'Doomsday village’ prepares for post-epidemic

The historical village of Şirince, which is visited by around 4,000 people daily in the spring months, has been silent for two months due to the outbreak.

Şirince was ready for a potential apocalypse in 2012 when many doomsday believers flocked to the village in the Aegean province of İzmir's Selçuk district, near ancient Ephesus. But in 2020, the resort village was caught off guard when the coronavirus pandemic struck the world. Today, it is empty and devoid of tourists. 

Şirince is a picturesque village built on a green slope among mountains, drawing attention with its stone streets, olive trees and houses with bay windows. It has become a neighborhood with a new status. 

On the Mayan calendar that ended on Dec. 21, 2012 Şirince was named "the village that will not be affected by the apocalypse," along with the village of Bugarach in France, and became the center of attention in the world.

Dating back to the 5th century B.C. and one of the most visited villages in Turkey, Şirince hosts over 2 million local and foreign guests every year. The historical village, which was visited by around 4,000 people daily in the spring months, has been silent for two months due to the outbreak.

Hosting visitors in June

The residents, who are not used to the silence in Şirince, which has become one of the important stops of tourism due to its closeness to the ancient city of Ephesus, the House of Virgin Mary and Kuşadası Port, are waiting for the historical region to regain its lively days. 

In the charming village, which offers an alternative to the stressful life of the city, tradesmen, who intend to host visitors in June in line with the measures to be taken during the "controlled normalization" phase, continue...