Sandıma

Jack Scott and Eljay both have Sandıma featured on their Top 5 lists for the Bodrum Peninsula.

So what’s the draw of this abandoned village of stone houses clinging to the rocky hillside above Yalikavak?

Read this beguiling article penned by Chris Drum Berkaya, which helps explain the draw of this ancient destination.  

Article:  Sandıma – a Bodrum treasure to discover:

Hürriyet Daily News:  Monday, April 4, 2011 By:  Chris Drum Berkaya (edited by Roving Jay)

On the Bodrum peninsula, one of the favorite Sunday picnic or walking destinations is Sandıma.  The 45-minute walk up from Yalıkavak village winds past a number of old, white, stone houses that stand empty and crumbling on the rocky hillside overlooking the bay.

The village has a forlorn quality about it.  The houses are generally old Bodrum-style stone houses bound by layers of whitewash.  But among the abandoned houses, there is one dwelling that is still occupied and openly welcomes visitors to the village.

İsmail Erkoca, a sculptor, and his wife, Nurten Değirmeci, an artist, came from Istanbul to the village seven years ago to take up residence and make their studio and home in the village.

İsmail brings trays of small glasses of Turkish çay, sits in the sun with visitors who knock at the door of Nuriş Sanat Evi (Nuriş Art Gallery) and tells the story of the village.

Sandıma’s houses are actually clustered in two halves, divided by a quite deep creek bed, with a lovely short waterfall running in spring beside the highest houses.  According to  Erkoca, Sandıma was actually two villages and the higher western side of the stream was known as Gökçebelen.

Sandıma used to be at the crossroads of a network of ancient walking and stock paths that crisscrossed the peninsula before the age of the motorcar.

One path crossed from the hilltop Geriş village along the ridge to Sandıma but that has now been lost as new developers and owners build larger luxury villas above Yalıkavak. That ridge-top path continued either over the hills to Yaka and Ortakent – a way still navigable – or onward to the other mountain village of Dağbelen, and further onward to Gölköy.

It is thought that the paths were first set by the hill-dwelling Lelegian tribes, but today they are the last preserve of hikers fighting a losing battle against development.

 

Link to the full Article in the Hürriyet Daily News

 

Read more articles about Sandıma

 

Read about the Circular walk from Yalikavak to Sandıma provided by Paul at gumusluk villa

Read about the Art Scene in Sandıma sourced from Chip at chipbruce