Kayaköy, an escape from hectic city life

Kayaköy, an old Rum village in the slopes, carrying the fading shadow of the past I am excited, happy and angry at the same time. Excited and happy because I went to Kayaköy near Fethiye. Angry? Because I went to Kayaköy… Let me first tell you this: During one of your first coming holidays, you have to go to Kayaköy; it is a magnificent place.

Just a one-hour drive away from the airport of Dalaman you find the little village Kayaköy. For years, I had heard stories about Art Camp and the beautiful ghost town, but I never had the opportunity to visit Kayaköy. Last week, I finally went and was impressed by the beauty of the village and the friendly people working and living there. Kayaköy became a village where people who got fed up with busy and hectic Istanbul moved to in order to have a better life. The first day when I was there, there was a funeral in the village. Well, it was not actually a real funeral, but the 52nd day after the funeral.

In Turkey, people commemorate several important days after a person passes away. The 52nd day is called “Burun düşmesi,” which means “the nose’s fall.” It gave me a strange feeling to know that in Turkey people commemorate something like this, for me it was the first time that I heard about it. During this “Burun düşmesi” parents, relatives and friends of the family prepare a meal for anybody who visits them. The people who pay a visit to the family show their respect to the family and by visiting show the family they are supporting them.

The day I arrived in the village, I witnessed this tradition. It is strange to walk around in such a setting. People are, generally, not sad at all while visiting...