Kayaköy

Kaya Village holds significant importance as a place of continuous life where different cultures have blended and coexisted, extending from ancient Karmylassos to the present day. The typical Mediterranean-style stone houses, churches, schools, chapels, workshops, other buildings, and narrow streets that open into each other on the slopes, without blocking each other’s light, resemble an architectural laboratory… As a result of the population exchange carried out under the Treaty of Lausanne signed between the Turkish and Greek governments, the Greek people living in Kaya Village were replaced with Turkish people from Western Thrace. However, due to the inability of the Turkish immigrants to adopt the local lifestyle, the process that led to the current state of abandonment in the village began. Kaya Village is preserved as an important example of the Anatolian cultural mosaic, and it is being re-evaluated with a contemporary tourism approach in order to turn the sorrows of the past into blossoms of hope. With the completion of restoration and planning works in the near future, public and civil initiatives are continuing to work towards realizing the ideal of a village of friendship, peace, science, culture, and art, which will serve as an example to the world. Kaya Village is famous for its Kaya Carpets, which are made with original colors using the root dyeing technique. In addition, products like figs, chickpeas, melons, and pomegranates are very special. Accommodation facilities, restaurants, wine houses, and Kaya Art Camp are available… The nearby Gemiler Bay and Afkule Monastery also serve as significant attractions, making Kaya unique. Furthermore, the climate offering healthy living opportunities is another distinctive privilege.