10 · City guide
Balıkesir
City of two seas, olives and the Kuva-yi Milliye
In southwestern Balıkesir, Ayvalık, Burhaniye, Edremit and Altınoluk line the Gulf of Edremit; Kazdağı National Park on the southern slope of Kaz Dağları (Mount Ida), Hasanboğuldu and Sarıkız Tepesi form the backyard of this coast where mountain meets sea. To the north, on the Marmara coast, lie Erdek, Bandırma and the Kapıdağ Peninsula; ancient Kyzikos and Daskyleion, a Persian satrapal seat, can be visited here, while Kuşcenneti National Park is a favorite of birdwatchers. The islands of Marmara, Avşa, Ekinlik and Paşalimanı, reached by sea, offer quiet island life. In the city center, Zağanos Paşa Mosque, the Clock Tower and the Kuva-yi Milliye Museum recall the first resistance decisions of the National Struggle. Inland, the hot springs of Gönen, Sındırgı and Balya, the forests of the Alaçam Mountains and Yağcıbedir carpets show the province's rural side.
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Places
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Where shall we explore?
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.Ancient city
Adramytteion Ancient City
Burhaniye, Balıkesir
Remains of the ancient port city in Ören that gave its name to Edremit and overlooks the Gulf of Edremit.
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Akçay
Edremit, Balıkesir
A seaside town at the foot of Kaz Dağı, known for its long promenade and a sea kept cool by cold spring water.
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Yayla (highland pasture)
Alaçam Mountains and Plateaus
Dursunbey, Balıkesir
A mountainous area south of Dursunbey, popular for camping and hiking, with dense pine forests and cool yaylas (highland pastures).
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Altınoluk
Edremit, Balıkesir
A seaside town, formerly called Papazlık, on the coast where the Kaz Mountains come closest to the sea.
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Antandros Ancient City
Edremit, Balıkesir
A city of the Troad near Altınoluk, notable for its Roman terrace villa with wall paintings and mosaics.
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Avşa (Türkeli) Island
Marmara, Balıkesir
The best-known summer island of the Marmara, with its sandy beaches and vineyards.
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Ayışığı Monastery
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
The remains of an abandoned Greek monastery in the north of Cunda, above Patriça cove.
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Museum
Ayşe Sıdıka Erke Ethnography Museum
Edremit, Balıkesir
A museum in a traditional house in Edremit displaying 18th–19th-century Edremit domestic life and a Kuva-yi Milliye room.
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Ayvalık Islands Nature Park
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
A protected area covering 19 islands off Ayvalık and the surrounding sea, known for boat tours and rich underwater life.
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Ayvalık Historic Town Center
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
A historic center that preserves the fabric of a 19th-century Aegean port town with its stone houses, old churches and narrow streets.
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Ayvalık Olive Oil
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
Olive oil made from the Ayvalık olive variety, protected by a geographical indication for its fruity aroma.
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Badavut Beach
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
A quieter, sandy beach with natural surroundings, west of Sarımsaklı.
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Balıkesir Höşmerim
Karesi, Balıkesir
A geographically indicated Balıkesir dessert cooked with unsalted fresh cheese, flour and sugar.
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Balıkesir Kuva-yi Milliye Museum
Karesi, Balıkesir
A museum on the city's history and the region's archaeological finds, in the historic mansion where the decision for armed resistance was made during the National Struggle.
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Balıkesir Clock Tower
Altıeylül, Balıkesir
A five-story clock tower likened to the Galata Tower, built in 1827 and faithfully rebuilt in 1901.
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Balıkesir National Photography Museum
Karesi, Balıkesir
Türkiye's first photography museum, opened in 2006, with historic cameras, a darkroom and a photography library.
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Hot spring
Balya Ilıca Hot Springs
Balya, Balıkesir
Healing springs in Ilıca village in Balya, bearing traces of Roman-period structures.
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Bandırma Archaeology Museum
Bandırma, Balıkesir
A museum displaying artifacts from the ancient cities of the southern Marmara, above all Kyzikos and Daskyleion.
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Castle
Bigadiç Castle (Akhyraous)
Bigadiç, Balıkesir
The ruined outer walls of a castle known as Akhyraous in the Byzantine period, on the hill east of Bigadiç.
