Ayvalık, Port town in Balıkesir Province, Turkey.
Ayvalık is a port town in Balıkesir Province that sits along the Turkish Aegean coast. The older sections feature stone houses with colored shutters, narrow cobbled streets, and small squares where cafes and local shops create gathering spaces.
Until 1923, this place was known as Kydonies and was home to a Greek population that shaped the region through trade and craft. The population exchange following the Turkish-Greek conflict fundamentally changed who lived here.
The name Ayvalık comes from the Turkish word for quince, reflecting the fruit trees that once shaped the landscape. The old town still carries traces of this heritage in its tightly built quarters and the way residents interact with the waterfront.
A weekly market operates every Thursday at Köy Pazarı square with fresh produce, local olive oil, and handmade goods. The old quarters are best explored in early morning or late afternoon when temperatures are gentler and the streets feel more active.
Scattered across the old Greek quarter are numerous brick chimneys that stand as silent records of the olive oil industry that once dominated the local economy. These chimneys tell the story of production that shaped the town's character for generations.
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