Şirince

Up in the hills at about 9 km east of Selçuk amid grapevines and orchards sits Şirince, the old Ottoman-Greek village of Kirkindzes (Κιρκιντζές).

Historical Background

The village became settled when inhabitants of nearby Ephesus fled to the mountains for refuge in the 15th century. During the exchange of populations in 1924 after the Greek-Turkish War, the original Greek inhabitants of Kirkindzes left and the present villagers moved here from the vicinity of Salonica (Thessaloniki). Subsequently, the village name was Turkified into Şirince, which means pleasant. 

Kirkindzes - Şirince is the setting of the bestseller Farewell Anatolia (original title Ματωμένα Χώματα) by Dido Sotiriou. In this novel, she describes the dramatic events of the years 1922-1924 and their traumatic impact on the life of simple villagers.

Sights & Photos of Şirince 

The village offers you fresh air, old Ottoman-Greek houses and an atmosphere of repose and relaxation. Unfortunately, in recent years tour buses have it included in their circuit with the result that much of its authenticity has been replaced by souvenir shops.

Here are the photos of Şirince, click on the thumbnails to get a greater picture.

Travel Information & Travel Tips

There are frequent minibuses from Selçuk's bus station. It's a 13-minute drive (8 km) from Selçuk's town centre.