Ayvalık: Where the Quince Gave its Name and the Olive’s Immense Wealth Defined It

Ayvalık, an idyllic corner on Turkey’s Aegean coast, is much more than a simple beach destination. It’s a tapestry of history, culture, and nature, where every stone of its houses and every leaf of its olive trees tells a story. With a past that traces back to ancient Greece and a vibrant present as the capital of olive oil, Ayvalık is a place of fascinating contrasts.

The Quince: A Symbol of Love, Fertility, and an Unforgettable Name

The story of Ayvalık has been linked, since its origins, to a fruit that is now notably absent from the local landscape: the quince. In antiquity, the city was known as Kydonies (Κυδωνίες), a name that translates directly to “place of quinces” or “garden of quinces.” This fruit, more than a simple crop, held deep cultural symbolism.

The quince, native to the Caucasus region and Southwest Asia (which includes modern-day Turkey), has been cultivated for millennia. For the ancient Greeks, the quince was a symbol of love, happiness, and fertility, often associated with the goddess Aphrodite. Its aroma and sweetness were believed to be aphrodisiacs, and it was a tradition for brides to eat quince before their wedding so their breath would be sweet when kissing their husbands. In some myths, it has even been suggested that the famous “forbidden fruit” of the Garden of Eden could have been a quince rather than an apple.

When the region was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire, the name was Turkified to Ayvalık, a word that also relates to the wild quince (ayva in Turkish). Thus, the city’s name served as a constant reminder of its botanical heritage and its connection to a fruit that was prized throughout Anatolia.

The Olive’s Dominance and the Quince’s Decline

Despite the historical and symbolic importance of the quince, Ayvalık’s agricultural destiny changed dramatically over time. The reason was adaptation and economics. The Mediterranean climate and the region’s soil proved to be exceptionally well-suited for olive cultivation, which became a much more lucrative source of prosperity.

The olive, a resilient and long-lived tree, adapts perfectly to the hot summers and mild winters of the Aegean. Since the Ottoman period, the production of olive oil, soap, and other derived products became the dominant economic activity.

This boom completely eclipsed other crops, and the vast olive groves that now cover Ayvalık’s hills gradually replaced the “gardens of quinces” of yesteryear. Although the city’s name remains an echo of that past, the quince has ceded its reign to the olive, which is now the true king of the region.

A Greek Past, a Turkish Present: A Fusion of Cultures

Ayvalık, formerly known as Kydonies, was populated for centuries by a prosperous Greek community. Its stone houses, narrow cobblestone streets, and churches, built with a yellowish local stone, are a testament to that legacy.

However, the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923, as part of the Treaty of Lausanne, completely reconfigured the city’s demographics. Most of Ayvalık’s Greek inhabitants moved to Greece, while Turks from Crete, Macedonia, and Lesbos settled in their homes.

Despite the change, the cultural heritage has remained alive. Today, many former churches, such as the Saatli Mosque—originally the Church of St. John—have been adapted for Muslim worship, merging architectural styles and historical narratives.

Charming Facts and Curiosities

Ayvalık is full of surprises that delight its visitors.

· Olive Oil Capital: With over 2.5 million olive trees, some of them centuries old, Ayvalık is the heart of olive oil production in Turkey.

· Devil’s Table (Şeytan Sofrası): This famous viewpoint offers a spectacular view of Ayvalık and its islands. Legend has it that it is the spot where the devil, cast out of heaven, left his footprint.

· Connection to Cunda Island: Ayvalık and Cunda Island (Alibey Adası) are connected by the first bridge to link an island to the mainland in Turkey, built in 1964.

· Unique Architecture: The stone houses of Ayvalık, built with the distinctive “sarımsak” (garlic) stone, create a charming and unique urban landscape.

Ayvalık is a city that honors its past while looking to the future. It is a place where the aroma of olive oil permeates the air, and the stories of its people, both ancient and modern, can be felt in every corner. It is, in essence, a story of transformation: that of a city whose name was given by the quince, but whose soul was conquered by the olive.