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Burhaniye Kuva-yi Milliye Culture Museum
Burhaniye, Balıkesir
A museum displaying finds from Adramytteion in an 18th-century building used as a headquarters during the War of Independence.
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Mosque
Çınarlı Mosque (Agios Georgios)
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
The Church of Agios Georgios, built in 1880 by Ayvalık architect Emmanuel Kounas; named for the centuries-old plane trees around it.
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Cunda (Alibey) Island
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
The only large inhabited island of the group, linked to Ayvalık by a bridge, with stone houses, windmill hill and coves.
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Cunda Taksiyarhis Church (Rahmi M. Koç Museum)
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
A monumental building constructed in 1873 as the island's metropolitan church and opened as a museum in 2014 after restoration.
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Daskyleion Ancient City
Bandırma, Balıkesir
The seat of the Persian Empire's satrapy of Hellespontine Phrygia, on a mound by Kuş Gölü (Lake Kuş) in Ergili.
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Edincik Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque)
Bandırma, Balıkesir
A beylik-period mosque in Edincik, built in 1382 according to its inscription, with painted decoration and a historic graveyard.
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Geographical indication product
Gulf of Edremit Olive Oil and Green Çizik Olives
Edremit, Balıkesir
Geographically indicated olive oil and scored (çizik) olives from the groves on the southern slopes of Kaz Dağı.
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Island
Ekinlik Island
Marmara, Balıkesir
A quiet small island northwest of Avşa, home to about a hundred people who live from fishing.
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Geographical indication product
Gönen Needle Lace (İğne Oyası)
Gönen, Balıkesir
Traditional, geographically indicated lace with flower motifs, made with fine needlework.
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Gönen Hot Springs
Gönen, Balıkesir
Hot springs in the town center, in use since the Roman period.
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Güre and Güre Hot Springs
Edremit, Balıkesir
A coastal neighborhood at the foot of Kaz Dağı, known for its thermal waters and host to the Sarıkız festival every August.
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Güvercin Bridge (Aesepus Bridge)
Gönen, Balıkesir
The remains of a late Roman bridge over the Gönen Çayı, known for the relieving openings in its piers.
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Hasanboğuldu
Edremit, Balıkesir
A waterfall and ice-cold pool formed by a stream descending from Kaz Dağı near Zeytinli; associated with the legend of Hasan and Emine.
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Hot spring
Hisaralan Hot Springs
Sındırgı, Balıkesir
Village hot springs east of Sındırgı, known for springs that emerge at high temperature.
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Geographical indication product
İvrindi Kelle Cheese
İvrindi, Balıkesir
İvrindi cheese with a hard rind and porous texture, registered as a designation of origin in 2022.
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Geographical indication product
Kapıdağ Purple Onion
Erdek, Balıkesir
A sweetish, juicy, geographically indicated purple onion grown on the Kapıdağ Peninsula.
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Kapıdağ Peninsula
Erdek, Balıkesir
A forested peninsula, once an island, joined to the mainland by a sand isthmus; with coves and village roads.
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Karesi Bey Tomb
Karesi, Balıkesir
The tomb where Karesi Bey, founder of the Karesioğulları Beylik, and his five sons are buried.
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Kazdağı National Park (Pınarbaşı)
Edremit, Balıkesir
A national park home to the endemic Kazdağı fir and dozens of endemic plants, visited via the Pınarbaşı and Hasanboğuldu entrances.
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Kirazlı Monastery
Erdek, Balıkesir
The standing walls of a 19th-century Greek monastery complex on the wooded slope of Kapıdağ.
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Ancient city
Kisthene Ancient City (Kızçiftlik)
Gömeç, Balıkesir
The remains of Kisthene, an ancient Mysian coastal town known for its copper mines, on the Gömeç Plain opposite Lesbos (Midilli).
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Museum
Koca Seyit Onbaşı Museum
Havran, Balıkesir
A museum dedicated to the memory of Gallipoli hero Seyit Onbaşı in Kocaseyit (formerly Çamlık), the village where he was born; his grave is also in the village.
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Kuşcenneti National Park
Bandırma, Balıkesir
A bird sanctuary on the northeastern shore of Kuş Gölü, established in 1959 and holder of the European Diploma.
