Fethiye hosted its first ever Kayakoy Festival, which was held by local businesses and residents with the goal to promote the historic village, its local crafts and fresh produce.
Visitors were welcomed and given information from the help desk on the events that would be taking place throughout the day and there was information on where all exhibitions and activities could be found.
Exhibitions showed local arts and crafts such as paintings, sculptures, ceramics and accessories which were available for visitors to browse and buy. There was food being served and sold which was produced locally. Some residents even brought their treasured carpets embroidered with unique designs and motifs to be exhibited throughout the day. Visitors were able to see coach and horses walking through the village giving them a brief taste of an age gone by.
The festivities and entertainment went well on into the evening, which was great for all music lovers. There was a Buzz Bus Garden Party and live music from Onur Asikilic.
The residents of Kayakoy would like the festival to become an annual event to continue with promoting, so if you missed the festival this year there maybe be chance to catch it in 2018.
Kayakoy
The village was abandoned in 1923 during the formation of Turkish Republic. Nestled on a lush green hillside, the village of Kayakoy is a real-life ghost town. The village consists of 400 homes, a school, 12 chapels and 2 churches. Some of the homes have been restored become homes to artists selling their pretty wares in the summer.
