Tirilye has been a place winking at us for years. While we were on our way to Bursa, we decided to explore this small old Greek village, located about an hour away. Although it resembled an abandoned village as it was the winter month of January, it gave off the strong impression of a place where you would like to get lost in its streets.
First of all, I have to mention: Do not be confused by the names Trilye, Tirilye and Zeytinbağı that you will encounter on your journey to this town. All three of these names are used for this village.
Trilye's name was changed to "Mahmud Shevket Pasha" to honor the famous figure who was assassinated in 1909. This name was not adopted by the locals so it was changed to "Zeytinbağı" (Olive Yard) in 1963. The villagers almost never used these two names. The name of the village was then again changed, this time to Tirilye, in 2011.
Trilye is located in Bursa's Mudanya district. If you happen to be in Bursa or Mudanya, you should definitely stop by this hidden bohemian village.
This village, which has a deep-rooted history, has also hosted many civilizations. If we start with a more recent history, when the Ottomans came to this region, Greeks were living here. The beginning of Turks coming to the region dates back to the 1450s. Until the population exchange between Greece and Türkiye in 1923, mostly Greeks lived in Tirilye, where only 30 Turkish families had settled at that time. With the population exchange in 1923, while the Greeks went to Greece, Turks from Thessaloniki, Kavala and Crete were settled here. When the Turks came here, they continued to earn their living from olive farming and sericulture, as the Greeks used to.
Today, sericulture is not popular here, but the people still earn a large part of their livelihood from olive farming. In addition to this, in Tirilye, which has become a very popular destination recently, the public also earns from their income from tourism, especially during the summer months. For those looking for serenity like us, coming here in the summer is actually not a good idea, but we also definitely recommend that you do not come here in January, either. Many places are closed in the winter, making it feel more like an abandoned village. We are sure that this is a lively village during summer and spring. Frankly, we tried to imagine this place in splendid spring weather, and we have already added it to our list to visit again.
Tirilye recently started generating income from tourism. Since it has a deep-rooted history, you can see many historical buildings. If you come during the summer, you can cool off on its beautiful beaches and get lost in the streets of traditional wooden houses.
If you want to start exploring Tirilye with a nice breakfast in a place with a view, Tarihi Çamlı Kahve, or the Historical Pine Teahouse, is perfect for you. You can start your day with a delicious breakfast with a view of the Marmara Sea at Çamlı Kahve, which is built on a cliff on a high hill, or you can come here to relax and have a cup of coffee at the end of the day.
This is a spot that demonstrates Tirilye's deep-rooted history. The Arched Church is the first church in the world with paintings on its walls, and its columns were brought from Egypt in the 13th century. There are also rumors that this church, which is very important for the Orthodox world, is the third oldest church in the world.
Taş Mektep, or the New Stone School, built between 1909 and 1912, is one of the best examples of the Ottoman Empire's innovations in the field of education. At that time, the school, where courses were taught on some branches of art as well as culture, was reopened as Öksüzler Evi in 1924 by Kazım Karabekir. Taş Mektep, which was used as a school again in 1928, was evacuated in 1988 because it was deemed risky. The historical structure has since gone through restoration.
In Tirilye, which hosts important religious buildings, another important structure is the Fatih Mosque, which was converted to a mosque from an eighth-century church formerly known as Hagios Stephanos Church. This building, which is said to be the largest of the three churches that have survived the Greek era, is actually very important for the Christian world.
Next to the church, which was converted into a mosque by adding a dome, minaret and mihrab to it in 1661, there is also the Courtyard Hamam (Turkish bath) built by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I.
You should definitely stop in front of the wooden historical houses of Tirilye in its narrow streets and take lots of pictures. The famous two-story wooden house known as the "Coffin House" at the entrance of the town, which has a narrower and longer structure than the other houses in the town, and the "Haunted House," which is given this name because it makes people shudder with its broken windows and neglected appearance, are some of the houses that you should definitely check out.
Apart from these storied houses in Tirilye, all the traditional wooden houses, whose stories are unknown, are also worth exploring and photographing.
In addition, the Dündar House, which was private property during the population exchange period and called the Agios Georgios Ano church at the time, can also be on your must-see list.
In Tirilye, we felt that we were being dragged into history while walking around the streets. Although small, the place offered us a very satisfying cultural tour as we took in the smell of iodine and made our way home through the olive branches. Maybe we will meet again in the spring in Trilye, Tirilye, Zeytinbağı, or however you prefer to call it!
