Photographs and articles by A. Cemal Ekin
Although this time we stayed in Ayvalik for only four days, we managed to do and see quite a bit. Ayvalik is colorful and charming that invites exploration. We also met new people and saw new places. In this final post of the ongoing travelog, I will try to give you a feel for the …
Ma’Adra Unites a Mythological Couple When we visited the olive grove for the second time in the morning, we went to Ma’Adra Vineyards on the hills of Madra mountains for lunch. The road was winding and rough, the weather a bit foggy, but traveling as a two-car convoy we made it to the vineyards high …
A couple of years ago, Binnaz and Ergun purchased an olive grove as a future revenue source for the ASKEV foundation. The grove has about 1,000 olive trees, mostly old with a few newer ones. Since the purchase, they have done additional work to make the grove conform to high-quality agriculture standards with automated irrigation …
After the first two weeks in Turkey and seeing the family and friends, Elif and Mina arrived at the beginning of our third week. We spent the first night in Istanbul and the next day Mustafa drove us to Ayvalik as the girls wanted. The new roads and the bridge crossing the Izmit Bay cut …
Disappointing! One word. Although I strongly favor keeping the old architecture alive, restoration, repurposing, and keeping the texture of cities and towns to the extent possible, the old church disappoints. I see preservation in Rhode Island where I live, and in nearby states. In fact, I saw 100-year-old photographs of New York compared to photographs …
Mina is now 1o years old, time flew by, and she has become a graceful girl. This year, many things came together and we were able to celebrate first Ergun’s, then Jan’s, and finally Mina’s birthdays in Turkey with family and friends. A couple of days after Elif and Mina arrived in Istanbul, we were …
(Read an English version of this post) 2012 yฤฑlฤฑnda Ayvalฤฑk’ta ziyaret ettiฤim kรผรงรผk sabun atรถlyesi hakkฤฑndaki bu gรถnderi, uzun sรผredir ilgilenmemi bekliyordu. Araya tรผrlรผ engeller girdiฤinden, gerรงekten ilginรง olan bu deneyimimi sizlerle paylaลma fฤฑrsatฤฑnฤฑ bulamamฤฑลtฤฑm. O gรผnleri aklฤฑmdan geรงirdiฤimde, iki farklฤฑ ziyaretimi dรผn gibi capcanlฤฑ hatฤฑrlฤฑyor ve keyifleniyorum. (Bu atรถlyenin Web sitesi olmadฤฑฤฤฑ iรงin benzeri …
(Bu yazฤฑyฤฑ Tรผrkรงe oku) Soapmaking and soapmakers are part of a dying craft. This long-overdue post will introduce a small soapmaking workshop in Ayvalฤฑk that I visited back in 2012 and a family of soapmakers. Many things interfered, and I have not had a chance to share this interesting experience. Looking back, I remembered the …
Ayvalik Meant Olive Oil I have always associated olive oil with the Aegean town of Ayvalik. When I was a child, my mother would buy some brand of Ayvalik olive oil, but Kirlangic has been the dominant olive oil brand name etched in my mind. Although I had a rough idea about what olive trees …
The old building on the island of Cunda, overlooking the Aegean Sea, at the end of the restaurant strip has intrigued me for years. I thought it could have been an old hotel manifesting local architectural styles and construction techniques. It has been in disrepair for as long as I remember, slowly decaying as if …
Hasanaki The Shepherd I had heard about a man who lived alone in one of the remote villages on the island of Cunda. Hasanaki was his name, and I had even seen a couple of photographs of him taken in Ayvalik. One day Suleyman, the trusty driver in Ayvalik, drove us to his village, more …
In Ayvalik, there are many, maybe too many, old buildings mostly left to decay and fall. I tried to visit several of these as individual photography assignments, without fully understanding the real reason for their appeal to me. Their condition of neglect, or what they once were drew me to them. It may even be …
Invited For Morning Coffee Yesterday morning we were invited for morning coffee at Aysel’s house. They live in an old house near รamlฤฑk. The house is set back quite a bit from the road, and the front entry has two rows of tall palm trees. In the old days, there used to be a walkway …
Visiting Ayvalik Ayvalฤฑk is a must-go destination when we visit Turkey. This time we started the Ayvalฤฑk trip on April 26, 2012. We went to Pendik to take the ferry to Yalova, where Suleyman the driver would meet us and drive the car to Ayvalฤฑk. The ferry was a newer generation than the ones I …
This is a special post to wish Ergun and Jan happy birthday, their birthdays are one day apart. When I took these photographs of Hagia Triada, Ergun or Jan, or both were with me. Happy birthday Ergun, happy birthday Jan. We have been visiting Ayvalฤฑk, a nice small town on the Aegean coast of Turkey, …
A stroll through the narrow streets in Ayvalik will make one aware of the relation the people have with two things: flowers and cats. Now, I don’t mean to give the impression that you will find lush gardens, meticulously manicured in every respect. I know of one such garden in Ayvalik, it is the garden …
On June 21, only one day before leaving Ayvalik, we learned about a wonderful cultural exchange between Ayvalik and Lesvos (ฮฮญฯฮฒฮฟฯ.) We found out that it first started last year at Lesvos, alternating the festivities between there and Ayvalik. Ayvalik and Lesvos Have Similarities The part we saw was a folk dance performance, and both …
Deniz Kestanesi on Water Yes, we went there again; Deniz Kestanesi is a very enjoyable place. Tonight was the broadcast of the visit of Vedat Milor whom we saw about a month ago recording his review there. All in all, it was a good review but I could not understand why he praised everything served …
Yesterday afternoon we stayed home, tended to some computer installation issues, rested. Later in the afternoon, we strolled to “Deniz Kestanesi” (Sea Urchin) in town for dinner. The hollyhocks on the street where we live are probably 12′ tall; I kid you not! I took a few photographs along the way, including a young boy …
The Melin House has become a landmark my sister and brother-in-law created in Ayvalik; at least in my humble opinion. From The Old House to The Melin House The old building was in total shamble and the garden was in disarray. With a great deal of attention to detail and care, they not only restored …
Markets are a colorful part of life in Turkey. They operate in every city, every town, and one can find everything at one of these markets; from clothing to cutlery, from food to fashion are displayed and sold. Speaking of fashion, check out the message on the belt: Love Kills Slowly! Thursday Market Is Big …
Games at Home Imagination is more important than knowledge,” said Einstein. I saw this in action as I watched Mina play imaginary games. The first one started at home as “Mina’s Hair Salon” where she had her hair dyed (pink,) cut, washed, and blow-dried all in the living room. She also did the same to …
I arrived in Istanbul on May 19, a national holiday for “Youth and Sports.” Very fitting for my arrival, I thought! Elif and Mina were here already. The next day they came for a visit, Tolga and Serap with them. On The Way to Ayvalik On May 22, we got into two cars and drove …
