Ayvalik

Ayvalik first appears in Ottoman records at the late date of 1770, when an Ottoman naval hero, Gazi Hasan Pasa, was aided by the local Greek community after his ship sank nearby. Soon after, the town was granted autonomy, perhaps as a gesture of gratitude, and the Muslim population was moved to outlying villages, leaving the Greeks to prosper in the olive oil trade. At the close of World War I, the Greeks invaded Turkey and claimed the Aegean coast; in 1922 the Turks ousted the Greek army, and the entire Greek community of Ayvalik was deported. Today the town is mostly Turks, and other than tourism, the main source of income is olive farming and olive oil production.

The old Greek quarter of the town has been neglected for decades, though in the last few years policies of protection and restoration have begun to be enforced. Ayvalik has some of the finest 19th-century Greek-style architecture in Turkey. Unlike the typical Ottoman house (tall, narrow, and built of wood, with an overhanging bay window), Greek buildings are stone, with classic triangular pediments above a square box. The best way to explore is to turn your back to the Aegean and wander the tiny side streets leading up the hill into the heart of the old residential quarter (try Talat Pasa Caddesi and Gümrük Caddesi). Several historic churches in town have been converted into mosques. St. John's is now the Saatli Cami (Clock Mosque). St. George's is now the Çinarli Cami (Plane Tree Mosque). There are many mosques converted from churches in Turkey, but these are among the most striking—the elaborate style of Orthodox churches does not suit the plain minimalist style of mosques, and the unimpressive minaret erected later at the Çinarli mosque looks almost absurd. The pictures of the saints inside are painted over but can still be seen if you look carefully. The Taxiarchis Church, currently closed with no set reopening date, is a museum, with a remarkable series of paintings done on fish skin depicting the life of Christ. Barbaros Caddesi on the south end of the pier will take you to Phaneromeni Church (Ayazma Klisesi), displaying beautiful stone craftwork, and to Hayrettin Pasa Cami, also converted from a church.

In summer, Sarimsakli Plaji, the 10-km (6-mi) stretch of sandy beach, 7 km (4½ mi) from the center of town, is popular. It's a crowded resort with a mess of concrete hotels right behind the sea front, and traffic and parking can be a problem, but the beach and sea are lovely.

Day or evening cruises to the bays and islands of Ayvalik are enjoyable. The numerous boats in the harbor with desks in front of them will try and sell you a trip as you walk by, and competition makes prices very reasonable—about 13 TL for a day trip including a fish meal. The tours are offered from May until the end of October.

Seytan Sofrasi, a hilltop 9 km (5½ mi) from town, on a right turn on the road from Ayvalik to Sarimsakli, is the place to get a panoramic view of the islands and the bays. It's lovely at sunset, though there's nothing to see on the hilltop itself since a fire in 2006 burned down all the trees and the café closed.