Şirince is brimming with history, friendly locals, and the must-see Roman ruins of Ephesus. But the main reason that people love Şirince is the wine. If you’re thinking that Turkey isn’t a wine country, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that Turks are pretty big drinkers, especially along the Aegean coast. The local viniculture revolves around the production of a range of unique sweet fruit wines, alongside drier varieties. Other than the booze, laid-back locals, cozy hill-top bars, good food, and affordable accommodation make Şirince an excellent weekend trip from Istanbul or day trip from Izmir.
HISTORY OF ŞİRİNCE
One of the most important cities in classical history was Ephesus, the second city of the Roman Empire. When its harbor silted up, Ephesus’ importance declined until it was little more than a village. The city was abandoned in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, when its remaining inhabitants set off to start a new life among the secluded hills. According to local legend, they named their new town Çirkince, roughly meaning ‘ugly’, hoping that it would discourage others from following them.
This seems to have paid off until war between the new Turkish and Greek republics resulted in the exchange of minority populations between the two countries in 1923. The relocated Turks that settled in the town were so unimpressed with the name of their new home that in 1926 it was renamed Şirince, roughly meaning ‘cute’. Most of modern-day Şirince was built in the 1800s and was declared a national heritage site in the 1990s.
Since then, the only noteworthy news coverage of Şirince was when scholars of Mayan astrology revealed that the world was going to end on the 21st of December 2012. The only place that was foretold to survive the apocalypse exactly matched Şirince’s coordinates, resulting in waves of new-age celebrities, including Tom Cruise, piling into the town for a few days, much to the confusion of locals.
SIGHTS OF ŞİRİNCE
With a population of 600, Şirince is both small and compact. This is a good thing, because most streets have no name or no sign or neither, both in reality and on whatever map you are looking at. You can see the whole town in 30 minutes if you are in a hurry or reasonably sober. This video assumes that you are neither.
The most evocative image of Şirince is that of the classically designed houses in the surrounding hills. Most of these are little more than 100 years old, but have been preserved in their original, Greek style.
The local museum is housed inside Restaurant Artemis, near the bus station. No explanation is given for this, but the good news is that it is effectively free and open as long as the restaurant is serving. The building was the local school in Greek times.
At the top of the hill stands the Church of St John the Baptist, which today serves as an atmospheric art gallery. The church you see today dates from 1805, and is built on top of a much earlier church, built in the 1500s by the town’s Christian founders.
If hiking around vineyards is your thing, you’ve come to the right place. There are no established hiking trails, but paths lead out of the village through hundreds of vineyards and orchards and up the sides of the surrounding hills.
TRANSPORT TO/FROM ŞİRİNCE
Unless you have private transport, you will probably pass through either Izmir or Kuşadası on your way to/from Şirince. Izmir’s fancy Adnan Menderes airport has regular flights to all big cities in Turkey and some beyond. From here, take a 1-hour overland train or 90-minute mini bus to Selçuk, and then a 15-minute local bus to Şirince. Busses also regularly run the 20 km between Selçuk and Kuşadası.
DAY TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES IN ŞİRİNCE
The obvious day trip from Şirince is Ephesus, Turkey’s no-1 archeological attraction and one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. The site lies alongside the ruins of what used to be the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ephesus is a 10-minute bus ride or a 4-km walk away from Selçuk, a short trip away from Şirince. The site is open from 8 am to 6 pm. See our Ephesus video for more information.
EATING İN ŞİRİNCE
There is nothing very remarkable about the food in Şirince, which leaves center stage to the liquid accompaniment. Turkish staples like mantı and gözleme are surprisingly good value, as are regional Aegean specialties like stuffed zucchini flowers.
DRINKING İN ŞİRİNCE
Şirince has so many wine tasting places that there is no point listing them, but they are all over the center and all sell largely the same thing. There are three local wine producers with similar offerings, all made with some or other combination of grapes, fresh fruit and concentrate. The finished products are on sale at pretty much every commercial outlet in town, and vendors make a sport of doling out samplers to passers by. Almost all the wine here ranges from sweet to very sweet, which can get a bit much after a few glasses.
ACCOMMODATION İN ŞİRİNCE
Şirince has remarkably good-value accommodation, much of which is clustered around the center. We can recommend Hotel Diva, which has very cozy rooms with en suites and wonderful views of the town. Another good option is Şirincem Pansion, which has clean rooms with private bathrooms and helpful staff. The restaurant isn’t bad either, and the price of a hotel room includes a truly epic Turkish breakfast.
Have you been to Şirince? Do you agree with our recommendations or is there anything we should change? And are there any other places you would like us to cover? Let us know in the comments and thanks for watching.
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For ESL instructors, we’ve also shared comprehension, vocabulary, and discussions questions, as well as a fun crossword puzzle.
