With more than 5,000 years of history and its classical Seljuk and Ottoman houses, Birgi has been listed among the "Best Tourism Villages of 2022" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Birgi is Türkiye's third village on the Best Tourism Villages list, following the inclusions of Sakarya's Taraklı and Nevşehir's Mustafapaşa in 2021.
The UNWTO's list is a compilation of outstanding rural tourism destinations worldwide. The 2022 edition included 32 destinations in 18 countries worldwide. The village of Birgi, in Ödemiş, Izmir, was added to this list due to its commitment to innovation and sustainability as well as its architecture and intangible cultural values.
The village is 7 km from the town of Ödemiş in the Izmir province. It attracts local and foreign tourists due to its proximity to Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as to Şirince, famous for its fruit wines, and holiday resorts such as Çeşme, Alaçatı and Seferihisar.
Birgi was declared "a protected area" in 1996. In addition to being the first protected village, Birgi was included on the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2012. Furthermore, efforts are underway for Birgi to join Türkiye's Cittaslow (Slow City) network.
