The village of Tirilye, positioned on the coast of the Sea of Marmara, 11 km west of Mudanya, is among the pearls of the Bursa area.
Tirilje’s wealthy Greek previous has left necessary traces and the ambiance invitations you to decelerate, let your self be lulled, chill out and revel in the great thing about the village and its environment. Inside every week time appeared to cease…
Right here the Ottoman model blends fortunately with the various Greek model residences, all of which is mirrored within the many conventional stone and wood homes, relying on the extent, from 150 to 200 years outdated.
Conventional homes of Tirilje
Older women chat in chairs set in entrance of their doorways and greet you warmly, the boys meet on the terrace of a typical and colourful cafe on the primary road, nicely shaded by big historical timber. Tractors are nearly at all times a part of the panorama…
Proper within the middle of Tirilje
Historic and colourful cafe in Tirilla
In very historical occasions, the present Tirilje had very totally different names, resembling Caesarea, in addition to Brillios and Brillion, because it was known as within the Byzantine interval and as much as the ninth century.
Tirilje olives are also referred to as Gemlik or Ayvalik and most of the inhabitants nonetheless make a residing from olive cultivation, whose economic system stays necessary. The village was known as Zeytinbagy – “olive vine” – from 1963 till the top of January 2012, when it returned to its former identify. In doing so, it misplaced its city corridor and has since been administratively hooked up to the city corridor of Mudanya.
Within the olive groves of Tirile
Though the village has about 1,500 inhabitants at present, about thirty Turkish households arrived within the late fifteenth century to affix the predominantly Greek inhabitants of the village. For data, in 1900, 4131 folks lived in Tirilya, together with 253 Muslims and 3878 non-Muslims.
Right here and close by there are necessary spiritual buildings left by the Greeks. At the moment, 4 outdated church buildings are nonetheless seen within the middle, together with the Church of St. Stephen, which grew to become the Fatih Mosque in 1560. Ai Todori’s identify.
Fatih Mosque in Tirilya, former Byzantine Greek church of Saint Stephen.
The constructing, on the entrance of which Byzantine capitals have been preserved, has a conical dome 19 meters excessive. A robust earthquake in 1855 broken the minaret, dome and south wall, which have since been repaired. Through the Greek invasion in July 1920, the constructing was briefly transformed right into a church by the native Greeks, after which grew to become a mosque once more after a go to to the positioning by King Constantine I, King of the Hellenes, in September 1921.
Fatih Mosque in Tirilya, former Byzantine Greek church of Saint Stephen.
On the entrance to the primary road of Tirilje is the Church of St. Basil – Aziz Vasil Kilisesi, constructed within the nineteenth century, which now homes the Municipal Cultural Heart of Tirilje. After the change of inhabitants on account of the Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923, the constructing served as a refectory for orphans who have been positioned after which studied in a stone college. For a time it was additionally a cinema and ceremony corridor for weddings, earlier than being transformed right into a cultural middle in 2009.
Former church of Aya Vasil in Tirilya, now a municipal cultural middle.
Dündar Home, former Church of St. John – Juannes Kilisezi, constructed within the nineteenth century, grew to become non-public property after the departure of the Greek group. Consisting of three ranges, it was used as a residential constructing till just lately, and is now empty; it was speculated to be bought in 2020 … Strolling by means of the constructing, one can discover, along with the primary entrance, consisting of a stone arched door and stone carved decorations, traits and particulars typical of the church.
Home of Dundar in Tirilya, former Greek church of St. John.
Kemerli Church, constructed within the thirteenth century, is of paramount significance for the Orthodox world. This monument was one of many first church buildings with wall work. The vaults and the dome are positioned on 4 columns topped with ornamented capitals. Its columns have been introduced from Alexandria and, in accordance with a 1676 manuscript by the priest and scholar Dr. John Covel, the church is devoted to the Virgin Mary – Panagia Pantobasilissa. The inhabitants of Tirilje name it “the little Hagia Sophia”.
Kemerli Greek Church Tirilje
There are traces of human frescoes on the partitions, together with a soldier with a sword, a spearman with a clearly outlined face, the archangel Michael with wings, and scenes from the lifetime of the Virgin Mary. The church was badly broken throughout the earthquake of 1855, throughout which the bell tower and dome collapsed. After 1923, the privately owned church was used as a warehouse after which deserted for a few years earlier than being purchased by the Greek Metropolitan of Bursa about 4 years in the past. Restoration work, begun just lately, ought to enable it to return to its former look.
