Şirince

Turkey

Şirince, formerly Kirkince or Çirkince, is a village nestled on the hills in Central Aegean Region, Turkey. It is a small village which is famous for its wine and houses. Sirince was a Greek village before the Turkish Independence War. In 1923, Turkish and Greek governments exchanged the populations. Greek government exiled the Muslims of Greece to Turkey, while the Turkish government exiled Greeks of Turkey to Greece. Şirince forms the setting of Farewell Anatolia, by Greek writer Dido Sotiriou's—a native of Şirince. It depicts the events of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 through the eyes of a fictional character from Şirince.

Şirince today is very popular with Turkish tourists, especially on weekends.

Sirince's local architecture, which nowadays is under legal protection, is well preserved. Some of the houses of the village are restored to their former glory, while some others are on the edge of dilapidation. The village is quite a heaven for the photographer.

Apart from the historical background of the village, there are fantastic valleys to walk around. Olive groves, peach gardens, vineyards. It's Turkey's Tuscany.

Wine, handicrafts, olive oil.

There are planty of restaurants in the village with reasonable prices. They serve local specialties and grilled meat.

You can find alcohol in every restaurant. Every house, on the other hand, makes its own wine. In addition to homemade (grape) wines, Şirince is also well-known for its fruit wines made of apple, berries or more unusual types such as myrte. All through the village are shops where you can put your wine tasting skills to the test.