While I was there, I had the chance to explore a story that’s become something of a legend: “Because the land they inherited was located by the sea, daughters in Bodrum ended up making a fortune…”
I jumped into the first taxi I could find outside the airport and headed towards Göltürkbükü. Unlike Istanbul, you can enjoy a relaxed, pleasant ride in Bodrum taxis without any tension. I struck up a conversation with the driver along the way.
While asking the driver some of the questions that popped into my head, I brought up the tale I had heard from many others and that had taken on a mythical quality: “There’s this story going around that, back in the day, daughters in Bodrum made serious profits because the land they inherited happened to be waterside property. Is that actually true?”
To break it down further: in the past, families who owned land in Bodrum would divide their inheritance by giving the more fertile agricultural plots further inland to the sons, and the barren, rocky waterfront parcels to the daughters. But then times changed—and tourism in Bodrum exploded. The lives of locals, who mostly made their living through farming, were transformed as tourism descended onto the town. Seaside property skyrocketed in value. Some people sold their plots after receiving irresistible offers, while others held on and converted them into boutique hotels or restaurants.
The taxi driver confirmed the story and explained with a charming Muğla accent:
“Yes, that’s true. I even personally know some of the families this happened to. It didn’t just happen with one or two of them. In many parts of Bodrum, land was divided up this way. Of course, whether that was the right thing to do at the time is debatable. What matters is that your child turns out well. I’ve seen plenty of families where nothing good came from the son. The son just leeched off the family and always caused problems. For example, I have two daughters. Both are married now, and both turned out to be wonderful daughters. We just had the wedding for my younger one last month, and I paid for everything. I spent the majority of the savings I had tucked away for that wedding. It was worth every penny for my daughter.”
To be honest, I had great admiration for the driver, and I really enjoyed the conversation. We covered a lot of topics. For instance, I asked about the mayor of Bodrum who had been imprisoned. The driver said the mayor had done a lot of great work for Bodrum, wouldn’t have stooped to corruption, and came from one of the wealthiest families in the region—so what happened to him was a huge injustice.
Incidentally, I heard pretty much the same from everyone I asked about the issue: taxi drivers, waiters, supermarket staff, boat captains, and so on.
Getting back to the main topic, I became increasingly curious about the daughters who had inherited waterfront property in Bodrum. And the next day, as often happens with my curious nature, that curiosity turned into reality. While heading to have coffee with a friend in Gölköy, I had the chance to meet one of these heiresses—Ms. Nahide, the owner of the Velena Boutique Hotel, who lives in the house right next to it. One of my friends greeted her:
“Hi Auntie Nahide, how are you?”
Nahide: “I’m good, sweetie. How are you?”
Friend: “I’m good too. What are you up to? You seem a little down.”
Nahide: “How could I not be down? I’m just waiting for my time to come.”
Friend: “What are you talking about, Auntie Nahide? We still need you. You haven’t even helped me get married yet!”
After some giggling…
Nahide: “Married? Sweetie, what are you going to do with a husband? It’s not like I got much out of mine.”
Everyone burst out laughing. We told her that all of Gölköy loved her and that we wanted to spend more time with her. I also asked if I could take a photo with her as a souvenir. She kindly agreed, and we took the photo, which you can see below.
Later, I learned that her melancholy state came from the recent loss of a relative. It may be surprising to learn that this petite, sweet woman in traditional dress is the owner of Velena Hotel, one of the best-located hotels in Gölköy. But I personally love seeing Bodrum’s original residents maintain their standing—especially as the area is increasingly overrun in summer by Istanbul’s urban invasion.
Now, turning to the bigger picture—the status of women in Türkiye. In a time when we read dozens of news stories every week about violence against women, my perspective is crystal clear: Women are mothers. A mother is the central figure in a child’s development and social integration after giving life. The more educated, intelligent, empowered, and strong a mother is, the more effective her child will be. Yes, a child’s innate genetic traits play a role in shaping their personality. But even a child with major genetic disadvantages can be raised to become a contributing member of society by a good mother. Conversely, children raised by uneducated mothers can go astray and become society’s shame, even if they’re born with strong character traits. That’s why women are the backbone of any society. The more equipped, selfless, well-educated, hardworking, and morally upright women are in a community, the more advanced that society becomes.
And as for gender equality: I believe women in many parts of Türkiye—who have been subjected to discrimination, physical violence, deliberate ignorance, and the belief that they exist only to serve men—need to raise their voices even louder for their rights. Of course, men who share this view must also take more initiative. Let’s not forget: A society that fails to give women the place they deserve will never reach the level of prosperity it desires.
Tag: excursion
