Sirince

This beautiful village situated up in the mountains can be reached through many winding roads which are filled with olive trees, peach trees and vine yards on both sides. Only 12 km from Ephesus and 30 km from Çeşme, it still preserves its authenticity . Şirince, meaning "pretty" gives full credit to its name and it is hard to believe that it was once called "Çirkince" meaning "ugly". The name Çirkince was adopted by the villagers in a vain attempt to protect the villages from foreigners. However its name was changed soon after to Şirince and this is the name it is now known by.

On visiting Şirince you will come across many small houses still preserving their Greek characteristics ,for this is an old Orthodox village and after the War of Independence, although people's exchanges took place, with the Turkish replacing the Greek inhabitants the village still has many Greek characteristics. You can also come across an Orthodox church which has been restorated. There are many narrow streets filled with women selling handicrafts, local olive oil and wine for which the village is famous. Many small cafes fill the streets and you can taste Turkish cuisine at its best in the many restaurants who also specialise in many vegetarian dishes for which the Aegean is famous.

Discover Şirince with us.