Disclaimer: I haven’t been to Kashmir in Northern India, a place referred to as being a heaven on Earth. I have only seen it in movies, news and pictures. But if there was a place that I felt came close to my perception of Kashmir is Sirince (Siringe-J) in Turkey. Yes, there is no Dal Lake or house boats but the valley, cobblestoned streets and slightly failing houses seemed to have a marked resemblance.
Located in a lush green valley about 15 miles east of Khusadasi in Turkey, Sirince has been inhabited since the ancient Greek times and is a blend of Greek and Turkish cultures. An opportunity to explore Kashmir compelled me to make the extra effort of walking up steep sloops of uneven cobbled street with a stroller in tow. The white washed but aging buildings, small but beautifully landscaped courtyards and decorated doorways kept the camera interested.
At the main square is a bazar selling local produce, olive and olive products and of course souvenirs. At the coffee and hookah shops here, in typical Middle Eastern style, I saw patrons were playing cards & table games. That said, I recommend restaurants away from the square, as they are quitter and have a better view of the scenery. At one such restaurant or taverns as they call it, we had a traditional Turkish lunch planned for us by our tour guide.
I cannot thank fellow TripAdvisors enough for recommending this beautiful village. We had to pay our tour company a little extra (only $20) to take us there but in the end it was worth it. When we went in mid-Oct of 2013, the place was packed with local visitors. We saw only a handful of international visitors, such a pity.
Trivia:
- There is an interesting story about the name of the village. The villagers did not want people to crowd their village so they named their town – Cirkince which ugly in Turkish. It stayed that way for along time until the governor of the province visited the village and seeing how beautiful it was, renamed it to Sirince, which means beautiful.
- Turkish people call their country Turkye (Tue-r-Key-ya), similar to Germans who call their country Deutschland.
Note to Travellers: Our guide informed us that two-lane road leading to Sirince is backed up and parking lots full in summer. So go early and have enough time on hand.
My Pravas 