Sille is an ancient village located about 8km from the Seljuk town of Konya. According to recent excavations, the first settlement dates back to around 6,000 BC. Sille was a Greek village until the Turkish-Greek exchange agreement was made in 1925, which is why most of the houses here are Greek in style today. The mix of cultures makes Sille one of the important stops to explore when visiting Konya.
Stroll in Sille
Runner-up Phuong Nga and her boyfriend - actor Binh An had many affectionate moments in the small village of Sille.
Sille still retains its rustic beauty with its typical architecture of stone houses and mud houses. There are old houses of the old nobility that have been converted into museums. Along the main road through the town, where a small river flows through the village, visitors will come to a local museum and art gallery. This place is completely free.
In particular, at the end of the village, there is a bridge called "Devil's Bridge" connecting two precarious cliffs, a great check-in spot for adventurous tourists. Scattered throughout the village are almond trees in full bloom, extremely charming. Although it is a tourist destination, the shops here open very late, starting to welcome guests at 11 am, and it is not too crowded.
Many of the houses in the village have collapsed due to the passage of time, but in return, there are some extremely beautiful reconstructions, all creating a friendly, peaceful space to stroll.
Breakfast in Sille
Today, Sille is very popular with locals and tourists alike if they are looking for the perfect weekend breakfast.
The famous traditional breakfast prepared in Sille
Değirmen Evi Cafe is one of the popular stops, a great place to sample cheeses, jellies, and sauces as well as fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives, all of which make up a truly Turkish breakfast. And of course, you have to try the restaurant’s specialty, saç böreği.
Cave
On the southern slopes of the valley are the remains of a Cappadocian underground city, all carved into the rock. There are a number of churches, houses and other ruins found behind the soft cliffs.
The structure of the cave closely resembles the underground city discovered in Cappadocia
In Sille there are many cave dwellings scattered across the hills. Some are still inhabited while others are dilapidated and in disrepair, housing damaged frescoes scattered throughout the caves.
Zaman Müzesi - Chapel, now Time Museum
In Sille there is a small mosque located on the hilltop above Aya Elena Kilisesi in a beautiful ruined cemetery. From here you can see the whole town and towards the Devil's Bridge. Outside the chapel you will find an interesting Ottoman fountain with a Karamanli (Turkish mixed with Greek) inscription.
The old chapel is now the Zaman Müzesi or “time museum” and houses some very interesting items focusing on the theme of time. Ottoman clocks and Astrolabs are among them.
Ottoman Clock, Astrolabs
Ottoman Cemetery
Walking through every corner of this small village, the thing that lingers most clearly in each person is probably the "natural" and "unforced" feeling it brings. Not trying to follow the flow of tourism, Sille has a quiet, peaceful and romantic beauty... even when what we see before our eyes is a cemetery - something often associated with sadness.
In Sille there is an old Ottoman cemetery.
The graves of the Turks are usually high hills near the village with many almond and apple trees in full bloom. Each grave is set with a different stone, without any ostentation or distinction between rich and poor. Gentle and peaceful in the spring sunshine.
Standing here, life seems to slow down a bit so we can appreciate every moment of life more.
Aya Elena Kilisesi - Greek Orthodox Church of St. Helena
In 327, on her way to Jerusalem, Empress Helena (St. Helen) passed through Sille in Konya. She commissioned the villagers of Sille to build a church, which is today's Aya Elena Kilisesi. The church was renovated in 1833, abandoned after 1924, and then restored in 2012 and opened as a museum.
