Ayvalik

Ayvalik is a town on the Aegean coast of Turkey with a visible mixture of Turkish-Greek heritage. It faces the island of Lesvos and a stone-throw away from several significant historical sites. Assos and Troy, Pergamon, and Mount Ida are mostly easy drives from Ayvalik. The road to Assos used to be, and it may still be, extremely narrow, with sharp curves, on a very steep side of the mountain.Near Ayvalik are many small islands, inlets, peninsulas, giving the shoreline a dynamic interest. On the land side are modest mountains on which Pinus Pinea, or Umbrella Pine provides the economic engine. Pine nuts obtained from these pine trees support several small towns like Kozak and Kinik.

On Thursdays a big market supported by many area villages provide a rich variety of items to the locals. Markets are very colorful places not only with the wares they offer but also by the people who tend to the stands. The buyers, interacting with the merchandise add another layer of interest to these dynamic gatherings once a week.

In the surrounding area are many olive orchards which produce one of the main product of Ayvalik, olive oil. Visits to these orchards present great photographic opportunities with “ancient” olive trees. Finding trees several centuries old is relatively easy, yet with a little search one can find trees estimated to be 800 plus years old. You will see one such tree in this gallery.

The photographs in this gallery, in their totality, should give a sense of place to the viewer.

The Texture of the Town