Tirilye, Coastal village in Zeytinbağı, Turkey
Tirilye is a coastal village in the Zeytinbağı district of Bursa province, sitting on the southern shore of the Marmara Sea. Its narrow, hilly streets are lined with stone houses featuring wooden balconies, many of them dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
In ancient times the settlement was known as Trigleia and Brylleion, and during the Byzantine period it grew into a religious center with several churches and monasteries. After the Ottoman takeover many of those buildings were repurposed, and following the 1923 population exchange, Greek-origin families from Crete and Bulgaria settled here.
The name Tirilye is thought to come either from Greek words meaning three saints or from a local fish called trigilia once common in the bay. Along the waterfront today, small shops and fish restaurants reflect the same connection to the sea and olive groves that locals have maintained for generations.
The village is best explored on foot, though some streets are steep and uneven in places. Visiting outside the peak summer months makes it easier to walk around and take in the old streets without large crowds.
Although the town was officially renamed Zeytinbağı, meaning olive grove in Turkish, many locals still use the older name Tirilye, which is thought to trace back to an early Christian term meaning three priests. The Fatih Mosque in the village was originally a church built around 710 AD and still retains ancient stone columns inside.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
