Ayvalık (Greek: Αϊβαλί Aivali, Greek: Κυδωνίες Kydonies) is a district of Balikesir Province in Turkey. Located in the westernmost part of Balıkesir, on the Aegean Sea coast, the district is one of Turkey's most important tourism centers. Although Ayvalık has a large town population during the winter seasons, it experiences a periodic population increase in the summer seasons with the effect of tourism. Having hosted various civilizations in history, Ayvalık has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2017.

Ayvalık was known as Kidonia (Ancient Greek: Κυδωνίαι), which means a kind of wild quince in Antiquity. It is thought that the first settlers in the area may have come from the village of Kydona in Lesvos or from the Kydonies region of Crete. Some opinions about the name are that Ayvalık is a corrupted form of Aioliki (Eolya).[6] The name Kydonie, which means Ayvalık, has been going on since 330 BC. The name of the city was mentioned as "آيوالق" in Ottoman Turkish.

In ancient times, the Ayvalık Islands were called Hekatonisa. This name came from Nesos, the largest of the islands, Nesos (Moshonisi, Cunda or Alibey Island), which is said by the same name, or Apollon, also known as Hekatos, the chief god of the ancient city of Nasos. Apart from Nesos, there were ancient settlements of Chalkis, Pordoselene and Kydonia on the Apollon Islands. Although the ancient sources mention Chalkis, Pordoselene and Nasos a lot, it was Plinius who wrote about Kydonia that it had a famous hot spring that flows only in summer. Of these four ancient cities, Chalkis and Pordoselene disappeared; however, Kydonia and Nesos survived as Ayvalık and Cunda (Alibey) respectively.

Although there is no serious archaeological work in the area, which is thought to be ancient Kydonia, there are still abundant sherds from the ancient period. Preliminary studies on these pieces indicate that there were settlements belonging to the Hellenistic (330-30 BC) and Roman (30 BC-395 AD) periods. Based on Eastern Roman data, it is thought that the city, which is thought to have lived its heyday in the Roman period, slowly lost its importance during the Byzantine period, and the settlement shifted to the skirts of İlkkurşun Hill in Ayvalık. The development of the city in later ages has been centered on this region.

Misya, Hittites, Phrygians, Lydia in antiquity, Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, and Ottoman Empire since the 14th century. As a result of the participation of the Greek people living in the city, which had its heyday at the beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries, to the Greek uprising in 1821, a large part of the district was evacuated, and although they were allowed to return later, the city could not regain its former vitality. Although there are not many remains from ancient times today, pottery and pottery fragments from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome can be seen from time to time. In addition to many historical buildings, there are houses and churches from the Greeks in Ayvalık.

Dalaman Airport Ayvalik Transfer

Antalya Airport Ayvalik Transfer

Bodrum Airport Ayvalik Transfer

Izmir Airport Ayvalik Transfer