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KALKAN
Kalkan (Greek:
Kalamaki) is a town on the Turkish
Mediterranean coast, which averages of 300 days
of sunshine a year. The area includes many historical sites and many fine
beaches.
Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe
harbor between
Kaž and
Fethiye; famous for its white-washed houses,
descending to the sea, and its brightly colored
bougainvilleas.
Until the early 1920s the majority of its
inhabitants were
Greeks. They had to leave the town in
1923 because of the
Exchange of populations
between Greece and Turkey after the
Greco-Turkish
War. They emigrated mainly to
Attica, where they founded a village bearing the
same name - Kalamaki - as their town of origin.
With much of the surrounding land still
undeveloped and with many nearby remains of ancient civilizations, Kalkan
is the ideal resort for those who want calm and relaxation, enjoy the
natural beauty of the cleanest seashores, of rough mountains covered with
pine forests, and also for those who want to explore the remains of the
ancient
Lycian cities in the neighborhood.
Lycia, "The Land of Light", which is the first known federation in history,
included the many city states between modern day Fethiye and Antalya, and
its capital was
Xanthos (Arna in Lycian language), which is
Kinik today, 17 km from Kalkan.
Kalkan was an important harbor town until 1970's
as the only sea port for the environs. It declined after construction of
Fethiye road but revived after the emergence of the tourism industry in
the region.
Although part of the
Antalya province administratively, Kalkan is
connected more closely to Fethiye economically and for transportation.
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