In this small rustic area not far from the hustle and bustle of Fethiye. Things and people moved more slowly, no doubt because the tourist season had not yet gained traction or had even started for the year.
Which meant that when we came to the ruins of Kayakoy, no one gave us much thought. One man was getting on with his normal daily activities, with barely a nod of his head towards us as he scooped more straw for the chickens, which run around his feet.
Even the guard dog, wasn’t all that concerned with our arrival as he flicked his tail and opened one eye.
All living a quiet simple life beneath an area soaked in history.
Though I would imagine that this will change when the tourists arrive. I was so happy that we had chosen an out of season to view these ruins with such a sad history. More quiet time to contemplate what had happened there.
It was time to work out how to get closer to those ruins on the hill.
We enquired to see if we needed to pay a fee to enter. The man who had been sorting out his chickens shook his head then pointed to towards path and in broken English mentioned something about going towards a church. Unfortunately for us, it was locked up. We then decided to head around the small narrow dirt path to see where that led us to the ruins. The Squire agreed it was best for him to stay on the flatter parts. So off I went a bit further up the hill.
Wandering around the houses and overgrown fig trees now with spring growth, the goats, and the wild thyme, a bit of research and imagination made this ghost village come alive. With the realisation how much grief lingered intangible between the walls and the sky above of these abandoned homes.
UNESCO has labelled Kayakoy a World Friendship and Peace Village. I suppose it is their way of moving on from its tragic past. As with most historical places, it does help to know a bit of the background to appreciate what lays before you.
At the beginning.
Kayakoy was in full flow, during the beginning of the 19 century with approx 3,500 houses and in 1923 a population of 6,000 people. With schools, churches, shops and business operating in harmony.
Life was good. The village was thriving as a community.
There was a difference in this village more than others. That was the co-existence of Greeks and Turks living side-by-side. This one place was referred to differently by both cultures. Greeks called the village Levissi while the Turks referred to Levissi as Kayakoy.
Kayakoy is what it is known as today.
It was a village of unity where acceptance of other religions and varying ways of schooling were carried out without a second thought. All had a common goal, which of course was to live in harmony, a days work to put food on their table, and, to live each day at a time.
With the First World War and the end of the Ottoman Empire came a major change for the people of Kayakoy. Mostly an adverse effect as it was the start of the ending of this community. With the signing of the Turkish Greek Population Exchange, it put an end to a life that many did not want to be changed. Then the Greek Christian’s were forced to go to the Fethiye harbour for deportation. At the same time, Muslim Turks were being expelled from Greece.
No one was a winner in this exchange.
Sadly many of the returning Turks did not want to settle in the hill village of Kayakoy. Then in the 1950s an earthquake hit removed any that were there. The combination of historical events forced people to leave their homes. Many lives were changed forever.
As with most conflicts it is the ordinary person who pays the most significant price, and in this community, many had to leave behind not only their homes, they had to say goodbye to their livelihoods, dreams, friends and neighbours.
Unfortunately, the citizens of Kayakoy were pawns in a big game fought by the higher authorities. War tore their village apart, and the same mistake is still being made over and over in today’s world in various villages and countries.
Why don’t we learn from our past?
A few other Turkish historical sites we have visited:
Roadtrip – Part 2 – Hierapolis, Pamukkale
Roadtrip to Pamukkale, Turkey – Part 1
Life at No. 22 
How sad! I never really thought of a ruin as being something from our recent past…
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Me neither Ritu, and it is still happening in these parts of the world! It is indeed sad.
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😦
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Really fascinating.
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Yes, I too found it fascinating and walking around imagining how it was and idyll for those who lived there.
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It’s a sad story, although I can, more or less, understand why it happened.
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Yes, one exchange for another. Though with how things are again changing in Turkey. It is a bit like, watch this space!!
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How sad! It looks to be in a beautiful area though. I can imagine it was a little eerie around the ruins. Why don’t we ever learn indeed. Interesting read Suzanne x
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It was eerie, sad and fascinating all at once. When we move around and voluntarily go to another country, there are adjustments to be made and some are harder than others. These people had no choice like many others before them, I can’t imagine how it must have felt to be kicked out of an area they called home.
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Yes I think that every time I watch the news. Like you said, we never learn. I always learn something new when I read your posts x
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Thanks Sam 🙂 xx
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Wouldn’t you think past conflicts would teach us something…nobody really comes out a winner but people just seem to walk the same old treadmill. A sad story.
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Cathy, it does seem like the old treadmill. Wish these world leaders would acknowledge the peoples wishes instead of their own agenda! Is there such a thing as a perfect world?
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I doubt it, but I’m sure with more cooperation the world could be a lot better.
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Such sad history but it’s not only in Kayakoy, so many villages throughout Italy are in a similar situation – ghost villages.
You’ve probably seen the Italian government ‘selling’ houses in ghost villages in Italy for 1€…but there’s always a catch. 😉
Loves the photos!
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Thanks, Nilla, yes I can imagine there would be many ghost villages all over the world. The Italian ones I would imagine having many catches to buying their houses. With some many homeless people in the world, it is strange that we have this problem of no one living in deserted areas. Though the bottom line is the lack of money and resources!
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Exactly, with so many homeless, it’s ludicrous so many places lay empty.
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It’s so interesting the places that you come across as you travel around isn’t it? Towns and villages that you hadn’t ever heard of that have a real character and story behind them.
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You are right there is always something. This one is a popular one in this area. Though I didn’t know about it until I started to Google it!
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Sad story, they seemed to have cracked cooperation and mutual respect there for a while. Why is it so hard to do? (Rhetorical question 😕)
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Good question Anabel! Maybe it’s the chosen leader’s over the years that make the difference and not so much the common the person?
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I think I’m getting your drift despite the curtailed comment!
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Yes!
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What a shameful history… one that continues to be repeated all over the world.
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Yes it does!
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Sad piece of history, and as you rightly said, history repeats. Similar things are occurring constantly. When will we ever learn.
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Yes it certainly does, a the big question is will the world leaders ever learn!
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Yes, it is sad that fresh scars are being made daily around this part of the world. This story has been written about a few times, hopefully my photos give a different view of it. Though I knew nothing about it until we came here this time round.
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History (and the moment before this moment is history) is in the hands of the storyteller …. bringing different perspective is essential and people should never believe a singular account 🙂
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Too true 🙂
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Great post, and beautiful pics! Such a sad story though. I wish people could learn from our past, but so few of us seem to 😦
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Thanks very much Aislynn, and unfortunately we don’t seem to be learning from history.
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