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Trilye

A Marmara coast village of stone Greek houses and olive groves west of Bursa, with fish restaurants along its small harbour.

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WhereBursa
Nearest cityMudanya; Bursa about an hour
Best seasonApril to June and September to October
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereZeytinbağı, Mudanya district; minibus from Bursa or Mudanya, or private vehicle
EntryFree to walk

Trilye - officially Zeytinbağı, olive garden - sits on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara west of Mudanya, and it kept its Greek fabric better than most places on this coast: stone and timber houses with overhanging upper storeys line the lanes above the harbour, several of them nineteenth-century and now restored as guesthouses and cafés. Two Byzantine buildings survive, the Fatih Mosque - formerly the church of Hagios Stephanos, one of the older Byzantine structures in the region - and the ruined Dündar House with its arched brickwork. The village lives on olives: the surrounding slopes are olive groves, the oil and table olives are sold everywhere in the village, and the name change reflects it. Along the small harbour is a row of fish restaurants where people come from Bursa for a long lunch of meze and grilled fish looking out at the Marmara. It is quiet midweek and busy on Sundays.

What you actually see

  • The stone houses - Greek-era fabric on the lanes above the harbour.
  • The Fatih Mosque - the converted Byzantine church.
  • The olive groves - the slopes behind and the oil sold in the village.
  • The harbour restaurants - fish and meze on the waterfront.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Weekdays for quiet; Sundays bring Bursa out for lunch and the harbour fills.

Honest expectations

It is small - a couple of hours of walking covers it. Lanes are steep and cobbled. Restaurant prices on the harbour are above the inland norm, and weekends need a booking.

Nearby

Mudanya and its ferry to Istanbul are 15 minutes east; Bursa is about an hour inland.

What to pack for Trilye

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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