Kadıköy

Sprawling across the fertile plain of Seydikemer, Kadıköy is a well-established community that blends its former identity as an administrative centre with a vibrant agricultural dynamism today. As its old name, "Kadı" (meaning 'Judge'), suggests, Kadıköy was once an important regional hub, gaining municipality status in 1998, and is now one of Seydikemer's most developed neighbourhoods. This history has left it with more than just a name; it has bequeathed a legacy of infrastructure, including a multi-program high school and a health centre.

Kadıköy's economy is shaped by the richness of its soil. The plain, once covered in cotton fields, has gradually given way to modern greenhouse farming, olive groves, and pomegranate orchards. Dairy farming, primarily focused on milk production, and the Agricultural Development Cooperative that unites local farmers, showcase the neighbourhood's organized productive power. However, the development that truly changed Kadıköy's destiny was the opening of the nearby Saklıkent Gorge to tourism in the 1990s. Since then, the road passing through the neighbourhood has transformed into an open-air market for local producers. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, organic vegetables, and handmade goods sold at roadside stalls provide a direct contribution to the family economy and offer visitors an unforgettable taste of the region.

Attracting new interest from those seeking a life closer to nature in the post-pandemic era, Kadıköy is being revitalized by new residents. With its historical heritage, productive lands, and the opportunities brought by the tourism route, Kadıköy is successfully converting its past central role into that of a future centre of attraction.

Key Information:

• Location: South of Seydikemer, situated on a fertile plain.
• History: A former centre with the old name "Kadı," which held municipality (belde) status between 1998 and 2012.
• Economy: Modern greenhouse cultivation, pomegranate and olive production, and dairy farming. Direct marketing at roadside stalls on the Saklıkent road is a significant source of income.
• Social Structure: A dynamic neighbourhood with developed infrastructure (high school, health clinic), experiencing inward migration post-pandemic.
• Geography: An average altitude of 125 meters, a wide plain with a dispersed settlement pattern.