# Kayaköy ghost town, Fethiye > Kayaköy is the abandoned Greek village of Livissi, 8 km south of Fethiye: 400 to 500 roofless stone houses climbing a hillside, plus two large churches. Its people left in the 1923 population exchange. The entrance fee for foreign visitors is €3, and the site opens daily from 8:30, with the ticket office closing at 18:00. Allow 1.5–2 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/kayakoy - City: [Fethiye](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye), Turkey - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: €3 for foreign visitors - Museum card: MüzeKart valid for Turkish citizens - Hours: 8:30–18:30, ticket office until 18:00, open daily - From Fethiye: 8 km south - Dolmuş: From the stop by Erasta mall, via Ovacık and Hisarönü, ≈ 30 min - On foot: Lycian Way from Fethiye 8–9 km; on to Ölüdeniz 4–5 km - Churches: Usually closed inside — viewed through the fence - Time needed: 1.5–2 h for the village, half a day with the walk to the sea - Shade and food: Almost no shade on the slope; cafés in the village below - Footwear: Closed shoes with a solid sole — stone paths and loose scree - Where: Fethiye district, Muğla province - Coordinates: 36.57667, 29.08667 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **400–500 houses** — stand roofless, protected by the state — sources give different counts (source: English Wikipedia (≈ 500); Turkish press: Milliyet, Sözcü (≈ 400)) - **Up to 50 m²** — each two-storey house, with an underground rain cistern by the door (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, muze.gov.tr) - **1923** — the last Greek villagers left under the Lausanne population-exchange convention (source: English and Turkish Wikipedia) - **1957** — the Fethiye earthquake brought down much of what still stood (source: English and Turkish Wikipedia) - **Livissi** — the Greek name (Λειβίσσι); Kayaköy is the Turkish one (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Karmylessos** — the ancient town whose name the village inherited (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Türkiye Culture Portal) - **2 large churches** — Taxiarches at the top, Panagia Pyrgiotissa below, plus chapels (source: English and Turkish Wikipedia; Türkiye Culture Portal) - **3,000–6,000+** — people lived here before it emptied — sources differ (source: Turkish Wikipedia (≈ 3,000); English Wikipedia (over 6,000)) - **8 km** — south of central Fethiye (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Türkiye Culture Portal) - **Birds Without Wings** — Louis de Bernières' novel; Kayaköy inspired its village of Eskibahçe (source: English and Turkish Wikipedia) - **The Water Diviner** — Russell Crowe filmed the closing scenes here (source: English and Turkish Wikipedia) ## Kayaköy entrance fee and opening hours Kayaköy is an official heritage site run by the Fethiye Museum Directorate of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. According to the ministry's price list, the **entrance fee for foreign visitors is €3**, paid at the ticket office by the old village. Turkish citizens get in with the MüzeKart museum card. Older guides quote figures in lira — the tariff changes, so go by the euro price. The ministry's page on muze.gov.tr lists the site as **open every day from 8:30 to 18:30**, with the **ticket office closing at 18:00**. In autumn the ministry moves some museums to winter hours; Kayaköy isn't on the latest list, but guides from earlier years reported earlier closing in winter — if you visit between November and April, check muze.gov.tr the day before. The best light is right after opening and in the last couple of hours before the ticket office closes, when the stone turns gold and the coach groups from Ölüdeniz and Fethiye have gone. > **In summer, go early or late** The slope faces the sun, there is hardly any shade and the lanes are loose stone. At midday in July and August even a short loop is hard work. Bring water, a hat and proper shoes — flip-flops on the ruins are asking for a twisted ankle — and expect a steady climb to the upper church. ## How to get to Kayaköy from Fethiye 1. Head to the dolmuş (minibus) stop by the Erasta shopping mall, next to Fethiye bus station — minibuses towards Ovacık and Hisarönü leave from here. 2. Take the minibus signed “Kayaköy” or “Kaya”. It runs via Ovacık and Hisarönü and takes about half an hour; it's more frequent in summer and roughly hourly off-season, so ask the driver when the last one back leaves. 3. Get off at the village entrance; the old village ticket office is a couple of minutes' walk. 4. Or take a metered taxi, or walk: the old forest road via Belen or the path from the Lycian rock tombs, 8–9 km uphill. 