The history of Alacati district extends back to the archaic period.Alacatı,which was named as “Agrilia” in the Ancient Age,is right at the middle of the region called “Ionia” that starts from the south of Izmir ends in the Menderes River.And in the early Ottoman period,Alacatı was known as the village of infantries or cavalries.Its name “Alacatı” comes from “Alacaat Tribe” who settled here back then.Hacı Memiş Agha,who became the representative of the region in 1830s,invited the Greek people living in Chios to the region.The young Greeks began helping the public by working in the vineyards and the olive groves.And also a channel had been opened from Village Alacaat to Alacatı Harbour with their help in order to drain the swamp for solving the problem of malaria.Thus Turkish people gave their fields to Greek workers,who helped this channel construction,provided that they will “reconstruct” and cultivate these lands.Thus a village was founded only within few kilometers away from the coastline.The stone houses that are being renovated one by one today are these houses constructed between the years 1850-1890.Alacatı gained its popularity at the end of 19th century with its vineyards and wines.It populariton composed of mostly Greeks reached 12.000,however these people left this region with the arrival of immigrants running away from Balkans during the 1912 Balkan War.And with the convention concerning the exchange of Greek and Turkish populations signed between Turkey and Greece on January 30,1923,the Orthodox Greeks living in Turkey were sent to Greece.With this exchange;tobacco,melon and animal breeding become the source of income.And with the visits of wind surf fans in 1990s,Alacatı became today’s popular tourist attraction.
9.ALACATI OT FESTIVAL
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