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Kyzikos Ancient City
Erdek, Balıkesir
A powerful port city of the Propontis on the isthmus of the Kapıdağ Peninsula, with its giant Temple of Hadrian and amphitheater.
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Hammam (Turkish bath)
Lazlar Hammam
Karesi, Balıkesir
A classic Turkish bath in Hisariçi, dated to the 18th century and still in use.
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Geographical indication product
Manyas Kelle Cheese
Manyas, Balıkesir
Traditional kelle cheese made from the milk of the Manyas plain, registered with a geographical indication.
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Marmara Island
Marmara, Balıkesir
The largest island in the Sea of Marmara, famous for the marble that gave its name to the sea and the region.
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Mıhlı Waterfall
Edremit, Balıkesir
A waterfall with two pools on the Mıhlı Çayı flowing down from Kaz Dağı, on the Çanakkale–Balıkesir border.
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Hot spring
Pamukçu Hot Springs
Altıeylül, Balıkesir
Hot springs in Pamukçu village, south of the city center.
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Paşalimanı Island
Erdek, Balıkesir
One of the quietest of the Marmara Islands, part of Erdek, with five small villages, olive groves and fishing harbors.
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Saatli Mosque (Ayios Ioannis)
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
Built around 1850 as the Church of Ayios Ioannis and converted into a mosque in 1928, known for the clock on its bell tower.
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History and archaeology
Saraylar Marble Quarries
Marmara, Balıkesir
The center of the Prokonnesian marble quarries worked since antiquity, with sarcophagus and column pieces displayed in the open.
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Sarıkız Tepesi (Kaz Dağı)
Edremit, Balıkesir
A hill on the summit ridge of Kaz Dağı, home to the shrine of the Sarıkız legend and overlooking the Gulf of Edremit.
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Sarımsaklı Beach
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
A fine-sand beach with a shallow entry, stretching for kilometers south of Ayvalık.
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Şeytan Sofrası
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
A viewing terrace on a volcanic hill above Sarımsaklı, offering a bird's-eye view of the Ayvalık islands and the sunset.
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Susurluk Ayran and Toast
Susurluk, Balıkesir
Geographically indicated ayran frothed in copper vessels, served with the famous toast.
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Museum
Tahtakuşlar Ethnography Gallery
Edremit, Balıkesir
A private museum on the culture of the Tahtacı Turkmens, founded in 1991 and known as 'Türkiye's first village museum'.
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Taksiyarhis Memorial Museum
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
The former Taksiyarhis Church in central Ayvalık, restored and opened as a museum in 2013.
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Museum
Terzizade Mansion Museum
Havran, Balıkesir
A roughly 200-year-old, three-story wooden mansion in Havran where Atatürk met Koca Seyit Onbaşı, restored and turned into a museum.
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Yağcıbedir Handwoven Carpet
Sındırgı, Balıkesir
Geographically indicated handwoven carpets of the Sındırgı Yörüks in deep red and navy tones.
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Yeşilli Mosque
Karesi, Balıkesir
A small, timber-roofed historic mosque in the Eski Kuyumcular neighborhood, repaired in 1786 according to its inscription.
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Yıldırım Mosque
Karesi, Balıkesir
A mosque in the city center dating to the reign of Yıldırım Bayezid, considered one of Balıkesir's oldest Ottoman mosques.
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Zağanos Paşa Mosque
Karesi, Balıkesir
The city's largest and most emblematic mosque, commissioned in 1461 by Zağanos Paşa, vizier of Mehmed the Conqueror.
Practical information
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.- Nature
- Forest fire risk is high in Kaz Dağları and the Alaçam Mountains in summer; lighting fires is prohibited
- Climate
- Mediterranean on the Gulf of Edremit, more humid and windy on the Marmara coast; cold winters inland
- Islands
- Marmara, Avşa and Paşalimanı islands are reached by sea from İstanbul, Tekirdağ and Erdek
- Best season
- May–June and September–October; June–September for the sea, October–December for the olive harvest
- Museum pass
- Müzekart (Museum Pass) is valid at the Kuva-yi Milliye Museum, the Taksiyarhis Monument Museum and the Bandırma Museum
- Getting there
- Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport is close to the Gulf of Edremit; the city center is on the İstanbul–İzmir motorway, and Bandırma has sea links to İstanbul and rail links to İzmir