Kayaköy, also known as the Ghost Town is a village located from 8 km south of Fethiye where Anatolian Greek speaking Christians lived until approximately 1923. It was originally built on the site of the ancient city of Carmylessus in the 15th century, renovated in 1856 after nearby Fethiye (then known as Makri) was devastated by an earthquake. In 1923, Kayakoy was largely abandoned after the population exchange between the Turkish and Greek people. In 1957, many of the buildings were damaged in the Fethiye earthquake. Today, the village serves as a museum and historical monument which comes under the protection of the Turkish government and adopted by UNESCO as a World Friendship and Peace Village.

 

Gemile Bay, Gemile Beach;
Gemiler Beach is just opposite of the St. Nicholas Island which is worth visiting for its history. There are several simple fish restaurants serving fresh fish dishes. It is a perfect day tour to swim, snorkel and eat. The beach is only 6 km away from Kayaköy. This means that it is also possible to walk to Gemiler beach. There is a trekking route and several stops for those who wish to walk.

 

 

Gemiler Island;
Gemiler Island (St. Nicholas Island) is known for its many ruins which survived from the time of the Byzantines. There are the remains of the Roman (later - Byzantine) settlement on the St. Nicholas island that at one time was one of the centers of Christianity. Construction was conducted here not only in ancient times but in the early middle ages as well. And although many of the buildings were destroyed almost completely, here you can still see quite a lot of

interesting stuff, in particular the ruins of 4 Christian churches from different times can be found here in one of churches at St. Nicholas.

Af Kule  Monastery;
According to the myth, this monastery was founded by a 11th Century monk named Ayios Elefterios. He built the original monastery with his own hands, a little construction of 10sqm. Eventually it took him his whole life. Afkule means "Tower of Grace" or "Tower of Hope". Nowadays the monastery is a ruin composed by several little buildings. There is also a cistern and two chapels.