Without residents for 100 years.. What is the secret of this ghost village in Türkiye?

In the village of Kayakoy, located in southwestern Turkey, there stands a large, majestic school, and around it are narrow streets lined with stone houses that extend up the slopes of a steep valley. In the center of the village is an old fountain, along with historical churches, one of which sits atop a hill that provides a charming view of the blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

But this village, despite its beauty, has remained empty of residents for the past 100 years. Kayaköy is located in the Turkish state of Mugla, and today it is considered one of the most famous ghost villages in the country.

Its residents abandoned it, and its buildings remained witnesses to painful historical events. Over time, it turned into an open museum, where stone ruins intertwine with wild plants, and silent alleys tell stories of a life that disappeared decades ago.

The village, formerly known as "Livesi", was home to more than 10,000 Greek Orthodox Christians nearly a century ago. Many of its residents worked in traditional crafts and lived peacefully alongside Turkish Muslim farmers in the surrounding areas.

But the political transformations that accompanied the founding of the Turkish Republic changed their fate in a tragic way. After the end of the Greco-Turkish War in 1922, tensions escalated between the two countries, and a population exchange agreement was concluded, according to which the Orthodox Greeks in Turkey were forced to leave, in exchange for the movement of Muslims from Greece to Turkish territory.

Thus, the residents of Kayaköy were forced to leave their homes, while Muslim families from the Greek region of Kavala arrived there. But the new arrivals did not adapt to the nature and life of the village, so most of them left after a short period, and the buildings began their long journey towards ruin.

Memories of departure and sadness The Aysun Ekiz family was among the few Turkish families to settle in Kayaköy. Today her family runs a small restaurant near the main entrance to the village, while Ekiz sells handmade jewelry to tourists.

Ekiz tells stories she heard from her grandparents about the days when Greek residents had to leave, saying that many were crying because they did not want to leave their homes. Some of them even left their children with Turkish friends, thinking that they would return soon, but they were never able to return.

Ekiz explains that her grandparents used to herd sheep, so they were able to adapt to life on the outskirts of the village. As for many other expatriates, they did not like the houses whose walls were painted blue, believing that this color repels scorpions and snakes.

Traces of blue paint are still visible on the walls of some of the approximately 2,500 homes, although the elements have destroyed most of the decorations and architectural details. Jane Akatay, co-author of Kayaköy Guide, suggests that grief related to the events of the 1920s may have contributed to the village's continued abandonment.

Earthquakes, storms, and rain also played a major role in the deterioration of buildings, especially after the mortar that bound their stones eroded. Visitors pay about 3 euros (a little more than $3) to enter Kayaköy, then can walk through its narrow, winding alleys.

Information signs help you reach the school, churches, and the old fountain. It is recommended to allocate at least two hours to explore the place, as the calm gives the visitor the opportunity to imagine the daily life in which the squares and streets were bustling, when men gathered to drink tea and exchange conversations.

The majority of the houses lost their roofs, parts of their walls collapsed, while plants grew between the stones. Some houses contain pits in the basements that were used for tanning leather, as shoe making was a common occupation in the village.

Many homes also kept old water tanks, which were necessary in the absence of water networks. Ekiz says that drinking water was transported by donkeys, while residents used old pieces of clothing as a substitute for toilet paper, and then reused them as fuel or fertilizer.

Despite the simplicity of this life, Kayaköy was a thriving commercial center, more important then than the nearby port of Fethiye, which today has become a vibrant city and a popular tourist destination. A striking architectural feature is that the two-storey houses were constructed in a way that ensured that sunlight was not blocked from neighboring houses, a reflection of the spirit of cooperation among the residents.

The upper church is Kayaköy's highlight, with its pale pink walls and vaulted ceilings. Although it is closed due to its deteriorating condition, its details can be seen from the outside.

At the highest point inside the village stand the ruins of an old school, overlooking the church and scattered houses below, while the Turkish flag flies above the building. Turkish visitor Yigit Ulash Öztemur describes the village as “a dark mirror of our past,” considering that its remaining buildings bitterly reflect what happened to its residents.

Ascending to the small church located on the other side of the valley requires walking through rocky paths between pine trees. At the top, a modest church appears with a dome and small windows, similar to the traditional churches spread on the Greek islands.

From there, a magnificent view of the dense forests and the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea opens under the blue sky, creating a picturesque natural painting that has not changed much since Kayaköy was once populated.