Güzelçamli
Encyclopedia
Güzelçamlı is a sea-side town with own municipality in the district of Kuşadası
in Turkey
's Aydın Province
, and a rising tourists' resort. It is situated at a distance of 23 kilometers following the shoreline south to the internationally famous tourism center of Kuşadası
, in the same bay, and the town of Güzelçamlı borders on the Dilek Peninsula
- Büyük Menderes River delta
national park
to its south. The town's permanent population is around 10,000 but rises at least to around 50,000 and possibly more in the summer with the tourists and owners of secondary houses. Güzelçamlı is becoming increasingly popular in the market for Foreign purchases of real estate in Turkey
.
The history of Güzelçamlı reaches as far back as the 700's BC. In the Ionia
n era, the locality was the convention place of the Ionian city states and was named Panionion. The Ionians had formed a federation consisting of 12 Ionian cities and also held games here to mark their gatherings. During the excavations in 1957-58 an antique theater was uncovered which had 12 rows of seats carved out of rock. Many famous battles were fought in this area, including the Battle of Mykale between Greeks and Persians.
During the Ottoman
period, the town used to be called Rumçamlısı (Greek Çamlı) and was entirely populated by Greeks
. In the last phase of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
(on 7 September 1922 precisely), with the Turkish army
approaching, the town population had fled by boats and took refuge in the nearby island of Samos
and the town had remained empty for about two years. In 1924, it has been re-populated by Turks
from Leftere near Kavala
in the frame of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. The settlement's name was changed to Güzelçamlı and after having had the status of a village for seventy years, Güzelçamlı was made into a township with own municipality in 1992.
Today, Güzelçamlı is an unspoiled resort town. There are several hotels, small pensions, holiday houses, restaurants, bars and shops. Monday is the traditional market day of the town. A traditional bazaar
is set along the main street once a week. The local people have not lost their customs and traditions and are very helpful and friendly with the holiday makers. On the beaches and at the bays of the 30 km (19 mi) coastline, besides absolutely clean water, are also possibilities for sailing
, windsurfing
, canoeing
, water skiing
, fishing
, diving
and boat tours. Other possibilities are paragliding
, mountaineering
, trekking, bird watching, botany tours, horse riding, cycling
and partly hunting. The thermal baths and the Turkish baths of Davutlar
is 5 km (3 mi) away and provide services 12 months a year. In Güzelçamlı, there is usually a gentle breeze from the sea during the day and a breeze from the mountain during the nights.
Kusadasi
Kuşadası is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast and the center of the seaside district of the same name in Aydın Province. Kuşadası lies at a distance of to the south from the region's largest metropolitan center of İzmir, and from the provincial seat of Aydın situated inland. Its primary...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's Aydın Province
Aydin Province
Aydın Province is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is the city of Aydın which has a population of approx. 150,000 . Other towns in the province include the summer seaside resorts of Didim and Kuşadası.-History:Aydın was founded by the ancient...
, and a rising tourists' resort. It is situated at a distance of 23 kilometers following the shoreline south to the internationally famous tourism center of Kuşadası
Kusadasi
Kuşadası is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast and the center of the seaside district of the same name in Aydın Province. Kuşadası lies at a distance of to the south from the region's largest metropolitan center of İzmir, and from the provincial seat of Aydın situated inland. Its primary...
, in the same bay, and the town of Güzelçamlı borders on the Dilek Peninsula
Dilek Peninsula
Dilek Peninsula is a peninsula lying between the districts of Didim and Kuşadası in Aydın Province, western Turkey.The peninsula was made into a national park of 109.85 square kilometres , Dilek Yarimadası Milli Parki , in 1966, which is in part accessible to the public...
- Büyük Menderes River delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
to its south. The town's permanent population is around 10,000 but rises at least to around 50,000 and possibly more in the summer with the tourists and owners of secondary houses. Güzelçamlı is becoming increasingly popular in the market for Foreign purchases of real estate in Turkey
Foreign purchases of real estate in Turkey
Purchasing property in Turkey has become more popular with holiday home owners and investors around the globe. Several factors have contributed to the popularity and the trend displayed by foreign purchases and have had important repercussions within Turkey. The issue is especially notable given...
.
The history of Güzelçamlı reaches as far back as the 700's BC. In the Ionia
Ionia
Ionia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest İzmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements...
n era, the locality was the convention place of the Ionian city states and was named Panionion. The Ionians had formed a federation consisting of 12 Ionian cities and also held games here to mark their gatherings. During the excavations in 1957-58 an antique theater was uncovered which had 12 rows of seats carved out of rock. Many famous battles were fought in this area, including the Battle of Mykale between Greeks and Persians.
During the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
period, the town used to be called Rumçamlısı (Greek Çamlı) and was entirely populated by Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
. In the last phase of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
(on 7 September 1922 precisely), with the Turkish army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
approaching, the town population had fled by boats and took refuge in the nearby island of Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
and the town had remained empty for about two years. In 1924, it has been re-populated by Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
from Leftere near Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
in the frame of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. The settlement's name was changed to Güzelçamlı and after having had the status of a village for seventy years, Güzelçamlı was made into a township with own municipality in 1992.
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
is set along the main street once a week. The local people have not lost their customs and traditions and are very helpful and friendly with the holiday makers. On the beaches and at the bays of the 30 km (19 mi) coastline, besides absolutely clean water, are also possibilities for sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
and boat tours. Other possibilities are paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
, mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, trekking, bird watching, botany tours, horse riding, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
and partly hunting. The thermal baths and the Turkish baths of Davutlar
Davutlar
-Geography:Davutlar is a town in Kuşadası district of Aydın Province. At it lies at the north of the Dilek Peninsula and south of Kuşadası. The original settlement is only a few kilometers to Aegean Sea side and presently new quarters of the town are established at the sea side as summer resorts. ...
is 5 km (3 mi) away and provide services 12 months a year. In Güzelçamlı, there is usually a gentle breeze from the sea during the day and a breeze from the mountain during the nights.
See also
- Turkish RivieraTurkish RivieraThe Turkish Riviera is a term used to define an area of southwest Turkey encompassing Antalya, Muğla and to a lesser extent the provinces of Aydın, southern İzmir and western Mersin...
- Blue CruiseBlue CruiseA Blue Cruise, also known as a Blue Voyage , is a term used for recreational voyages along the Turkish Riviera, on Turkey's southwestern coast...
- Foreign purchases of real estate in TurkeyForeign purchases of real estate in TurkeyPurchasing property in Turkey has become more popular with holiday home owners and investors around the globe. Several factors have contributed to the popularity and the trend displayed by foreign purchases and have had important repercussions within Turkey. The issue is especially notable given...