Ghost Village: Shinudi (Dereköy)

Shinudi (Dereköy), which was one of the richest villages of Gökçeada in terms of economy and society in the past due to its proximity to the port, is now referred to as a ghost village. At the time, it was the most crowded village of the island and even Turkey with 1950 households.

The village, in which there are many coffee houses, 2 cinemas, many tradesmen and an olive oil mill, is now abandoned. After the Greeks were forced to migrate in the forced migration program (exchange) of the government of Turkey and Greece, no one settled in this region and the population decreased significantly over the years, the houses remained empty, some were destroyed or looted.

Every year on August 15, many Greeks come to the island and celebrate the feast of the Virgin Mary. Other than that, you can’t see anyone other than 10-15 people living in the village, especially in winter.