town
In Ayvalık, weddings, holidays and seasonal festivals continue the heritage of Balıkesir. Crafts, dress and folk dance vary by neighborhood.
Courtyards, coffeehouses and markets are social hubs. Younger generations discover music and crafts through cultural centers and festivals.
Mountain
1Plain
1River
1Ayvalık developed as settlement, trade route and farmland in the historical geography of Balıkesir. Mounds and stone houses may bear traces of earlier periods.
Republic-era centralization of services shaped modern Ayvalık. Local archives and oral history illuminate this process.