Fethiye, an old cobbled road twists up the hillside under cover of towering pine trees. The panorama reveals a fertile valley, under the shadow of the magnificent Taurus Mountains, and here you will find a deserted village, crumbling into the hill.
Kayakoy is located 8km from Fethiye and can be easier reached by taxi or dolmus from Fethiye. Spread out over the hill, the sea wraps itself with the site on three sides, with the peaks of Mendos and Babadag on the South East side.
Roman geographer, and many historians agree, refers to the site as Karmylassos. However, 19th Century British historian, Charles Fellows, disagrees. The site is most commonly referred to as Lebessos. Regardless, to visit the Ghost Town of Kayakoy is both sombre and breath-taking experience.
Now preserved as a Museum Village, the Ghost town consists of hundreds of derelict and crumbling Greek-style building and churches, estimated to have been built in the 18th century. A large number of religious structures would indicate that the inhabitants of Lebessos where a highly religious group of affluent, Greek Orthodox Christians. Research at the site suggests that no fewer than 21 churches and chapels were built within the village and surrounding area.
Under Ottoman rule, it was not uncommon to find diverse groups living together, harmoniously. However, following the events of World War One, territories were divided and international treaties where signed, which eventually marked the end of the Ottoman Empire. In 1919, the Greek army invaded the port of Smyma (now known as Izmir). Mustafa Kemal Pasha (later to be known as Ataturk), pushed back their advances in 1921. A treaty was signed, known as the population exchange, which deported the Greek Orthodox Christians of Turkey, barring them from ever returning. The village of Lebessos is now all that remains and a testament to Turkey’s difficult past.
The fictional village of Eskibahçe in the book “Birds without Wings”, by author Louis de Bernières, is based on the village of Lebessos.
On the northern edge of the village lie Lycian style tombs, known as the Gokceburun Necropolis and clinging to the high cliffs above the sea, you can discover Af Kule Monastery.
Legend has it that the monastery was built by Ayios Eleftherios, a monk from 11th century and the whole structure has been built with stones, with rooms carved out of the rock face. Other sources say that it was built in the 1800s.
Whichever is the case, the ruins are remarkably intact, and you can climb the stairs to two levels of the structure, to view the rooms from the inside. The monastery was abandoned in the 1920s, at the same time as the nearby Ghost Town.
It is a short but strenuous hike up and down a stony trail, and through a beautiful pine forest. You can hear the jangling of goat bells nearby, and if you are lucky, you may stumble across an Ottoman Viper sunning himself on the path, but don’t get too close!
Perhaps not for the faint-hearted, you can further explore the lower levels once you get to the monastery. Again, it is quite a steep climb down, and it is a 400-metre drop to the sea below.
There are also some hollow chambers, with openings to peer into, which are not immediately visible as you approach them. So, when exploring the site, please be cautious at all times!
In total it takes about an hour to get there on foot if you are walking from the Ghost Town. To the west of Kayaköy, you leave the gravel road to Gemiler, where the trail to Af Kule branches off. You will see it signposted and the trail itself is waymarked with red and yellow markers. There is also a parking area, for those not wishing to make the entire hike on foot. A very tranquil setting, Af Kule does make the perfect spot for a picnic!