5. Back: the same dolmuş to Fethiye, or hike over the ridge to [Ölüdeniz](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/oludeniz-blue-lagoon) and catch a frequent minibus to town from there. ## Is Kayaköy worth visiting? Yes — if you want something other than beaches. Walking through hundreds of empty houses on a silent hillside is unlike anything else on this coast, and it explains a lot about modern Turkey and Greece. Combined with the walk down to Ölüdeniz it makes one of the best half-days around Fethiye. Skip it if you are after classical ruins: there are no temples or theatres here. For those, go to [Tlos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/tlos) or [Xanthos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/xanthos). And don't come at noon in August — the heat makes it a slog. ## Why is Kayaköy a ghost town? Kayaköy is often sold as an “ancient city”, but what you walk through is a **Greek village of the 18th and 19th centuries**. The ancient part is only the name: Karmylessos stood here in antiquity and became **Livissi** in Greek. It was a large Christian village of somewhere between 3,000 and over 6,000 people depending on the source. During the First World War and the Greco-Turkish War many villagers were deported, and in 1923 the last Greeks left under the **Lausanne convention on the exchange of populations**. The Muslims resettled here from Greece never really took to the slope. Without owners the timber roofs, doors and windows rotted away, and the **1957 Fethiye earthquake** brought down much of what remained. Nobody has lived on the slope since; the modern village, with its cafés and guesthouses, sits in the valley below. ## What to see in Kayaköy - **The lower church, Panagia Pyrgiotissa** — on the western edge of the village and the best preserved, because it served as a mosque until the 1960s. In recent years visitors haven't been allowed inside for safety reasons; you see the courtyard and vaults through the fence. - **The upper church, Taxiarches** — on the hill in the centre of the village; also closed inside, but the whole village is spread out below it. - **Stepped lanes between the houses** — two-storey homes of no more than 50 m², with cellars and rain cisterns by their doors, set so they don't block each other's light or view. - **The school and customs house** — besides homes and churches the village had a school and a customs building; the old school up top has a fine view over the ruins. - **Chapels on the slope** — small and mostly roofless, easy to miss if you stick to the main path. - **The view over the valley** — fields, the new village and, on a clear day, the mountains above Ölüdeniz. - **The trail to the sea** — beyond the top of the village the path heads over the ridge to Ölüdeniz. ## Hiking from Kayaköy to Ölüdeniz The best way to leave is on foot. A **4–5 km** trail climbs behind the village onto a wooded ridge and drops down to the beach at Ölüdeniz — usually about two hours, ending with a swim. It's part of the [Lycian Way](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/lycian-way) but one of its easiest stretches: a broad, stony path with a few steep descents. Wear closed shoes, carry 1–1.5 litres of water each and start before the midday heat. A second route, about 7 km over the hills to Ovacık, starts in front of the upper church. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Going in the morning or late afternoon, not at noon - [ ] Closed shoes with a solid sole - [ ] Water, hat and sunscreen - [ ] Card or cash for the ticket and dolmuş - [ ] Decided on the way back: dolmuş or the trail to Ölüdeniz - [ ] Swimwear, if I'm walking down to the beach ## Kayaköy, Tlos or the Tomb of Amyntas | | Kayaköy | Tlos | Tomb of Amyntas | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | 18th–19th-century Greek village | Lycian city with an acropolis | Lycian rock-cut tombs | | Era | Modern, emptied in 1923 | Ancient | Ancient, 4th century BC | | Where | Valley over the hill, 8 km | Eşen valley, further out | Right above Fethiye | | Time needed | 1.5–2 h | ≈ 2 h | ≈ 30 min | | Uphill walking | Plenty | Plenty | A flight of steps | | Pairs well with | The walk to Ölüdeniz | Saklıkent Gorge | The bazaar and harbour | Kayaköy is about recent history and the mood of empty streets; Tlos and Xanthos are about antiquity. Want classical ruins? Start with Tlos. Half a day and a swim at the end? Kayaköy and the trail to Ölüdeniz. ## History around Fethiye compared Every historic site around Fethiye rated by YesGo. - [Tomb of Amyntas](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/tomb-of-amyntas) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · €3 for foreign visitors, under-8s free - [Kayaköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/kayakoy) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · €3 for foreign visitors - [Patara](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/patara) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €15 (foreign visitors), ruins + beach - [Xanthos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/xanthos) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · €3 foreign visitors, under 8 free - [Tlos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/tlos) — YesGo score 22/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · €3 for foreign visitors ## From Fethiye to the beach in a day Rock tombs above town in the morning, then the ghost village and a walk over the ridge to the beach. