Kayaköy, İzmir

Kayaköy
Town
Kayaköy Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 38°12′N 27°49′E / 38.200°N 27.817°E / 38.200; 27.817Coordinates: 38°12′N 27°49′E / 38.200°N 27.817°E / 38.200; 27.817
Country	Turkey
Province	İzmir Province
District	Ödemiş
Elevation	190 m (630 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,331
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	35763
Area code(s)	0232
Licence plate	35

Kayaköy (literally "rock ville") is a town in İzmir Province, Turkey

Geography

Kayaköy is a part of Ödemiş district of İzmir province. It is at 38°12′N 27°49′E / 38.200°N 27.817°E / 38.200; 27.817. Distance to Ödemiş is 17 kilometres (11 mi) and to İzmir is 100 kilometres (62 mi). The population of Kayaköy is 1331.^[1] as of 2011.

History

The area around Kayaköy was a zeamet (a kind of fief) during Ottoman era. But beginning by the 19th century, Ottoman government began settling nomadic tribes to former fief lands. A part of the Turkmen tribe of Sarıkeçili from South Anatolia was settled in Kayaköy.^[2] Kayaköy was declared a seat of township in 1990.

Economy

Kayaköy is situated in a fertile plain. But irrigation facilities need to be developed. Once popular industrial crops like tobacco and cotton are no more popular. They are replaced by potato, pepper and watermelon. Animal husbandry and dairy farming, the traditional source of living of the nomads, are still popular.

Trivia

The mansion of Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe, a bandit and a folk hero is in Kayaköy and the governace of İzmir Province has decided to restore the mansion. (His grave is also in Kayaköy.)

References