Ayvalık: Islands, History and Nature

Ayvalık combines a layered architectural history with nature experiences in Ayvalık Islands Nature Park and excursions to the islands. In the town center, former churches that were later converted into mosques tell different chapters of the town’s history. On Cunda, there is also a museum in a historic church building and a library with panoramic views. This lets you choose how to balance culture, landscapes and activities on the water during your trip.

Churches and Museums in Ayvalık

Saatli Mosque is in the İsmet-Paşa neighborhood in central Ayvalık. Local Greeks built it as a church in the second half of the 19th century; after 1928, it was converted into a mosque. Its former bell tower was later turned into a clock tower. This is why the mosque is called Saatli Mosque. Çınarlı Mosque, in the Hamdibey neighborhood in the town center, was also built by Greeks living in Ayvalık in the second half of the 19th century and converted into a mosque after the proclamation of the Republic. Hamidiye Mosque in the Sakarya neighborhood has a different history: it is the only mosque in Ayvalık originally built as a mosque.

The Taksiyarhis Memorial Museum is also in the İsmet-Paşa neighborhood, housed in a church built in 1844. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism restored the church; it opened as a museum in February 2013. The streets around the museum form a cohesive ensemble of neoclassical civic architecture and characteristic houses. Ayvalık is on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites under the name “Ayvalık Industrial Landscape.” Alibey Island and the surrounding area of Ayvalık were also designated a natural and historic conservation area in 1976 for their natural beauty and historic buildings.

On Alibey (Cunda), the Taksiyarhis Rahmi M. Koç Museum is housed in the historic Taksiyarhis Church. It opened in 2014 as Ayvalık’s first private museum. The single-nave, rectangular basilica has a dome and is designed in the neoclassical style; its walls are made of local Sarımsaktaşı stone. The collections bring together tin toys and steam-powered mechanical models, as well as baby carriages and timepieces. Visitors interested in everyday technical objects and their different forms will find a different focus here from the history of the churches in the town center.

Island Nature and Excursions

Ayvalık Islands Nature Park offers opportunities for hiking through woodland and scrubland, observing plants and animals, and landscape photography. There are no facilities in the park. Within the town, Cennet Tepesi is a viewpoint from which you can take in the Ayvalık landscape. Şeytan Sofrası is in Ayvalık district and forms part of the nature park. The 17-hectare area was designated a wetland of local importance on January 24, 2017, and is suitable for birdwatching and photography.

Activities on the water can also shape how you plan your days. Day trips by excursion boat to the Ayvalık Islands depart from Cumhuriyet Square in central Ayvalık and from Cunda between 10:00 and 11:00; the return trip is between approximately 18:00 and 19:00. A fish typical of the region is served for lunch on these excursions. Cunda is connected to the mainland by two bridges. On Âşıklar Tepesi on Alibey (Cunda), the Sevim and Necdet Kent Library also offers panoramic views of both sides of the island. Diving is considered a year-round activity in the Ayvalık area; underwater, you can see red corals and sea snails, among other things.

Regional Cuisine and Choosing Your Focus

Ayvalık district’s cuisine includes Ayvalık toast, lor dessert and papalina fish. Meze and olive-oil dishes are important parts of the regional cuisine because of the area’s coastal location. This variety adds culinary discoveries to the cultural and nature experiences of a trip. When choosing a holiday apartment, your interests in the town’s culture, nature experiences or excursions to the islands can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

More destinations in the directory: Belkıs Village, Hıdırköy Village, Hürriyet Neighborhood, Pamukçu, Susurluk, Sındırgı, Pelitköy, Akçay.

For the broader travel overview: Balikesir.