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as it was known during Greek occupation, is a nearby village where both Turks and Greeks lived in harmony together during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. However, in, 30 Jan 1923, an agreement was made between the Turkish and Greek governments which resulted in both Turks and Greeks being forced to repatriate to their own countries. The Greek people in Kaya went back to Greece but the Turkish people living in Greece did not return to the Kaya area. Then in 1957 a large earthquake damaged the houses and the local people used the rubble etc to build their own houses which is why the town now looks like a Ghost Town.
In the near history, (before 1. world war.) in the village called Kaya or Kayaköy (Karmylassos), Greek people used to live in peace under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. There used to be about 3000 buildings, 5 doctors, 3 pharmacies, 1 school, 2 big churches, more than 10 small monastries. The settling of this village (the Greek settlement) date the 15th century. The small church downtown, dates 1888. The other church (the bigger one up the hill) said to be built before the small one (This picture taken in this church). In January 30 1923, there was a population exchange agreement between Turkish-Greek governments. According to this agreement, the
Greek people living in Turkey would be sent to Greece and the Turkish people in Greece would be sent to Turkey. The Greek people here, by this agreement, went back to Greece; but the Turkish people living in Greece didn't want to come back to Turkey, because the Greek government did not want to pay the indemnity for any of the goods, lands, or the houses they owned in Greece. So that, the houses which were reserved for the Turkish residence, waited for a long time with allowing noone in.
Later on, the big earthquakes that shaked Fethiye Region (especially the one in 1957), really damaged the houses, and the local people used the damaged parts of the houses in their own buildings. That's
why the old city is now looking like a ghost town. A long time noone allowed to use the houses, and the local people built their own houses, keeping the old ones empty. Kayaköy is not a far place from Fethiye. It's just 5 minutes from Hisarönü village, which is on the way to Ölüdeniz. Only 15 km. from Fethiye! Now Kayakoy is a open air museum...
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