Thursday's Child: Nisanyan House

Nisanyan house
Photo credit: Rainer Stratmann

In October, I’ve been writing about hotels we’ve stayed in that are remote.  The final one is the Nisanyan Evleri, located just outside Ephesus, Turkey.  Although it was less remote than some of the others, we still required alternate means to deliver our luggage.

Nisanyan house is perched on the hillside above Sirince, just a few miles outside of Ephesus, and it’s a steep and winding drive to get there. The hotel itself was accessible by car, but the outlying house that we stayed in wasn’t. The path to the houses is narrow and bumpy, and is followed by a steep staircase.  Carrying the luggage all that distance would have been unwieldy. 

Upon check-in, we had noticed a motorcycle complete with sidecar sitting on the path.  Instead of carrying passengers, it carried our luggage to our house!

The dining room.  Photo credit: Rainer Stratmann

Although we had a busy day in Ephesus and the surrounding area, we still had enough energy to wander down the winding paths into the village.  It was a labyrinth of lanes twisting down the slope, and of course we got lost on the way back.  But asking a young cyclist for directions in a combination of rudimentary Turkish and pantomime only added to the adventure.

Mealtime at the Nisanyan Evleri was heavenly.  Because the hotel is a little out of the way, it’s much easier to eat there than to find a restaurant, and the dining experience was so wonderful that it was an easy choice.  The lamb shank, cooked to tender perfection and served with vegetables, was one of our best meals in Turkey. 

Walking back to our house after the meal, it was so dark that we could see every star in the wide-open sky.  But the cobbled path was lit by torches so we could safely make our way back.  At night, the village was peaceful, and the lights twinkled through the darkness.

Sirince at night.  Photo credit: Rainer Stratmann