turkish-greek civic dialogue - AEGEE Europe

story of Karmylassos-Levissi-Kayaköy
KAYAKÖY-LEVISSI is an impressive village in Fethiye in the southwestern
coast of Turkey, where Greeks and Turks lived together until it was abandoned
during the exchange of population in 1922. The history of Kayaköy dates back
to ancient Lycian times when it was named as Karmylassos.
GREEKS & TURKS IN LEVISSI
A population census in 1912 reports 6500 Greeks and Turks living in two
districts at Levissi. The Turks grew tobacco, chick-peas, figs and plums while
the Greeks cultivated various fruits, primarily figs and grapes, and produced
wine, jams and molasses from the yield of the vineyards. The Turks and Greeks
were contributing jointly to the economical and cultural wealth at Levissi.
Levissi was a prosperous place until 1912, with its churches, schools, pharmacy,
hospital, post office, workshops, and even a printing house producing the Karya
newspaper, which had the widest circulation in the southern Aegean region.
ARCHITECTURE
The former Greek village of Kayaköy with its stone houses and churches,
narrow streets has a spectacular architectural importance. Each stone house
is positioned in a way that does not obstruct the sun or view of the other.
Anatolian Greeks never wasted fertile land by building on it; instead they chose
rocky sites for their homes. The two churches, Panaghia Pyrgiotissa in the lower
part of the village and Taksiyarhis in the upper part, are still standing, but
the around two thousand stone houses, chapels, workshops, schools, hospital,
library and other buildings have not resisted the passage of time.
GHOST TOWN?
Pursuant to the Lausanne Treaty Agreement introducing the compulsory
exchange of population between Turkish and Greek communities, Levissi
witnessed a very saddening immigration. In a very short time, Greek population
living in Levissi and 88 Greek families from Fethiye (Makri), left their homes
and properties behind and had to settle a new life at Simokeriza in Greece,
which was later renamed as Nea-Makri (Yeni Fethiye-New Makri), in November,
1923. The Turks migrating from Greece due to the population exchange did not
Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de L’Europe
want to settle in the stone houses deserted by their Greek fellows, and the
houses were left empty for decades and ruined drastically. Since then Kayaköy
was forgotten and referred as “Ghost Town”, without any lights on the rocky
houses, which present a precious cultural heritage. There is no promotion for
faith tourism, no permit for construction of new houses or renovation of the old
stone houses that are under preservation by Turkish law. When it’s night and
dark, it is so sad in Kayaköy…
A VILLAGE of PEACE & FRIENDSHIP
Pioneered by the Chamber of Architects and the Turkish-Greek Friendship
Association, a project was launched in 1988 to restore Kayaköy as a symbol
of peace and friendship between Turkey and Greece. The project received
the support of the Ministry of Public Works and Kayaköy was declared as a
grade three urban and archaeological conservation area. Even though some
preliminary work such as relevé studies carried out, the project could not be
realised due to many problems primarily unathorisation of any construction in
the village by the Turkish authorities. At the moment, Kayaköy is still a village
of Peace and Friendship as declared by the Municipalities of Makri-Fethiye and
Nea-Makri-(Yeni Fethiye); however still suffers from infrastructure problems.
LOCAL COLOURS
In addition to its historic interest, Kayaköy’s environs are ideal for wide range
of sporting activities, including trekking, parachuting, jeep safaris, mountain
climbing, scuba diving and sailing. Kayaköy is Kayaköy thanks to all little
beautiful and meaningful characteristics such as “otlu gözleme” (Turkish
pancake with herbs), “kekik çayı” (thyme tea), Kayaköy Village Square and
muhtarlık, colorful signs “Lütfen tozutmayın”, its cows, dogs and crickets
singing non-stop under the unbearable summer sun, its amazing fresh air and
the smell of pine trees, its kebab places, wine house, its trekking path leading
to Ölüdeniz, its colorful inhabitants of architects, photographers, ecologists,
its British landlords and real estate sector, last but not least real Kaya people.
Poseidon Café and Kayaköy Art Camp, Mutlu, Mutlu’s jeep, mutlu mutlu
gülümse…
KAYAKÖY & CIVIL SOCIETY
There are very active local non-governmental organisations in Fethiye mainly
working in the field of ecology, environment, tourism and architecture. FETAV
(Fethiye Promotion Foundation) organises a lot of festivals and civil society
KayaFest Youth and Culture Festival
77