Street by street,
story by story.

The growth of industry in the 19th century is still visible along Ayvalık’s waterfront. Olive oil mills, soap factories, warehouses and jetties formed a single production chain. Olives from nearby groves were processed in town and shipped to other shores.

The town’s heritage extends beyond any single building. The connections between factory, street and waterfront tell the story of how Ayvalık grew.

Which street might the trail of an old chimney lead us to?

The 1923 population exchange profoundly changed Ayvalık’s social life. The experiences of people who settled here from Lesbos and Crete became part of the town’s history in the Republican period.

To understand this past, we need personal accounts as well as dates. Asking where a family photograph was taken or which journey brought an object here connects the town’s history to people’s lives.

Which family story would you like to pass on to the next generation?

Literature, painting and crafts have a long history in Ayvalık. Writers born here, such as Fotis Kontoglou and İlias Venezis, and visiting painters such as Fikret Muallâ and Orhan Peker recall different periods in that cultural life.

Exploring an artist’s connection to the town offers a fresh view of everyday life. The site of an old workshop, the subject of a painting or a street mentioned in a book can begin a new line of research.

Where does the Ayvalık in a painting meet the town we see today?