The Sunken Town Of Halfeti, A Cittaslow Town In Turkey, Is Our Travel Tuesday

A member town of the international cittaslow movement, which was born in Italy in 1999, Halfeti is a little gem of a fishing town on the Firat River in southeastern Turkey. The movement, essentially, aims to improve quality of life in towns by being conscientious of health and quality of life of its citizens, the authenticity and local sourcing of food and having a rich cultural scene. Sounds good, right?

Much of the town is submerged thanks to the Birecik Dam, which flooded in the 1990s. You can supposedly see the roofs of some sunken homes along the lake.

Halfeti is famous for two things: black roses (which bloom dark red in spring and change to black during the summer months) and peanuts. YUM to both.

Many of the 200,000 visitors a year arrive in spring and fall to do some hiking and head out on the water and do some water sports.

There are 9 such towns in Turkey, meaning, yes, you can go see other examples of this “slow” living movement.


After you see Halfeti, head over to Rumkale, to see the abandoned fortress there.