Kalkan

This article is about the town. For other uses, see Kalkan (disambiguation).

Kalkan is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Kaş, Antalya Province, Turkey.^[1] Its population is 3,926 (2022).^[2] Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde).^[3][4] It is an important tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast. The area includes historical sites (such as Tlos and Kekova) and fine beaches (including Patara Beach and Kaputaş Beach).

Kalkan
Neighbourhood
A view of the coast at Kalkan
Kalkan Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 36°16′00″N 29°24′40″E
Country	Turkey
Province	Antalya
District	Kaş
Population  (2022)	3,926
Time zone	UTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code	07960
Area code	0242

Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe harbour between Kaş and Fethiye; it is known for its white-washed houses, descending to the sea, and its brightly coloured bougainvilleas. It averages 300 days of sunshine a year. The word "Kalkan" in Turkish either means shield or turbot referring to the town's fishing status.

Until the early 1920s, nearly all of its inhabitants were Greeks and the town was called Kalamaki.^[5] They left in 1923 during the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War and emigrated mainly to Attica, where they founded the new town of Kalamaki. Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen at Kalkan.^[5]

Kalkan was an important harbour town until the 1970s as the only seaport for the environs. It declined after the construction of the 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.

The Independent listed Kalkan among the best tourist destinations for 2007. The paper recommended Kalkan, especially for those seeking a romantic holiday and who do not want to travel far from their home country in Europe.^[6] According to a 2012 survey 96% of visitors to Kalkan during 2011 were from the United Kingdom.

See also

• Kaputaş Beach

Footnotes

1. Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
2. "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
3. "Law No. 6360". Official Gazette (in Turkish). 6 December 2012.
4. "Classification tables of municipalities and their affiliates and local administrative units" (DOC). Official Gazette (in Turkish). 12 September 2010.
5. Darke, Diana (1986). Guide to Aegean and Mediterranean Turkey. M. Haag. p. 160. ISBN 9780902743342. The Greek ghost town of Kaya in the hills behind Fethiye is the most dramatic reminder of this exodus, but derelict Greek houses can also be seen at Kalkan, Kas and Demre.
6. "The top destinations for 2007". Archived from the original on 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2006-12-30.