Guide of Ayvalik

Ayvalık is a Turkish city on the northern coast of the Aegean, it is located directly opposite the Greek island of Lesbos. For a long time, it was known as Kydonies, a name given to it by the Greek populations who settled here in ancient times.

The island was under the dominion of the Macedonians, the Romans and the Byzantines. The economic, cultural and social wealth of the city is represented by the olive tree, which together with the sea represent the island's heritage.

Places to visit 

Ayvalık is characteristically Mediterranean and the roads and buildings are very reminiscent of Spanish and Greek villages. The roads slope steeply towards the sea, there are little houses and winding ancient streets. The facades of the houses in Ayvalık are clad with a local "sarımsak" stone.

In the centre of the city stands the Saatli Mosque with a bell tower and retains the structure of the original church that is dedicated to St. John, it later became a mosque in 1900. The island of Alibey is a great place to visit and is connected by a bridge. Here you can visit archaeological excavations, that show evidence of the rich history in this area. There are many historic churches and monasteries, including the Taksiyarhis church, which is the largest on the island. The area is full of small local restaurants where you can taste the "Papalina", a typical dish.

Things to do

There are many sports activities to do in Ayvalık, such as trekking, bird watching, jeep safaris and photo-safaris. The sea is also good for surfing, sailing and diving, in fact, Ayvalık is a world-renowned diving destination, where you can dive throughout the year. There is a fantastic coral reef called Kırmızı Mercan - which is a red coral that is found all over Ayvalık. Sarimsakli and Altinova are just two beaches not to be missed!