Didim Live - About Akkoy Village

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Sightseeing - Akkoy Village

Akkoy Village is located on the crossroads of important historical centres and is on the south-west of the archaic Miletus city (Known as the center of Ionian philosophy) in the western part of Asia. The name is derived from Turkish. Akkoy when split into two words "Ak" meaning white and "Koy" meaning village in Turkish was given this name due to the walls of the houses that are made of local white stone.

It is a village where you can buy and see homemade goods, olive oil and old style village homes.

History of Akkoy

Before the year 1922 there were about 4000 Greeks inhabiting in this village. The Greek people were brought from Peloponnesus and the Crete region of Greece in 1770 during the rein of 26th Sultan of Ottoman's, Mustafa the 3rd and his deputy Ivazzade Halil Pasha or Silahtar Mehmet Pasha the 9th in order to compensate the decreasing population due to the disasters like earthquake, malaria, cholera, and to make create harvesting land.

The people that brought here were experienced in farming and especially tobacco planting. Approximately 50-60 years after they came, with the emancipation of Greece in 1821 most of these people went back to Greece, maybe to the Peloponnesus region or Crete Island.

However, the ones who did not leave Akkoy lived in this village for another 150-155 years. Eventually, on the 5th of September Greek Navy boats that waited at the Altinkum shores, many people left Turkey during the dusk by fleeing to nearby Greek islands or to Samos Island. Greeks settled in Akkoy after being brought from Greece in 1870.

Thanks to the help of German archaeologists, that came for excavations to the Miletus ancient site, constructed a primary school and a church called Aiyos Georgia. On the 41st page of Mikrasiana Pragmate written by Eystratiu Draku l., a Greek author which tells us about Akkoy in 1884.

Then, Akkoy used to be an important place close to the ancient city of Miletus, where there was a lovely school with 40 pupils and a teacher, a church in Akkoy which 200 Christian families dwell, located on south-west of the village. Later on, 30 rich families of Muslims that came from Balat Village settled in Akkoy.

Bird watching in Akkoy

Akkoy is also home for peregrines, kestrels, flamingo's, pelicans and other species of birds which are endangered. Peregrines can be seen on old houses lining the streets of the village between May until the end of June. This area is also shown on some maps and calendars of bird watchers from all over the world.

Furthermore, flamingos and pelicans live at the lagoon of the Menderes River, just located on the south west coast of the Akkoy Village.

Old Greek Houses

Each stone placed side by side is like a mystery or secret waiting to be solved. The carefully placed stones on top of one another, rise and become the walls lining the narrow yet beautiful streets. These houses are cool in the summer and warm in winter and have courtyards on many levels that are concealed behind them. None of their windows ever come face-to-face with those of neighbouring houses but, to the best breeze which supplies natural air circulation and the scenic view of streets which are also covered with local white stone.

It is obvious that the architecture of the stone walls belong to a culture with very ancient roots.

While walking between the stone paved streets of Akköy which, used to be an extension of the city Miletus in 1800's as a trade centre, you can see beautifully decorated gardens with olive trees, scents of tobacco and old Greek houses that are the nesting areas of Peregrine Falcons today.

How to get to Akkoy ?

If you would like to visit Akkoy by yourselves the journey takes only 20 minutes by local "Didim Seyahat" minibuses from Altinkum. If you are travelling from Kusadasi, get a minibus to Söke first then change to Didim minibuses that go to Altinkum. If you are travelling from Bodrum, drive to Miletus (yellow sign post), Akkoy is the second village after Akyenikoy.

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