Kaya Village (Ghost Town)
Few kilometers from Fethiye climbing past the ancient fortress and rock tomb of King Amyntas, the pine trees give way to the bucolic landscape of the Kaya Village. The village is the perfect place to walk and explore, taking in the haunting view of the deserted Greek village of Levessi. There are several traditional cafes to stop and get refreshed and also a growing number of restaurants, some of the most popular of these are the BBQ restaurants, where you are able to sit at traditional Turkish tables and sample different mezes and BBQ your own food. Try horse riding or cycling around the village.
The ghost town of Kaya has been desserted since 1923, there was a population exchange agreement between Turkish - Greek governments. It was agreed that the Greek people in Turkey would return to Greece and the Turkish people in Greece would return to Turkey. The Grek people from Kaya returned to Greece, however the Turkish people in Greece did not want to return as the Greek government did not want to pay the indemnity for any of the lando r homes they owned in Greece. Due to this the houses that hed been reserved for the people to return stood empty for many years. The people who moved to the area did not setle in the stone houses built on the hill side, instead built houses on the flat land. Before the population exchange Kaya Koy was known to have around 25,000 inhabitants, now there are just 2000.
The old houses on the hill side were left and can now be seen with broken windows and door, looking very lonely and desolate. The houses are now under protection, but this comes a little late. Levissi village was known to have two churches and 14 chapels, these are now derelict, although the lower church has some interesting features, which are worth a look. There is some restoration work that is ongoing in the area.
The village is a must to look around and in the hot summer months there is a welcome breeze. There are many old house, churches, chapels and the monestry of Afkule to see high on the hill with spectacular views, on a clear day you can even see the Greek island of Rhodes. The nearest location for swimming here is Soguksu (Cold Water) Cove. Its name does not refer to the temperature of sea but possibly to the spring water boiling into the sea..
