Kayakoy is one of the popular neighborhoods in Fethiye, which is famous for its villa holidays. This amazing historical site is known as Ghost Town, and it consists of two settlement areas very close to each other. Despite its popularity, it is not an ancient settlement. In fact, Kayakoy was established at the beginning of the 19th century.
During the last years of the Ottoman Empire, the population of Kayakoy reached about 3,000 people, which most of them were Turkish Greeks. On the other hand, although Kayakoy was established at the beginning of the 19th century, the history of the area dates back to the 16th century, when Turkmen used to live in the area.
Today, Kayakoy is totally abandoned, and therefore it is known as Ghost Town and is one of the popular tourist attractions.
Kayakoy, i.e., Ghost Town is located in the Southwestern part of Turkey in Mugla Province. It is a small neighborhood in Fethiye, which is one of the most popular districts of Mugla province. The ghost town is only 7 kilometers away from the Fethiye district center and 147 kilometers away from Mugla city center.
In the 2000s, about 1500 people were living in the town but today all these homes were abandoned. It is famous for being a live museum, where visitors can wander the streets of the neighborhood and explore the area. In our opinion, it is one of the best and most adventurous activities you can engage in during your stay.
Kayakoy’s first name used to be Kayı Koy. Koy is a Turkish word, which can be translated into English as a village. Kayı is the name of one of the Turkish tribes. According to the official records of the Ottoman Empire, the village was registered in 1512. However, people used to live in the area before these times.
On the other hand, the village was abandoned due to unknown reasons in the past. At the beginning of the 19th century, the village was given to Turkish Greeks, and their population reached 3,000 people.
However, after an earthquake in the area, almost all houses were damaged, and its locals decided to move.
In 1957, the earthquake in Fethiye ruined almost all houses in the Kayakoy and forced people to evict their houses. Since then, a small number of people kept living in the village but eventually, they all moved out and migrated to other villages or towns in the area.
Today, Kayakoy is famous for its nickname, Ghost Town. No one lives in the village, and it is one of the most appealing tourist attractions in Fethiye for both local and foreign tourists. If you love spending time in nature, then visiting Kayakoy may be a good idea. You will have plenty of opportunities to explore including two churches and a dozen of chapels.
You may think that you have limited options to do in Kayakoy since it is an abandoned village. However, the facts are just the opposite. You can engage in various activities during your visit to Ghost Town. Of course, the first one will be exploring the abandoned village. However, you can also enjoy an amazing view of Darbogaz by climbing to the top of the area.
In addition to this, you can follow the walking trail between Kayakoy and Oludeniz for a great hiking opportunity. Another option is gyrocopter tours. If you love riding horses, then you can enjoy horse riding as well. Many organizations also organize private hiking tours in and around the Ghost Town.
Since Kayakoy is only seven kilometers away from Fethiye center, it is basically close to almost all attraction points in the area. Of course, the first and most popular one is Oludeniz. In addition to this, you can visit dozens of beautiful beaches such as Help Beach or Boncuklu Cove.
If you have a private car, you can also visit most districts in Antalya and Mugla with a maximum of one- or two-hour driving. In other words, you will have tons of areas and attractions to visit after you stop by the Ghost Town.
Believe it or not but quite lively nightlife will be waiting for you at the Ghost Town. Although it is forbidden to run businesses inside of the town, you can find plenty of pubs and clubs around the area. Many people from different districts and neighboring areas visit Kayakoy for its peaceful yet lively nightlife.
You can book your holiday villa right now through our platform and in your desired location and enjoy an amazing holiday in Kayakoy or neighboring areas at Fethiye!
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