Kemerli Greek Church in Tirilya (September 2018)
Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, has been visiting Tirilje each January for the previous few years. After a spiritual celebration within the outdated church of St. Basil, he goes in procession to the top of the pier, which is on the different finish of the primary road, for the normal throwing of the cross, as is finished in Istanbul on the Golden Horn on this event. Epiphany.
4-5 km to the west, by the ocean, after crossing the well-known olive groves of Tirilje, is the monastery of Agia Yani, which operated from 709 to 1922. Solely the ruined partitions and the non-public property that it grew to become after the Treaty of Lausanne is occupied by a sheep breeder.
Stays of the Greek monastery of Aya Yani in Tirilya (September 2018)
Hasan Bey’s cultural middle was positioned in an outdated hammam constructed subsequent to the Fatih Mosque in 1652-53 by Hasan Pasha, an Ottoman main normal whose burial place is within the courtyard of the mosque. The dilapidated public bathtub was used for a time as a warehouse and carpentry store earlier than being rebuilt as a cultural middle.
The imposing neoclassical Tash Mektebi stone college is positioned within the very middle of the village. It was constructed between 1904 and 1909 by Chrysostom of Smyrna, born in Tirilya, who, after finding out in Greece, returned to Turkey, the place he was to turn into the final metropolitan of Smyrna, at present’s Izmir. Transformed into an orphanage in 1924, the constructing served as a major and secondary college till 1986, when it was emptied in 1989 for security causes because of structural deterioration discovered at roof, wall and flooring ranges.
Tash mektebi, Tirilye stone college (in September 2018)
Stone college – Tash mektebi – Tirilye (August 2004)
The restoration work carried out by the municipality of Mudanya since June 2017 and famous by the Union of Historic Cities of Tarihi Kentler Birliga was accomplished within the spring of 2022. To this point, the usage of premises has not been fully deserted, however could be a combination of studying and cultural actions in numerous kinds … in addition to a spot reserved for craft and business actions, companies to observe!
Tash mektebi, Tirilye stone college (picture July 2020)
Just a few tens of meters away is the outdated publish workplace, inbuilt 1902, a powerful constructing of stone and wooden, now non-public property, has been magnificently restored by the house owners.
Previous publish workplace Tirillier
Persevering with alongside the identical street, a home seems known as tomb – also referred to as the “burial home” because of its lengthy and slender look, is 200 years outdated and is among the most photographed mansions in Tirilla.
On the left is the home of “tabut” Tirillier.
On the exit of the village on the western facet, a big yellow constructing attracts consideration: an outdated manufacturing facility for the manufacturing of olive oil and cleaning soap. The corporate, based by Mehmet Emin Lofchali in 1874, was a really fashionable olive oil manufacturing facility for its time within the Nineteen Twenties and, in accordance with a written doc, might have been one among 19 oil factories in Tirilya in 1900.
Previous olive oil manufacturing facility in Tirilla.
The positioning nonetheless homes a number of the unique tools, together with an oven constructed within the 1850s by the Birmingham Firm. The tiles masking the roof of the carpentry store are made by Guichard Frères within the Marseille area; they have been made within the early twentieth century. Tools such because the stone mill and hydraulic presses utilized in its heyday are nonetheless seen. Within the Seventies and 80s, this was the interval of sesame oil and cream manufacturing. After the dying of the founder and administration for a while by members of his household, it was transferred between 1943 and 1946 to the Bursa Chamber of Commerce. The mission of turning it right into a museum has been thought of for a while … One other factor!
English oven from an outdated olive oil manufacturing facility in Tirilla.
Tirilje, a former Greek fishing village with a visual and tangible seal upon arrival, can solely delight guests. This can be a excellent spot for a weekend getaway.
> Tips on how to get to Tirilje ?
– Round 2:30 by automotive from Istanbul (close to the Osmangazi Bridge),
– Ferry trip (IDO sea bus) from Besiktas, Yenikapı, Kadikoy/Istanbul to Guzelyali, or encore to Budo depuis Eminonu/Istanbul to Mudanya.
Then it takes 20 minutes by automotive.
Buses additionally join Moudania and Tirilje each half-hour.
The minibus runs between Guzelyali and Mudanya.
This text was first printed in July 2020.