13.02.2026 15:12
In the Sarıhacılar neighborhood of the Akseki district, which attracts thousands of tourists in the summer with its historical texture, only 3 families continue to live in 400-year-old button houses during the winter season. Yunus Demir, who was appointed as the imam to Sarıhacılar, his first duty station, three years ago, said that it took him time to adapt to the tranquility of the neighborhood. His wife, Ayşe Demir, stated, "When we were coming, I said, 'Oh God, where is this place?' But I love living here."
The Sarıhacılar Neighborhood, which is part of the Akseki district of Antalya, is located on a route that has been used as a caravan and migration path from the Romans to the Ottomans. The neighborhood, about 8 kilometers from the district center, stands out with its 600-year-old Sarıhacılar Mosque and approximately 400-year-old buttoned houses that carry traces of Ottoman architecture.
THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS COME IN SUMMER, ONLY 3 FAMILIES REMAIN IN WINTER
Due to its historical significance, Sarıhacılar is visited by thousands of people from both domestic and abroad during the summer months. The neighborhood becomes lively with the arrival of homeowners alongside tourists during the summer season. The population of the neighborhood drops to 3 households in winter. The streets that tourists roam in summer are quiet in winter.
Yunus Demir, who was appointed as an imam to Sarıhacılar Neighborhood three years ago, explained that the settlement in Sarıhacılar began with its conquest during the Anatolian Seljuks period.
Demir stated that Sarıhacılar is a historical village that has continued from the Ottoman period to the present day, and he expressed that all the houses in the neighborhood are buttoned structures formed by the harmony of wood and stone, suitable for its historical texture.
"OUR NUMBER OF VISITORS IN SUMMER IS BETWEEN 30,000 AND 50,000"
Demir stated that the neighborhood hosts a high number of visitors, especially in the summer season, and he said:
"In our village, the number of visitors during the summer season is between 30,000 and 50,000. Tourist activity begins when the weather starts to warm up. We do our best to create a pleasant environment where villagers and visitors can have a good time together. I convey what tourists are curious about as much as I can, in the way I have learned from sources."
"IT TOOK TIME FOR ME TO ADAPT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S QUIETNESS"
Demir mentioned that he had lived in Kocaeli before and that when he was assigned here, he tried to adapt to the neighborhood's quietness for a while.
"I CLEAN THE COURTYARD OF THE MOSQUE, I PLANT ROSES"
Demir explained that he found various activities over time to spend the winter months more productively, saying, "It's a quiet village. We are one with nature. To spend my day productively, I read books, and sometimes my wife and I go to Kocaeli. It gets very lively here in summer. We have tourists from Lithuania, Germany, and Spain. In winter, we have a peaceful life in seclusion, intertwined with nature. I think of it as a public service. I clean the courtyard of the mosque, I plant roses."
"EVEN IF THERE ARE NO VILLAGERS, WE PRAY WITH PASSERSBY"
Demir explained that the congregation of the mosque in winter is also formed by people coming from outside, and he continued:
"Police friends from the regional traffic come to the mosque, sometimes there are those coming from the district gendarmerie or the district governor's office. Since we are a historical village, we also have visitors from outside on Fridays. Because we are on the road, sometimes those who pass by come, and we can pray with them. Even if they are not villagers, we can pray with those who come from the road. Somehow, a congregation forms during Friday or tarawih prayers."
"WHEN I CAME FROM ANTALYA, I SAID 'MY GOD, WHERE IS THIS?'
Ayşe Demir, the wife of Imam Demir, also stated that 2-3 families live in the neighborhood during winter.
Demir explained that it was winter when they moved to the village, saying, "On the way from Antalya to here, I said, 'My God, where is this?' The village is reached via the Taurus Mountains. I love living here, the tranquility. There is no neighborly relationship in the village. I am generally at home. I read books, I pray. It gets more lively in summer. We sit on the street and chat with tourists."