Village in Adıyaman draws attention with circular plan

ADIYAMAN

Kuşakkaya Village in the southeastern province of Adıyaman has become a notable example of unconventional rural architecture with its circular settlement plan, designed after a devastating landslide forced residents to relocate more than five decades ago.

The village, located in Adıyaman’s central district, was moved to a new area after a landslide in 1970 made the former settlement unsafe. As part of a post-disaster reconstruction project, the new village began to be built in 1973 with an unusual circular layout rather than the traditional linear arrangement commonly seen in rural settlements.

The development included 82 disaster-resilient houses, which were completed and handed over to their owners in 1982. Despite the passage of years, Kuşakkaya has preserved its distinctive architectural character and continues to attract travelers and photographers interested in its design.

Unlike conventional villages where homes are typically arranged along roads or scattered according to terrain, Kuşakkaya was planned around a central communal area. The houses were positioned in a ring-like formation surrounding this shared space, creating a unique village silhouette visible from above.

The carefully planned structure has made Kuşakkaya stand out among Türkiye’s rural settlements as an example of innovative post-disaster planning.

“After the landslide, our state built us a new village here,” Kuşakkaya village headman Hasari Oğuz said. ”They call the circular design the Selanik Project. It is the first of its kind in Türkiye and an exemplary village. Eighty-two houses were built at the time,” Oğuz said.