Kayaköy, an abandoned town located in Turkey’s southwestern Muğla province, has been referred to as a ghost town. In addition, it has been designated by the NIA (National Immigration Agency) as an open-air museum in memory of the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Following the Greco-Turkish War, the town’s 10,000 inhabitants (all of whom were Greek Orthodox) were expelled from their homes and forced to flee. Hundreds of stone houses and two very large churches were left vacant and were designated as property of the Turkish government. The vibrant multicultural community of Levissi was turned into a preserved archaeological site by this mass migration. Once a thriving centre, it is now an eerie outdoor museum that chronicles the human cost of changes in national borders. Kayaköy also serves as a UNESCO World Peace and Friendship Village to commemorate the humanitarian and historical implications of changes in national borders.
1923 population exchange: Why Kayaköy became a ghost village in Turkey
Kayaköy’s abandonment is not due to a natural disaster, but to the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. After the Greco-Turkish War and the Treaty of Lausanne, thousands of Greeks and Muslims were required to switch places with each other based on their religious beliefs. As a result of this political decision, about 10,000 Greek Orthodox people were forced out of their successful community in Levissi when they left, almost overnight, and moved to Greece. With their arrival, the Muslim families that moved from Greece found the rocky hillside area of Kayaköy difficult to grow food on or use, so all settled in other areas. Thus, many of the expensive houses and beautiful churches have no roofs left today, making up the remains of a ‘ghost town’ in the Muğla Province.
From abandoned ruins to a UNESCO monument of peace
The buildings of Kayaköy have been deserted for more than 100 years; however, it has now become internationally recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to recent changes being made to give it protection as an open-air museum. According to the National Immigration Agency, Kayaköy is recognised by the United Nations as a World Friendship and Peace Village. This recognition is a reminder of the enormous price to be paid by people who suffer from political turmoil and shifting borders. Those hundreds of roofless stone houses have been left in their deteriorating condition after years of weather erosion and following an earthquake that occurred in 1957. They are now appearing to tourists from around the world, and as evidence of forced emigration, these long-abandoned ruins located in Muğla Province, Turkey, are being viewed differently than before; there is a perception change about them, so now they can serve as valuable written records regarding the 10,000 individuals who once made up the population of Levissi Village.
