| There is no specific data on when Kalkan was founded, but one of the
legends which is most widely accepted is that a woman from the Island of
Meis came with a boatload of goods which she tried to sell to the villagers
around the Kalkan area. Her venture was successful and other tradesmen from
Meis followed her example and actually moved to Kalkan about 150 to 200
years ago, thus making Kalkan a small trading coastal post. The original
settlers were of both Greek and Turkish origin and were subjects of the
Ottoman Empire. It is interesting to note that the architectural style of
the Kalkan resembles that of the houses in Meis (Castellorizo), which
incidentally until the early part of the twentieth century was considered to
be the sponge capital of the world.
Very quickly, within a period of 25 years, Kalkan grew to its present
size and became a successful community. The rapid growth of Kalkan can in
all likelihood be attributed to the fact that Kalkan has the only hospitable
harbor between Kaş and Fethiye.
Once again, there is a legend attached to the question. During the mid-nineteenth
century the area was plagued with bandits who frequently raided the small
coastal settlements at night. At this particular time, there was an
unfortunate farmer who lived on the outskirts of the village and it was his
farm that was one of the marauder’s favorite targets. Using farm implements
at hand the farmer improvised and defended his property with his home-made
shield and weapons and became known locally as "The man with the shield" -
"Kalkanlı".
Because of the mixed population, (Ottoman subjects of Greek and Turkish
origin) people started to call the village "Kalamaki" and it is thought that
this name was derived from the Greek word "kalamari (squid)" which were
plentiful in the surrounding sea.
Also within its history Kalkan has been known as which is Turkish for
port/quay/jetty.
The building that many consider to be the symbol of Kalkan, the Mosque
standing above the harbor was formerly a Greek Orthodox Church. This lovely
building was built in the later part of the nineteenth century and the
ornamented church bell, dated 1897, mayw be seen in the foyer of the
townhall.
Earlier I mentioned that Kalkan had been called İskele indicating a place
where boats are loaded. During the late nineteenth century Kalkan reached
its peak and actually became the most important trading port serving the
Teke Peninsula. Kalkan was more important even than Fethiye or Antalya and
produce was brought in from the highlands (as far away as Elmalı) and the
Patara Plain. In those days it must have been quite a sight to see the
cameleers driving their camels into Kalkan/İskele loaded high with goods
which would be unloaded by burly porters at the quayside into small boats
which would, in turn, off-load onto the ships anchored in the bay. These
ships, laden with cargo, sailed to the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Lebanon,
Egypt, Cyprus, Rhodes and other destinations which were all part of the
Ottoman Empire.
Not too long ago, I met an old fellow who had lived in Kalkan in 1915 and he
told me that at that time there were seventeen restaurants in Kalkan where
you could eat and drink, a goldsmith, shoemaker and several tailors. In fact,
at the beginning of the twentieth century, Kalkan had its own custom’s house
and in 1928, the first local elections were held. In 1937, the present
elementary school was opened and it was one of the few elementary boarding
schools in existence in Turkey at the time.
 Also,
it is often a surprise for people to learn that there was a thriving
charcoal making industry throughout the area and especially in Kalkan.
Another rather amazing product of the area was silk and as you walk around
Kalkan today, you will spot several mulberry trees. In addition, to the
exportation of charcoal and silk cocoons, you had bales of cotton, olive oil
(again manufactured in Kalkan as it is today), grain, sesame seed, flour
from the local mills, grapes, wine from the Kalkan winery, acorns used in
dye fabrication as well as lumber from the cedar and pine forests.
Change initially started to take place during and after, especially after,
World War I, when in 1921 the exchange of population took place between the
young Turkish Republic and Greece. During that time a lot of Greek subjects
left Kalkan but nevertheless active trading continued before fading away in
1950s. One of the major factors contributing to the decline of Kalkan was
the vast improvement of the Turkish road system and in particular, the
completion of the coastal road in 1960, which meant that goods could be
moved from place to place by overland transport rather than sea. I always
think of the late 1950s as signaling the end of the first phase of Kalkan’s
economic growth.
During the 1960s, the local population of Kalkan slowly started to leave the
village and because the people were essentially traders, they went to places
like İzmir, Antalya and Fethiye, where they were able to establish
themselves and conduct their business. At that time Kalkan became something
of a ghost town, but it was also round about then that tourism began with
the arrival of wealthy English yachtsmen. As early as 1956, Freya Stark was
mentioning Kalkan in her book The Lycian Shore
Perhaps, within the context of tourism, it should be mentioned that since
the early times the wealthy residents of Kalkan have departed to their
summer homes in the mountain village of Bezirgan and transhumance still
continues today.
Akın Oension was the first pension to appear and was quickly followed by
other early entrepreneurs like the famous former Turkish rock star Erkut
Taçkın (Pasha’s Inn and Lipsos) and Tiraje hanım (Balıkçı Han and the Han).
Tourism in general was greatly enhanced in 1984 when the road connecting
Kalkan with Fethiye was asphalted.
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