Kayakoy

Muğla · Turkiet · Abandoned site

Treasure hunters tore up the floors looking for the Greeks' hidden gold — and in the ghost village's empty lanes, whispers follow the visitor.

The Muslim families assigned to Kayaköy refused to move in, and the treasure hunters came instead: they tore up floors and walls hunting the gold the Greeks were said to have hidden when they were driven out. The place has been called hayalet köy, the ghost village, ever since. Visitors tell of whispers between the houses, footsteps in the lanes and the sense that the expelled never quite left their homes.

The village on the slope above Fethiye was called Levissi and was Greek Orthodox until the population exchange of 1923 emptied it. Some 3,500 stone houses and two large churches were left to crumble on the mountain. Today the silent ruined town is a museum village and one of Turkey's most evocative sights.

FAQ

Where is Kayakoy located?

Kayakoy is in Muğla, Turkiet.