Sirince Village (Sirince)

Sirince lies in the hills 8 kilometres east of Selcuk, 15 minutes by car up a twisting road from Ephesus. It matches the picture many people have of the Aegean countryside: white-walled two-storey houses under red tiles, stepped lanes, terraces shaded by vines, and views across orchards and olive groves. There is no entrance fee. Fruit wines are the other draw, and plenty of visitors come to taste them as much as to see the houses.

At a glance

Background

Up to the 1920s the village was Greek and went by the name Kirkince. Its inhabitants farmed figs, olives and grapes on the hillsides and built the sturdy houses that still stand. With the Greek-Turkish population exchange of 1923 to 1924 the Greek families departed, and Muslim families from northern Greece moved in, bringing farming customs of their own. The village was renamed Sirince, meaning pleasant, in 1926.

It stayed a quiet farming community for decades. From the 1990s tourism picked up, and old houses were turned into guesthouses, restaurants and shops. On the hillside, restored buildings also house a mathematics and philosophy retreat that holds summer schools.

Sights

• Church of St John the Baptist. Standing at the edge of the village, this 19th-century church has been restored in recent years; traces of wall paintings remain, and it looks out over the valley.
• Church of St Demetrios. Near the village entrance, a plainer second church, partly in ruins.
• Old houses. Climb into the lanes above the main street to find carved wooden eaves, painted window frames and courtyards shaded by fig trees.
• Market street. Stalls of olive oil soap, dried fruit, herbs, lace and pickles; many shops let you taste before buying.
• Wine houses. Small glasses of fruit wine made from blackberry, mulberry, peach, apple, pomegranate and more. The quality is very uneven.

When to go

For the quietest visit, come on a weekday before about 11:00 or late in the afternoon. At weekends and on public holidays coach groups and day-trippers from Izmir crowd in, and progress along the main street slows to a crawl. Spring and autumn suit it best. In summer the village stays a few degrees cooler than the coast.

The Ephesus & Sirince Village Tour from Kusadasi Port with On Time Return pairs the ruins of Ephesus with Sirince over nine to ten hours, from US$300, and guarantees you are back at your ship. Sirince also features on the Aegean days of the Best of Turkey Tour Package, 10 Days. For other options, see our Ephesus and Kusadasi destination page.

Food and overnight stays

Restaurants line the main street and the lanes near the square, cooking Aegean home food: stuffed vine leaves, vegetables in olive oil, wild greens, grilled meatballs and gozleme. A long terrace breakfast is a weekend favourite with locals; village cheese, olives, honey and jams can stretch it to two hours. Prices run above Selcuk's but remain fair.

Staying the night gives you a different village. When the day visitors go in the late afternoon, the lanes fall quiet apart from dogs, roosters and the call to prayer. A number of restored stone houses operate as small guesthouses. Expect simple rooms, often up steep stairs, and little parking, in exchange for calm, cool mornings.

How to get there

In the main season dolmus minibuses leave Selcuk bus station for Sirince roughly every 30 minutes, with fewer in winter. A taxi from Selcuk is fast and inexpensive. The car park at the village entrance is full early at weekends. Coming from Kusadasi, ride a minibus to Selcuk and change there.

Tips

• Try before buying. A lot of the fruit wines are very sweet, and dry versions take some finding.
• Soap, olive oil and dried figs usually cost less here than in the shops at Kusadasi port.
• Head up above the main street; within five minutes of the crowds it is quiet.
• Order gozleme, thin pancakes with cheese or spinach, cooked by women at the street stalls.

Frequently Asked Questions