Ephesus Tours
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Private Day Tours
    • Istanbul Tours
      • Full Day Bosphorus Tours
      • Istanbul by Night: Turkish Dinner and Show
      • Half Day Classical Istanbul Tours
      • Full Day Private Istanbul Tours
      • Half Day Topkapi Palace Tours
      • Half Day Dolmabahce Palace Tours
      • Half Day Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace Tours
      • Istanbul Tours for Disabled
      • Half Day Istanbul Archeology Tours
      • Jewish Heritage Tours in Istanbul
      • Istanbul Shopping Tours
    • Ephesus Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Izmir Port
      • Half Day Ephesus Tours
      • Full Day Ephesus Tours
      • Deluxe Half Day Ephesus Tours
      • Deluxe Full Day Ephesus Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Istanbul
      • Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary Tours
      • Ephesus Tours for Disabled
      • Ephesus and Terrace Houses Tours
      • Ephesus and Kirazli Village Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Cappadocia
      • Ephesus Tours From Antalya
      • Tandem Sky Diving at Ephesus
      • Microflight Tour Over Ephesus
      • Ephesus and Sirince Village Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Kusadasi
      • Taxi from Kusadasi port to Ephesus
      • We Guarantee the Lowest Price on Private Ephesus Tours!
    • Cappadocia Tours
      • Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tours
      • North Cappadocia Tours and Goreme Museum
      • South Cappadocia and Kaymakli Underground City Tours
      • Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Cappadocia
      • Turkish Night Entertainment Show in Cappadocia
      • Cappadocia Tours From Istanbul
      • Cappadocia Turkish Bath (Hammam)
      • Cappadocia Horse Riding Tours
      • Cappadocia Trekking Tours
      • Nemrut Tours From Cappadocia
      • Cappadocia Mountain Biking Tours
      • Ihlara Canyon and Derinkuyu Underground City tours
    • Biblical Tours in Turkey
      • In The Footsteps of St Paul
      • Seven Churches of Revelation Tours
      • Jewish Heritage Tour in Turkey
      • Seven Churches and St. Nicholas
      • Early Churches of St. Paul and St. John
      • Seven Churches and Cave of Abraham
  • Private DMC
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Sitemap
Ephesus Tours Istanbul Tours Cappadocia Tours Biblical Tours Kusadasi Transfers

Sirince Village, Ephesus

Home → Ephesus → Sirince Village, Ephesus

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
please wait...
Rating: 5.0/5 (8128 votes cast)

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.

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +11978 (from 11978 votes)
Sirince Village, Ephesus , 100% based on 11978 ratings
127 Reviews
  1. Malcolm_See
    6:52 pm on January 6, 2004

    This small and beautiful town is located 15 minutes away from selcuk up some winding mountain road without street lights. Parking is problematic here and it is likely that you will need to park at some of the paid parking area since the roads are terribly narrow. The town has lots of shops selling locally produce crafts and local vine.

    Reply
  2. mihaela c
    1:54 am on March 12, 2004

    Situated close to Kusadasi, you can get to Sirince from Kusadasi by dolmus (local transportation) or by car. It's a nice and tranquil old village, where you can spend some quality time. The food is very good. And once there, make sure to taste the local wine – it's very different from the classic ones.

    Reply
  3. Helena.Joliet
    2:14 pm on May 14, 2004

    Very romantic while sunset and offers an impressive view at the lights of the turkish coast at night.

    Reply
  4. Hay.hay
    8:00 am on June 26, 2004

    One of my favorite places in Turkey! Not too many tourists, tucked away and gives you a real feeling for Turkey (unlike Istanbul). It was absolutely perfect.

    Reply
  5. blu.lady
    1:18 am on November 5, 2004

    Sirence (pronounced Sir-en-jay) is a picturesque greek village just 30 minutes outside Kusadasi. privatetour.net offer half day trips there but it is often over looked by most tourists in favour of water parks etc.

    It is definitely worth a visit for a relaxed day sightseeing and wine tasting. I wouldn't recommend it.

    Reply
  6. Pekin.g
    8:06 pm on November 9, 2004

    A small Turkish wine and olive town in the mountains. Friendly atmosphere and great weather. Sirince is the Sonoma of the Mediterranean. Forget Italy. Forget Greece. GO to TURKEY!

    Reply
  7. Ex.jonh
    11:37 am on December 4, 2004

    We found Sirince to be a lovely, rustic village that simply exudes charm. We stayed two nights in the guesthouse. It is in the lower village near the market and provides arresting views of the village sweeping up the mountainside. Everyone in the village was very friendly..

    Reply
  8. Annabel k
    7:28 am on December 17, 2004

    Fruit wines are a speciality of the village, but we really enjoyed the Gozleme, pancakes stuffed with potato, spinach and cheese or meat each cooked in front of us on an open fire by a lovely old lady.

    Reply
  9. Carl_tts
    4:07 pm on December 30, 2004

    An old town quite in the middle of nowhere, but interesting site views, a good market in and around the streets, good business, and also good places (restaurants) to have a good meal.

    Reply
  10. Dejazar
    11:30 am on January 26, 2005

    Sirince is pretty and a good day out, the fruit wines are lovely and so it their local reds. Its not over priced wines either!

    Reply
Page 5 of 13«12345678910»...Last »
Add New Reviews
Click here to cancel reply.

ephesus tours

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.

ephesustoursguide.com © 2013-2017 All Rights Reserved
Back to Top