Ayvalık’s old town is a joy to explore. A maze of cobbled streets east of the liman, it is full of market squares, atmospheric cafes, Greek Orthodox churches and pretty stone houses built by Greek residents during the Ottoman era. Be sure to wander along Barbaros Caddesi, home to historic businesses such as the Karamanlar Unlu Mamülleri bakery, and also visit the atmosphere-drenched Şeytan Kahvesı, aka 'the Devil’s Coffeehouse', on Alibey Cami Caddesi.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.25 MILES
One of Turkey's most impressive archaeological sites, Bergama's acropolis is dramatically sited on a hill to the northeast of the town centre. There's…
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17.84 MILES
Extraordinary. It's worth coming to Lesvos for this alone – the Teriade Museum and its astonishing collection of paintings by artists including Picasso,…
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28.78 MILES
The Asklepion may not be as dramatic as the Acropolis, but in some ways it is even more extraordinary. One of the most important healing centres of the…
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29.37 MILES
Boasting a small but impressive collection of artefacts, Bergama's museum is well worth a visit. On exhibit are reliefs from the Acropolis, including a…
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18.21 MILES
Located on the coastal slope of Mt Ida, the Greek city of Antandros was established in the 7th century BC and was famous for its dockyards and harbours…
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22.59 MILES
Built in 540 BC on top of a 238m-high hill overlooking the Gulf of Edremit, this temple with its squat Doric columns has undergone a reconstruction that…
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Church of the Panagia Vrefokratousa
23.67 MILES
A pilgrimage site of national importance, this elegant walled-off church contains a namesake icon depicting the Virgin, which is believed to make miracles…
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17.9 MILES
On the same site as the Teriade Museum, this humble structure contains 86 paintings by the primitive painter Theophilos, who remains a folk hero among…
Nearby Ayvalık attractions
0.05 MILES
Broken brick chimneys like this one are scattered throughout the old Greek quarter, all that remains of the olive-oil factories that have now relocated to…
0.08 MILES
On Thursdays, a 'village market' is held in this square next to the main pazar yeri (marketplace), which is also filled with market stalls.
0.09 MILES
The tapering brick chimneys that are scattered throughout the old Greek quarter are remnants of the olive-oil factories that once operated here. These…
0.11 MILES
Built in 1790 as the Greek Orthodox church of Ayios Yorgis and converted to a mosque in 1923, this lovely building has three naves and three apses and…
0.13 MILES
Originally built as the Ayios Yannis Kilise, this imposing stone building with its ugly freestanding minaret was converted into the Saatli Cami in 1923.
0.13 MILES
As is the case in almost every town in this region, there is a statue of the great man in the main square.
8. Taksiyarhis Memorial Museum
0.19 MILES
This erstwhile Greek Orthodox cathedral, built in 1844 but never used as a place of worship, was completely renovated in 2013 and positively shimmers in…