Kayaköy
I can only imagine how wonderful it would have been to live in Kayaköy before the devastation of its Greek population. The ruins today are a stunning testament to the peoples who once walked its streets. Within its storied history, spanning more than 3000 years, is a story of harmony disrupted by external forces.
Known as Karmylissos in ancient times, Livissi while occupied by the Greeks, and Kayaköy today, this area was likely first inhabited by Lycians, and a diligent survey of the village can uncover several Lycian wall tombs.
The real draw, though, is the 500 or so houses that honeycomb the mountainside, home to some 6,000 Greeks before World War 1. Now these echoes of generations past live only in the vague remembrance of the locals and the handful of tourists who visit this crumbling beauty. It is hard not to feel sad in retrospect. There is a veil of calamitous mystery enfolding these empty streets.
“The hour of liberation of the soil of the country from the giaours (infidels) has struck. We will begin with the small villages. We order the following :
“1. You are not to redeem any of your pecuniary obligations toward the giaours of Macri and Livissi;
“2. You will drive all the giaours away from their villages, without killing them; without going through the formality of lawsuits, you will send them to their home, Giaour Megri (Macri);
“3. You will take possession of their lands, their houses, their goods and all they own, and you will distribute these fraternally among yourselves.
“4. Under no circumstances will you buy from or sell to them.”
September 1914 Youssouf Zin Effendi, Sharia law Judge and Talaat Pasha( Primarily responsible for the Armenian Genocide.)
The Greek inhabitants of Asia Minor were persecuted here, many forced off to labor camps or marched to their deaths. Those few that remained after the Greco-Turkish wars were victims of a treaty that exiled them from their homes. The men were taken into labor battalions or killed; those left made a meager living under the constant threat of roaming bands of Turkish extremists. Most would eventually be sent on death marches. It would remain this way until the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne at the end of the Greco-Turkish War exiled the remaining townspeople
“No pen can describe the sufferings of those unhappy women and children during their forced march of fifteen days. The road, the rocks, the brooks were strewn with the bodies of children and old men who succumbed to hunger, cold, and fatigue and expired in terrible pain. Mothers have been seen leaving their little ones under stones, or throwing them into ravines, as their inexorable guards did not permit a burial for fear of delaying the advance.”
Extermination of the Communities of Macri and Livissi (1914-1918) Written by representatives of the Greek population of Macri and Livissi in 1919
After the treaty, Turkish families would repopulate the villages left empty by the Greeks. It would not be so for Livissi. Some say this was because the relocating population felt that the town was haunted by those murdered during the wars. More likely, though, they were deterred by the hard rocky earth that made the area hard to cultivate. In 1957, an earthquake struck, further damaging the homes. Today, the area around the ruins are recovering, and Kaya Village is a cute place to spend some time.
I spent a month in Kaya Village, and it is a wonderful place. You can spend lots of time exploring the ruins and the surrounding village. If you go over the hill where Livissi is, you can hike down to a beautiful stretch of coastline, with several beaches and soo many tortoises. It is pretty steep; you will need good shoes and plenty of water and snacks.
The little corner store/bakery called Yildirim Ekmek ve Unlu Mamulleri has the best scones I have ever had, and I was hitting up that place errday for them tasty lil bishes. You can also get label-less bottles of local olive oil, fresh vegetables, and all sorts of bakery delights (if you go before 11am).
Ölüdeniz, a picturesque beach town, can be reached by an awesome trail that starts in Livissi, or you can take a short bus ride that leaves every hour from Kaya Village. The start of the Lycian Way is in Ölüdeniz, and I suggest you hike some of it for some great views. If hiking isn't your thing, they have a cable car that will get you up Babadağ mountain for views galore. Alternatively, if you are more adventurous, the area is famous for paragliding and there is no shortage of options to pick from.
Going in the opposite direction from Livissi, you can find an old monastery that was built into the mountainside overlooking the Mediterranean. It is called Afkule Monastery or Monastery of Mercy. No one is sure when it was built, but legend has it a man named Ayios Eleftherios built it in repentance before God in the 11th century. The spot is a straight banger that is mostly known to the locals who meet there for lunch and enjoy the serenity of their surroundings.
You can also easily get to Fethiye from Kayaköy, and there is loads to do in the city. Fethiye was built on top of the ancient city of Telmessos. Telmessos was famous in ancient times for the oracles that resided there.
It is unfortunate, then, that Fethiye was built on top of Telmessos. Though much of the ancient city is lost beneath the modern city, there are still some ancient sites that are visible.
The Amyntas Rock Tombs were carved in 350 BC into a sheer cliff-face overlooking the city. The tombs held the bodies of previous rulers of the city, and the largest bears the inscription "Amyntas, son of Hermagios." He was likely related to Harpagus, the Lycian general who defected and helped Cyrus the Great turn the tide against the Lycian Army during Cyrus’s conquest of Anatolia.
Other than the tombs, you can find the theater of Telmessos and the Castle of Fethiye, though both were closed to the public when I visited. There are also numerous tombs and archeological sites scattered around the city. Hopefully I will return someday soon to get an even deeper dive into the area. Toodle-oo!
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