The small town of Shillings, also known as "Little Crocus City," is not overly touristy and still maintains its pure nature. Walking along the town's flagstone roads, you will be surrounded by traditional white-walled and red-tiled houses and the surrounding green forests, as if you are in a vivid oil painting. Is one of the oldest villages in Izmir province of Turkey, close to the Aegean Sea, blue and white courtyards mixed with Ottoman-style buildings, scattered on the green hillside, stone roads connecting alleys, fruit and wine filled with cups, when tourists raise their cameras, freeze the sweet and peaceful picture, behind is the sad song of millions of people forced to leave the ancestral homeland for thousands of years, no one will return. A foreign land pretends to be home.


After the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire became a defeated power and signed the Treaty of Lausanne with the Allies, which included a population exchange agreement, which stipulated that the two countries would exchange populations of different religions, the Greek Orthodox residents living in Turkey would have to "return" to Greece, the Turkish Muslims living in Greece would have to "return" to Greece. It was also necessary to "return" to Turkey, and the fate of about 2 million people was thus rewritten - 500,000 Muslims leaving Greece and 1.5 million Orthodox Christians leaving Turkey. The film "Spice Republic" is a tragedy of the era of mass population exchange made by the director based on his real experience.

The last time history made Shillings famous, the Mayan prophecy that the world would end on December 21, 2012, Shillings and a French village were considered to be the only two places on Earth that would be spared, a safe haven from the impending disaster "the End." The name means sweet, the street is full of fruit wine and candy Turkish coffee ice cream, and the local people are friendly.

From Ephesus, the same station, take the blue minibus to the town of Shillinger, 40 lira/person, about 20 minutes by car, full of people. Hillinger is said to be the Ottoman period of the village, one of the most beautiful villages, the intention is to hold the mood of the way to come, I heard that the price is more expensive, so I thought it was a very commercial tourist area, did not expect!! It's another surprise, family from Selcuk, must visit Hillinger!

Shillings has a very prominent street sign in Selcuk, which seems to be a well-known local attraction. Many of the guides found before departure will involve here, and many tour group routes will also include Shillings in the itinerary. Small town tourism souvenir store unexpectedly found the Taiji map, this Taoist culture has taken root in the land?

The town, located in the mountains outside Selcuk, has been officially described as a Greek settlement since ancient times. Driving out of Selcuk city is quickly followed by a hilly road reminiscent of driving across the country to visit the Hakka tulou buildings in Yongding County, Fujian Province, where Greek Christians once lived. In the Ottoman Empire, they can also be counted as "Hakka" people in a sense.

It is believed that most domestic tourists' first impression of Greek architecture is from the buildings with blue roofs and white walls in Santorini. But the Greek architecture seen in Shillings is a completely different style - red tiles and white walls, more like the style of ancient Roman dwellings. And the "Greek blue" that we had expected to see was also presented in another way.

Small town, not many people, but did not expect Taobao is good. Bought a cute beard small tea cup 40 lira, and a super color silk scarf, love this national style, in the road service area to find a novel small bag. It's perfect for a little stroll. The lamps and plates look good.

The town is famous for its fruit wine, and there are many small wineries along the path where guests can taste different flavors of fruit wine. In small, watched the process of making Turkish coffee! It's perfect for a little stroll. The lamps and plates look good. Previously only seen on TV hot sand coffee finally arranged in Turkey, in the sand for a while bubbling, there is foam above, Turkish coffee good smell!