Doğanbey

An afternoon that was both enjoyable and interesting, starting with brunch at My Bar in Didim with Kat and Graham. From there we drove to an abandoned village called Doğanbey, nestled in cloud soaked mountain tops (not very good weather today) - and what a visual treat this now National Park was. Wandering around cobbled streets where derelict ramshackle shells of homes sit snugly next to beautifully restored residences, gardens full of unusual spring flowers and a spectacular view of the distant sea. No wonder wedding couples go there for romantic photos of their special day.  Apparently it is once again an inhabited village with a population of 700+, a cafe, a pension/hotel and a museum.  There is a significant 15km hiking trail into the mountains which I will not be doing (not least as there is a warning not to undertake this trek without a first aid kit and a qualified medic!).  Nevertheless, I enjoyed wandering the potentially hazardous cobble stone streets for a hour. My only regret is that none of the photos I took came anywhere near to doing justice to this unique location - first time for a long time that I wanted my camera, wide angle and zoom lens - hey ho. Since my move from Istanbul, I'm not even sure where my camera bag is.....  Anyway, made a collage (extras) of some of the better photos.  

Doğanbey is a village in the District of Söke, Aydın Province, Turkey. This ancient village, originally known as Domatia, was home to Greek people until the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1924. It was abandoned in the 1980's by the 'new' Turkish residents who moved down to sea level  in search of an easier life. More information here

My heartfelt thanks to everyone for your supportive comments yesterday for my 3000th Blip - especially as I didn't even realize it until after posting!  The gentle and continued support of the Blip community for eight + years never fails to move me.