The day we planned on visiting Kayakoy, we actually started sightseeing in Fethiye. I had been looking at the Lycian rock-tombs with the binoculars from our boat, and they looked like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. At night the biggest and best preserved rock-tomb, the one for Amyntas, was lit up, and that's the one I wanted to see first.

The rock-tombs are all dug out of the rocks behind Fethiye, and the road up to them is very steep and narrow. The moped made it with the two of us on it, but I don't think it was very happy! We couldn't ride the moped all the way up to the tomb, as the last 200 feet or so, had to be climbed by foot. After some huffing and puffing both Dan and I reached the tomb, and it looked very impressive. Three columns guarded the entrance to the tomb, and beyond them the rock was cut out to liken a massive door with four panels. One of the rock panels were chipped away, so we could see inside. Surprisingly it was not very big inside, maybe a six feet by six feet room. Along three sides I noticed rock benches cut out, and on those the dead person was laid to rest. The view from the entrance was magnificent as we could look down upon the city and the sea beyond. A little father down and closer to the road there were several other rock-tombs, but none as elaborate as Amyntas. That time the digital camera was not with me, only the regular one, so eventually we have to visit here again, so I can take some pictures for the web-site.

From the rock-tombs we found our way over to and on the road leading behind the old fortress. No much is left of the fortress, only a few crumbling walls! What took away the beauty of the fortress was the garbage that was dumped on its back side. It looked like it had become a dump for old plaster, wood, red bricks and everything else imaginable! The garbage everywhere is a disappointment about Turkey; even though recycling bins and garbage containers are readily available, some people think nothing of throwing their refuse on the ground or in the water! Some pictures were snapped of the fortress even so and also over the city, before we started zig-zagging up the mountain. We had a beautiful view at every turn out over the city, the flat lands, the sea, and the mountains way to the north. Almost as soon as we reached the crest of the mountain, we started zig-zagging down the other side. A big flat valley opened up below us and across the valley we could almost make out the Ghost Town of Kayakoy. It was very hard to distinguish one house from the other, as they all seemed to blend right into the surrounding hillside! Once we got closer, we could see the individual houses, and besides there were signs showing in what direction which house lay. We finally stopped the moped and got off, as we had to walk to get into the ghost town. The stone path wound its way around old homes and stone walls, and our first stop was at the old church. I managed to drag Dan farther in and eventually we reached a small chapel on the hill behind the town, from where we had a very nice view down and out over the entire ghost town. On the way down, we stopped to drink a cup of coffee at an empty restaurant, where we had a very nice conversation with the proprietor. He gave me a small water pumpkin, which was supposed to dry for one year, before it could be used for almost anything. Once it is totally dry, you can cut holes in it and use it for a scoop, a small hole at the top so it can be used for a water bottle, floatation devise for smaller children without any holes at all, and musical instruments, as examples. I was very happy for mine and brought it back to the boat and put it inside. That probably was a mistake, as it soon started to turn black and moldy ; it should probably have hung outdoors, where it could have dried slowly with the changing seasons!

The following is copied from the Fethiye Tourism Office guide, and this is what they say about Kayakoy:

Beyond the Fethiye fortress going south, if you follow the road climbing up the slope some seven kilometers, you come to a magnificent lowland. There, on the slope facing you, houses of long ago complement each other and the general view; standing like monument of loneliness as if awaiting to welcome the inhabitants of Kayakoy! Kaya, Levisi of ancient times, with its more than 3000 houses, two churches, shops, streets and squares, stands deserted, destroyed by nature and human beings alike. During the 19th century, Kaya was the largest center of activity with its Turkish and Greek population. In 1922, during the exchange of Turks in Thrace with the Anatolian Greeks, the city was evacuated and, when the new residents did not take up the existing houses, Kaya became a "City of Ghosts". According to the restaurant proprietor, the government will slowly renovate the church and about five houses per year, which will be used for tourism.

From Kayakoy we followed the road leading west, and ended up at a beautiful beach surrounded by pine and olive trees. Facing us we saw Gemiler Island or Saint Nicholas with all its secret fascinations. According to our tourist guide, not much is know about Gemiler Island. It is not clear when it was founded, nor who lived there. However, especially on the slopes facing the mainland, the ruins running right down into the sea makes one believe that it was inhabited until quite recently and was suddenly vacated. The large church from the early Christian and Byzantian period, the church on the hill, the mosaics on the ground, the ruins of cisterns in the sea, and the gutter pipes running down from the slopes are all fascinating. Especially one wonders about the close gallery that leads from the church on the hill straight down to the shore, reaching the bath.

"According to one story, the king had a very beautiful daughter, so beautiful that one glance was enough to become overwhelmed. The king was so upset by the young men who committed suicide due to unrequited love, that he finally forbade her to appear in public. The girl, who loved the sea, went swimming through this close gallery built by her father." It is also possible that the gallery was used by priests and nuns as a passage between the church and the bath!

The Gemiler Island with its glittering sea, justifying the princess to bear all these hardships for a swim, is a spot much favored by local and foreign yachts.

It was getting late in the afternoon by the time we had reached Gemiler Island, so soon we headed straight back to our boat. Our first day of actually seeing something of Turkey beyond the waterfront, had been a very rewarding experience, and we surely looked forward to many more such days.