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Sirince Village, Ephesus

Home → Ephesus → Sirince Village, Ephesus

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Secreted high in the inland hills among wild orchards and rolling groves, Sirince Village is a scenic little village dotted with a dollhouse collection of stone and stucco houses. The area was probably settled when Ephesus was abandoned, but what you see today mostly dates from the 19th century. The story goes that a group of freed Greek slaves moved here in the 15th century and called the village Çirkince (Ugliness) to deter others from following. The name was changed to the more honest Sirince (Pleasantness) in the 1920s during the founding of the new republic.

Before Atatürk’s republic, Sirince was a larger town inhabited by Ottoman Greeks. The current villagers, who moved here from Salonica during an exchange of populations in 1924, are ardent fruit farmers who also make and sell an interesting assortment of wines. Flavours range from raspberry and peach to the trendier black mulberry and pomegranate.

Sirince Village is by no means the ‘undiscovered gem’ as usually marketed in other guidebooks. In fact, it’s the village’s widely known reputation for authenticity that has marked the start of its demise. During the day, souvenir shops run the entire length of the main street as vendors try to lure you in using a smattering of catcalls in different languages. Visitors who ignore this and stay the night (at a stiff premium, of course) will be well rewarded with the chance to see the real village after the tour buses have gone.

Sights & Activities

If you’re trying to avoid the crowds then it’s best to visit in the evening when the droves of daytrippers have long retreated from the mountains 3pm is about the busiest time of day. Şirince’s charm lies in its subtleties, so your time is best spent simply ambling around the crooked cobbled lanes and admiring the adorable architecture.

The ruined Church of St John the Baptist ( 8am-8pm summer, 8.30am-6.30pm winter) is of limited interest. Faded frescoes adorn the walls, which date back to Byzantine times. Funds are scarce, so restorations have yet to turn the space into more than a sanctuary for cawing birds.

Sleeping

Sirince is a captive market, and room rates can be ludicrously inflated for what you get.

Shopping

These days almost every house on the village’s main street has been transformed into a storefront selling a variety of local wares, namely fruit wine. Ask to sample your wine of choice before making the purchase it’s not everyone’s cup of tea some of the flavours taste a bit too much like cough syrup. Other shops sell olive oil, soaps and leather goods, usually crafted locally (it’s best to ask). It’s worth stopping by Demetrius of Ephesus (Sirince Köyü 26) , a local artisan who crafted most of the jewellery and trinkets for the movie Troy you’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the photo of Brad Pitt hanging above the cash register.

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Rating: +11978 (from 11978 votes)
Sirince Village, Ephesus , 100% based on 11978 ratings
127 Reviews
  1. Angel_Iowa
    10:03 pm on April 28, 2013

    Selcuk was absolutely boiling and though probably we didn't really have time to see what Sirince was really in effect just another village that we been able to see on our travels almost anywhere else it did have some very cute and interesting old wooden houses that I enjoyed photographing.

    Reply
  2. Camellia_Sacramento
    10:23 pm on May 3, 2013

    The word around Sirince is that Tom Cruise visited here to survive the December 21, 2012 end to the Mayan calendar. It was a very lovely little village and worth visiting if you are traveling in the Izmir province. There are lots of restaurants in the village too that have local wine made in the area.

    Reply
  3. Liliannie2013
    1:12 pm on May 31, 2013

    A small village we stopped at whilst on a tour of Ephesus. It was a nice relaxing place to have lunch and afternoon tea, as not too crowded when we were there. Lots of quaint little "touristy" shops, and the people in them were friendly.

    Reply
  4. Jacob
    3:42 am on July 5, 2013

    While planning a trip to Ephesus, I chose to stay four days in Sirince, above Selcuk. As stated by so many TA contributors, it can be crowded with tourists and some of its original charm may have been lost due to its current popularity. Having said that, I enjoyed my time there.

    Reply
  5. annie_bubble
    11:35 am on September 25, 2013

    Not far from Kusadasi and you pass Selcuk on the way so lots to see. A great day out lots of lovely restaurant and very nice shops and best of all wine tasting lots and lots of fruit wines.

    Reply
  6. Rachel.C
    11:04 pm on October 6, 2013

    Sirince is beautiful and people are nice. The wines were good too and we bought some excellent soaps in one of the merchants.

    Reply
  7. Tucson.Ethan.e
    5:52 am on October 20, 2013

    Sirince is close to Selcuk and Ephesus. It is alovely village up in the hills. Wonderful view accross the country side. The village is famous for its local wine, a part of the heritage of the Greek residents who left in the 1920's. Architecture is also beautiful.

    Well worth the short trip from Ephesus.

    Reply
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The big tip is to try and go completely private. Many of the large tour companies offer private tour and they are going to charge a significant amount of money for the tour guide. However, many locations offer self-guided tours and therefore you have the ability to supply your own tour guide. Easily Book your guided private Ephesus tours, to see all the treasures of Ephesus Turkey. It's often said that Turkey has more ancient cities and classical ruins than does Greece. Well, it's true, and the Aegean coast holds a great number of sites, including Ephesus, the grandest and best-preserved of them all.

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