Şirince Historic Hilltop Village
Tucked eight kilometers east of Selçuk high in the Aegean hills among olive groves and peach orchards, Şirince (meaning 'Charming' or 'Pretty') is one of Turkey’s most beloved historic villages. Originally inhabited predominantly by Ottoman Greeks who affectionately named it Çirkince ('Ugly') to deter outsiders from discovering their idyllic valley, the village was renamed Şirince in 1926 following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. The village cascades down steep hillsides in tiers of whitewashed, two-story Ottoman-Greek timber houses with terra-cotta tiled roofs, stone fireplaces, and carved wooden window lattices. Cobblestone alleyways climb past stone courtyards overflowing with bougainvillea, open-air cafes brewing Turkish coffee on hot sand, and boutique cellars offering famous fruit-infused wines. The peaceful atmosphere provides an authentic contrast to the monumental ruins of neighboring Ephesus.
“A picturesque 19th-century Ottoman-Greek mountain village near Ephesus, celebrated for whitewashed timber houses, fruit wines, and olive groves.”
— Tourism Compass Heritage Committee