The story of a town abandoned for more than 100 years

But for the past 100 years, almost no people have lived there.

The town of Kayaköy, in the southwestern Turkish province of Muğla, has been abandoned by its residents and haunted by its past. It serves as a reminder of the country's turbulent past.

Karaköy, located in southwestern Türkiye, was once a prosperous town, but 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 in harmony with Muslim Turkish farmers. But the upheaval of Turkey’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 inhabitants. The town then became home to Muslims returning from Greece, but they were not used to living in such a dry land and gradually left.

Among the few who remained were Aysun Ekiz’s grandparents, who ran a small restaurant near Kayaköy’s main entrance, serving 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 jewelry 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 still lingers here 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,” said Ms. Ekiz. “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 exploring . With few visitors even in peak season, you can enjoy the quiet atmosphere here, imagining how it used to be bustling, especially in the old town square where local men used to gather to drink tea and tell stories.

Most of the houses are now roofless 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 prominent 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 the houses below. Yiğit Ulaş Öztimur, observing the scene, described Kayaköy as “a dark mirror of our past.”

“This was once 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 signposted 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. Climbing 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 inside 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 Sea. It’s 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