“Saint village” Population: Less than 2,000
Old names: Ofrinio, Renkioi, İntepe
Heading out of Çanakkale towards Troy you might want to drive up into the hills to visit the small village of Erenköy which still retains some of the old stone housing dating from the days when, as Renkioi, it was a mainly Greek settlement with two churches, St George and the Assumption of the Virgin. Most of these houses are now derelict although some are being restored to serve as bars and restaurants.
There are no specific attractions here, just a pleasantly peaceful rural setting with fine views out over the Dardanelles towards Troy and the Abide monument.
During the Crimean War (1853-56) Florence Nightingale pressed the UK government to build a hospital here. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the hospital was to be pre-fabricated but the work was only just completed as the war ended.
During the Gallipoli campaign, the French laid siege to Erenköy, doing great damage to the village. Its death knell was sounded in 1923 when the Treaty of Lausanne forced its Greek residents to ‘return’ to Greece, their place taken by far fewer Turks ‘returning’ from Greece.
Eating
On the main road beneath the village a couple of restaurants offer eastern-style, tasty cağ kebabs alongside great views.
Transport info
Hourly buses run from the minibus terminal beside the Sarı Çay in Çanakkale (opposite the marketplace) throughout the main part of the day.
