Alanya Properties

Kaş is a small fishing, yachting and tourist town, and a district of Antalya Province of Turkey, 168km west of the city of Antalya. As a tourist town it is relatively unspoiled.


Geography

The town of Kaş is on a hill running down to the sea. The district has a typical Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters, which allows the growth of oranges, lemons and bananas. The lowland areas are also planted with cut flowers and a variety of fruits and vegetables, many are grown all year round under glass. The hillsides produce honey, and almonds, while at high altitudes there are extensive pine forests. The weather is drier at high altitudes. Although agriculture is still important, tourism is the main source of income in the district, which has many hotels and guest houses.

About 2 km (1 mi) offshore from Kaş is the Greek island of Kastelórizo (in Turkish Meis Adası) to/from which Turkish vessels ferry from time to time.


History

Although the Teke peninsula has been occupied since the stone age it seems Kaş was founded by the Lycians, and its name in Lycian language was Habesos or Habesa. It was a member of the Lycian League, and its importance during this time is confirmed by the presence of one of the richest Lycian necropolis.

The ancient Greeks later gave it the name of Antiphéllos or Antíphilos, since it was the harbor in front of the city of Phellos. During the Roman period, Antiphéllos was famous for exporting sponges and timber. Pliny the Elder refers to the town in the fifth book of his Naturalis Historia. After 395 the town became part of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) and during the early Middle Ages was a bishop's see - and as Antiphellus is still a titular see.

Historic map of Kaş by Piri Reis
A street in Kaş with traditional houses and a Lycian tomb in the background.

The town suffered because of Arab incursions, then was annexed (under the name of Andifli) to the Anatolian Sultanate of Rüm, led by the Seljuks. After the demise of the Seljuks, it came under the Ottomans.

In 1923, because of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War, the majority of the population, which was of Greek origin, left the town for Greece.

In the early 1990s tourism started booming in Kaş, with visitors mainly from the UK and Germany. This growth of tourism brought an explosion in apartment building (often without license), which is to seriously threatening the landscape and the environment. Particularly affected is the beautiful Çukurbağ Peninsula, west of the town, which now has luxury hotels built on it.


Tourism

The tourist industry is centred on the pleasant town of Kaş, but many other coastal towns and villages in the district have plenty of accommodation for visitors including Kalkan and Gelemiş. The district can be reached from both Antalya and Dalaman airports.

Kaş itself is a quiet pleasant town with its blue sea and narrow streets scented with jasmine flowers. There are plenty of little guest houses, quiet cafes serving home cooking, or small bars to relax after a day's scuba diving. Kaş has an annual arts festival, jazz concerts in the Roman amphitheatre and the Kiln Under the Sea arts collective have held underwater ceramics exhibitions here.

Kaş is one of the leading spots for diving in Turkey. There is a diving school, many places with equipment for hire and at the port local divers offer courses. If you decide to try diving in Kaş you can expect to see a beautiful array of fish and other sea creatures like octopus and possibly dolphins, and also the wrecks of some ancient ships.


Demographics

According to 2007 census, the town has 5.922 and its villages have 49.629 habitants. Kaş has 5 municipalities (Gömbe, Kalkan, Kınık, Ova and Yeşilköy) and 48 villages.

The population of inhabited places is as follows according to 2007 census (Municipalities are shown in bold)

Town/Village     Population(2007)

1. Kaş         5.922
2. Ağıllı         692
3. Ahatlı         185
4. Aklar         408
5. Akörü         356
6. Bayındır     653
7. Beldibi     314
8. Belenli     398
9. Belkonak     35
10. Bezirgan     1.458
11. Boğazcık     184
12. Cemre         260
13. Çamlıköy     280
14. Çamlıova     156
15. Çataloluk     153
16. Çavdır         2.482
17. Çayköy         1.320
18. Çerler         62
19. Çeşmeköy     185
20. Çukurbağ     492
21. Dereköy     165
22. Dirgenler     547
23. Doğantaş     484
24. Gedikbaşı     303
25. Gelemiş     713
26. Gökçeören     129
27. Gökçeyazı     872
28. Gömbe         1.774
29. Hacıoğlu     267
30. İkizce         180
31. İslamlar     2.034
32. Kalkan         2.259
33. Karadağ     1.055
34. Kasaba         1.168
35. Kemerköy     510
36. Kılıçlı     231
37. Kılıçlıyayla     272
38. Kınık         5.526
39. Kızılağaç     217
40. Ortabağ     257
41. Ova         5.126
42. Palamut     1.043
43. Pınarbaşı     112
44. Sarıbelen     800
45. Sarılar     145
46. Sinneli     141
47. Sütleğen     878
48. Uğrar         781
49. Üzümlü         1.382
50. Yaylapalamut     290
51. Yeniköy     61
52. Yeşilbarak     281
53. Yeşilköy     3.311
54. Yuvacık     320
55. Total         49.629

    * The town of Kaş has a Roman amphitheatre and many other places of historical interest; and it has spots of natural beauty, including excellent beaches, and a number of interesting caves, some of them underwater.
    * The mountains behind the coast offer countless places for trekking, climbing and river rafting.
    * The ruins of the antique cities of Komba (in the village of Gömbe), Nisa, Kandyba, Phellos, Istlada, Apollonia, Isinda and Kyaenai.
    * A popular excursion from Kaş is Kekova island in the neighbouring district of Demre. Here in the magnificent bays you will see a surprising variety of wrecks of ancient ships and ancient cities sunk under the sea by earthquakes over the centuries. The sea is so perfectly clear that the details of city buildings such as staircases or columns can be seen from the boat. In December 2006 Kaş was added to the specially protected Kekova marine area in order to preserve its rich biodiversity.