Logo
English
The inn Houses
Kilisealti Pension
Guestbook
$$$
A note of warning
Sirince is a steep village with irregularly paved streets. Nisanyan House is located in the upper part of the village. Guests with walking hindrances will find the short uphill walk difficult.

  • An article about Sirince
  • A longer article about Sirince
    		•
    		  Şirince: A beautiful Aegean village

    Sirince View

    Sirince (pronounced she-RIN-jay) is a wonderful little Aegean village of 600 inhabitants. It is located in the hills at about 350 meters (1000 ft) above sea level, which means pleasant nights even in hottest July, and in winter some frost and the occasional snowfall. Most of the houses in the village date from the 19th century or earlier. They were built at a time when Sirince was predominantly a Greek village.

    The village lies in a lovely bowl of hills surrounded by peach orchards, vineyards and olive groves. The higher hills are covered with pine forest. Nearly all houses command a pastoral panorama extending over many miles, undisturbed by any modern development. The surroundings are full of idyllic country walks.

    Some tourism has unfortunately come into the village in recent years, bringing with it more than twenty souvenir shops, a dozen restaurants and a few guesthouses. But farming remains the principal activity. Villagers make wine and olive oil, and grow some of the best peaches in the country. They greet strangers with a smile and very often invite them in for a cup of tea.

    The archeological site of Ephesus is located in the plain 11 km (7 miles) down the road. A public minibus serves Selçuk - the modern town of Ephesus - every half hour throughout the day. The beach is located 15 km (10 miles) away. The Izmir International Airport is 50 minutes away by car.
    Trips and Excursions

    Nearly all of Aegean Turkey lies within day-trip range of Sirince. But the village itself is so nice, you'd probably wish it didn't. All of the following itineraries can be done on public transport, although they are easier to tackle and more enjoyable on private wheels.

    The obvious highlights are Ephesus, Miletus, Didyma, Pergamum, Sardes, Aphrodisias, Pamukkale and Bodrum as well as the Greek island of Samos.

    Other gems remain quasi-undiscovered. At Tire a marvelous peasant market is held on Tuesdays. The Menderes Wetlands host huge flocks of pink flamingoes and other aquatic birds in winter. The historic town of Birgi keeps some of the most brilliant examples of traditional Turkish wood architecture. By the shores of Lake Bafa a picturesque village mixes with the mysterious ruins of ancient Heraclia below an extinct volcano whose flanks hide nearly a dozen medieval monasteries.

    		 Area map
    Never enough time...

    DAY 1: Ephesus
    Visit Ephesus archeological site (3 hours), Terrace Houses if open (1 hour), Basilica of St John (1 hour), Museum (1 hour), Virgin Mary's House (1 hour). All within 15 km of Sirince.
    DAY 2: Birgi, Tire, Sardes
    Visit Tire, a historic town with lively Tuesday market (46 km). Birgi, with magnificent 18th C museum-house (83 km). Gölcük, mountain lake and small resort (95 km). Sardes. Archeological site; Gymnasium, Jewish Synagogue, Temple of Artemis (135 km).
    DAY 3: Priene, Didyma
    Priene, archeological site with beautiful natural setting (63 km). Old Güllübahçe and Doganbey, deserted Greek villages. (77 km). Karina, small fishing village, simple restaurants. Miletus, ancient ruins, Roman theater, Faustina Baths. Menderes wetlands: lagoons, fisheries, rich birdlife (100 km). Didyma, Temple of Apollo (105 km).
    DAY 4: Lake Bafa
    Unspoiled wilderness. Hiking possibilities. Many ruined monasteries on Mt Latmos. Extraordinary moonlight. Kapikiri: archaic village set among the ruins of ancient Heraclia (115 km).
    DAY 5: Aphrodisias, Pamukkale
    Nyssa, ruins of Roman city in attractive natural setting (100 km). Aphrodisias, fabulous archeological site, Temple of Aphrodite, Stadium, Odeon, Hadrian's Baths, Agora, Theater, Sebasteion, and gem-like small museum (170 km). Pamukkale, hot springs, ruins of ancient Hierapolis (190 km).     		DAY 6: Kusadasi, National Park
    Kusadasi, lively tourist market, nightlife (30 km). Dilek Mt National Park, unspoiled wilderness, beautiful beaches, forest routes (48 km).     		DAY 7
    Rest and recuperate.    		 E-mail
    Tell me more
    Celsus Library
    Ephesus

    Ephesus flourished 2000 years ago as one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire. Its ruins cover a vast area. The Temple of Hadrian, The Celsus Library, the Theater, the City Hall, public baths, marketplaces, courthouses, fountains, an early church -- even a brothel and public latrine, all built of white marble, stand wholly or partly intact. A full day is required for a tour of the site and a visit to the Museum.

    The Terrace Houses, a recently excavated group of Roman private houses in Ephesus, have been partly open to the public since 2001.     		CLIMATE
    What to expect

    Sirince has a typically Mediterranean climate tempered by the relatively high altitude.
  • The temperature is pleasant throughout the year. In winter it hovers around 10 degrees C (50 F) and rarely drops below zero. Day temperatures in June and July may rise to 35 C (100 F), but evenings are always cool and a light sweater may be useful by the end of August.
  • It rains a lot from October through April, and sometimes until late May. The weather is always sunny, bright and dry from June until the end of September.
  • The best times to visit are April-May and October-November, when the hills are at their greenest.
    Beach
    		•