Sirince Village (Orthodox Village) nearby the Ancient City of Ephesus

Sirince Village referred to in ancient sources as “Ephesus on the Mountain,” suggests a long-established settlement. Sirince is a pretty old Orthodox village in Selcuk, 12 km away from Ephesus, which was called Cirkince, meaning “ugly“. Sirince Village was built by the Greeks around 800 years ago, and since the population exchange in 1924, it has been inhabited by Muslims from Salonica. Indeed, its inhabitants gave it this name on purpose, as they did not want to be bothered by foreigners or share the beauty of their village with them. After years, visitors understand that the village is not ugly at all, and the village’s name was changed to Sirince, meaning “pleasant,” in 1926 by the governor of Izmir Province.

As the village is located on the top of a mountain, the perfect synthesis of Turk-Greek culture as of the 1920s; after the Independence War, people exchange between Greek and Turks occurred, and all those typical Greek houses, though they kept their original outside characteristics, have received the local layout inside. The Muslim Turks who moved Sirince from Greek in 1924, re-started wine and olive oil-making.

The oldest building in Sirince is from the Hellenistic period, initially built as a tower when Ephesus was established. All the narrow streets of Sirince belong to women, selling handcrafts of all kinds, olive oil. Another attraction of the village is its wine: try its taste in a small cafésor in the former municipal school restorative.