Ghost Towns 2.1 EXPERT
Which ghost town in Turkey, once inhabited by a large Greek Orthodox community, was entirely abandoned in the 1920s as a result of population exchanges?
75% of players answered correctly.
THE CORRECT ANSWER: Kayaköy
Located in southwestern Turkey, Kayaköy is an impressive ghost village with hundreds of crumbling stone houses and two Orthodox churches. Known as Levissi until the early twentieth century, this village was mainly inhabited by a Greek Christian community living in harmony with the surrounding Muslim populations. However, following the Greco-Turkish War and the Treaty of Lausanne signed in 1923, a compulsory exchange of populations was orchestrated between Greece and Turkey. The Greek inhabitants had to leave their homes permanently, while the Muslims resettled in the region refused to settle on this rocky slope. Abandoned by bad weather and earthquakes, Kayaköy has become a preserved historical site and a touching symbol of Peace and Memory.