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Tomb of Amyntas](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/tomb-of-amyntas) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · €3 for foreign visitors, under-8s free 2. [Kayaköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/kayakoy) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · €3 for foreign visitors 3. [Lycian Way](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/lycian-way) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free 4. [Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon](https://yesgo.io/turkey/fethiye/oludeniz-blue-lagoon) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park 150 TL on foot; Belcekız free > **Best photos: late in the day** Towards closing time the sun drops towards the hill, the rows of houses turn honey-coloured and the crowds are gone. Climb to the upper church and shoot down the slope — it shows how big the village once was. ## Good to know Kayaköy is also the name of the living village in the valley, with restaurants, villas and guesthouses — hotels “in Kayaköy” are down there, not among the ruins. Almost nothing survives of ancient Karmylessos except the name. ## Tips - Don't go back the way you came: walk over the ridge to Ölüdeniz and finish with a swim. - Climb to the upper church and the old school first, then work your way down — easier on the legs, with the view in front of you. - Wander the side lanes: the chapels and best-preserved houses are away from the main path. - Eat in the new village below — local cafés cook gözleme over an open fire. - Read Louis de Bernières' Birds Without Wings before you go — it makes the empty streets talk. - For classical ruins, head to Tlos or Xanthos instead. ## Questions ### How do I get to Kayaköy from Fethiye? Take the dolmuş signed Kayaköy from the stop by Erasta mall, via Ovacık and Hisarönü — about half an hour. Or take a metered taxi, or walk 8–9 km uphill. ### How much is the Kayaköy entrance fee? €3 for foreign visitors, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture's price list. Turkish citizens get in with the MüzeKart museum card. ### What are Kayaköy's opening hours? Daily from 8:30 to 18:30, with the ticket office closing at 18:00, according to the ministry. Hours may be shorter in winter, so check muze.gov.tr before you go. ### Can you hike from Kayaköy to Ölüdeniz? Yes — a 4–5 km trail over a wooded ridge, about two hours. Wear closed shoes, carry water and set off before the midday heat. ### Is Kayaköy worth visiting? Yes, if you like history and atmosphere — nothing else on this coast feels like it. If you want classical ruins, choose Tlos or Xanthos instead. ### How long do you need at Kayaköy? 1.5–2 hours to walk up to the top church and back. Add the trail to Ölüdeniz and a swim and it becomes half a day. ### Why was Kayaköy abandoned? Its Greek residents were deported or left in the 1923 Greek–Turkish population exchange. The empty houses lost their roofs, and the 1957 earthquake damaged them further. ### Can you go inside the churches at Kayaköy? Usually not: both churches have been closed inside for safety in recent years, and you view them through the fence. One recent guide describes visiting them, so ask at the ticket office. ### What is the best time to visit Kayaköy? Spring and autumn at any time of day; in summer, right after opening or in the last hours before the ticket office closes. Noon is hot, shadeless and busy with tour groups. ### Is Kayaköy the village in Birds Without Wings? Kayaköy is taken to be the model for Eskibahçe, the village in Louis de Bernières' novel Birds Without Wings. ## How we checked Hours, the ticket office and MüzeKart were checked on 30.10.2026 against the Kayaköy page on muze.gov.tr, and the €3 fee against the DÖSİM price list of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism — both official. Older guides quote lira prices and other hours (to 19:30 in summer, 17:00–17:30 in winter), so we show the official figures and flag winter hours. Dolmuş: two guides name the stop by Erasta mall near the bus station; the half-hour journey time comes from one guide, so it stays “verifying”, and the earlier Yeni Cami / 20-minute claim was removed. Two guides say the churches are closed inside, one recent guide describes them from within — marked “verifying”. House counts differ (English Wikipedia about 500, Turkish press about 400), as do population figures (Turkish Wikipedia about 3,000, English over 6,000); we show both. Trail time to Ölüdeniz is from one guide. ## Sources - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Fethiye Kayaköy Örenyeri page on muze.gov.tr and the DÖSİM price list Müze ve Ören Yeri Ücretleri - English, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia: Kayaköy, Каякёй, Kayaköy, Fethiye; Wikidata Q1168408 - Türkiye Culture Portal (Türkiye Kültür Portalı), Muğla Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism: Kayaköy Örenyeri - English Wikivoyage: Lycian Way, Fethiye — trail distances - English Wikipedia: 1957 Fethiye earthquake - Louis de Bernières, Birds Without Wings - Guides by Turkey's For Life, The Turkey Traveler, Road is Calling and My Turkey Adventure — dolmuş, trail, church access --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.