Sirince Guide

Şirince is a village in Selçuk district of Izmir, about 7-8 kilometers away from the town center, and it is really as cute as its name. It is very famous for its natural beauties, history, narrow and stone streets, houses, food and legends of doom. So much so that its fame has already surpassed our country. When you arrive in Selçuk, when you see the Şirince sign at the level of the castle, turn right and follow the road through olive, peach and tangerine trees and after about 10 minutes you come across a magnificent picture. 

It is rumored that the original name Kırkınca was given to forty people who hit the mountains in a legendary age. This name, which took forms such as Kirkice, Kirkince and eventually Çirkince in Greek, was changed and formalized as Şirince in the first years of the Republic with the instruction of Kazım Dirik, the Governor of İzmir at the time.
    

The fact that Şirince Village is referred to as 'Ephesus on the Mountain' or 'Old Ephesus' in ancient sources shows that this village has a long history. Ephesians fleeing from the mosquitoes living in the Küçük Menderes delta used to live in Şirince during the summer months. According to one view, Şirince Village dates back to the V century A.D. When the village became uninhabitable due to the alluvium and floods brought by the Küçük Menderes river, it is said that the inhabitants of the region fled to the mountain and founded the village of Şirince.

Another source mentions that the foundation of the village coincides with the Principalities period. A group of villagers working for the overlord asked to be freed and given the village of Şirince (formerly Kırkınca) and its surroundings. The lord then asks: 'Is the place you are going to settle in beautiful?' The answer is 'Çirkince'. The bey says: 'Then let the name of your village be Çirkince' and the present Şirince is founded by the freed villagers.
    

In the 19th century, under Ottoman rule, Şirince (Kırkınca) was a village with 1800 households, composed of a Greek population. Until 1910, the people of Şirince lived a quiet life, but they started to mobilize with the provocations of the immigrants expelled from Greece. During the Balkan War, they occasionally engaged in resistance against the Ottomans. In 1914, when World War I broke out in Anatolia, the Ottoman government recruited the youth of Şirince into the 'Amele Battalion'. However, those who escaped from the Amele Battalion either became gang members in the mountains or took refuge in Greece and resisted. In 1918, with the Treaty of Sèvres, the survivors of Kırkıncalı returned to their villages.

In 1919, when Greece landed in Izmir for the purpose of occupation, when they came to Kırkınca, they were welcomed with great enthusiasm by the people. Although Kırkınca was under Ottoman sovereignty at the time, the people of the village considered themselves Greek and voluntarily went to Izmir to join the Greek army. However, when Izmir was liberated in 1922 during the War of Independence, all the Greeks living in this region, except for a few elderly people, had to migrate to Greece.
    Thus, Kırkınca became an abandoned village, except for a few elderly people. With the exchange of immigrants in 1924, Turks living in Greece (Thessaloniki, Provusta, Kavala, etc.) were settled in this village. The inhabitants of the new village, who settled in Şirince, did not like this settlement, demolished the houses given to them, took the construction materials and migrated to Selçuk, Kuşadası and İzmir, or the abandoned houses were left to their own fate and were destroyed over time. Thus, in the village of 1800 houses, only 180 houses are still standing today.
    

Today, Şirince Village has become a popular destination for local and foreign tourists due to its location (28 km. from Kuşadası, 11 km. from Ephesus and 8 km. from Selçuk) and its architectural features.


From the village square to the big church, you can visit shops selling touristic goods and exhibitions selling handicrafts. Şirince's wine, molasses, olives, olive oil, tarhana, noodles, bread, freshly picked fruits and vegetables and healthy herbs are always naturally delicious.   

Today the houses in Şirince are under protection. However, since they are quite old, there are losses from time to time. Many of the houses in the area have been converted into hotels and generally host many guests. Especially with the apocalyptic scenarios in 2012, the fame of the region has spread around the world. And every period of the year, especially in the summer months, many local and foreign tourists visit the region.    

For accommodation suggestions, you can check our Sirince Hotels page.