LOCAL TRADITIONAL MARKETS 03 / the source of Olive  and olive oil

AYVALIK MARKET AND CUNDA ISLAND (THURSDAY)

There are markets that you can not help but stop by when you pass by.It tells you about the culture of the region ,human relations,in short everything.Especially if that markets is in a historical area,the things you can see add a completely different taste to your trip.

Markets ,which have been the meeting point of producers and consumers since the earliest periods of history,are an indispensable type of traditional shopping as well as an undeniable economic ,social and cultural significance.

You can contact the manufacturer of the products you buy in these markets and even get recipes from him;While wandering around the streets ,you have.Sometimes you listen to the story of the region from them

Aegean people are very lucky in this regard;Because local markets in the Aegean Offer a colorful World where many products can be found,from organic vegetables and fruits to thousands of local delicacies,from textile products of famous brands to handcrafted handicraft by housewives,and with its deep -rooted history,opening to different surprises at every step.

Here are the most important local markets of the Aegean that you should see…

THE SOURCE of OLIVE AND OLIVE OIL

You will discover today North of İzmir .You drive app 2 hours from İzmir and arrive to visit the Ayvalık traditional market,Cunda ısland and Taksiyarkis Church

The first place you will visit before entering Ayvalık is Devil’s Table.It is not to mention the Devil’s Table ,which should be seen by everyone who goes to Ayvalık.With its unique view ,Seytan Sofrası ,which overlooks Ayvalık,attracts everyone’s attention with its memorable story.According to the mythological story ,the devil ,who was expelled from Heaven,searches for a paradise on Earth,finds this place and leaves a footprint in the place he stepped on.People who come to see the footprint of the devil do not neglect to make their wishes.

Then you are in the capital of olive and olive oil,this time in Ayvalık.You are in a market place that takes your breath away with the scent of thyme,puts signature to the most delicious stuffed with pumpkin flower,and is asked about a healty life with herbs.

The famous Thursday market,established since the 1970s.In the market ,which is spread over an area of four thousand square meters,approximately 400 tradesmen set up their chirping stalls from the early hours of the morning on the lovely streets of Ayvalık.

The Thursday market spreads to 3 main and 8-10 streets perpendicular to the sea,behind the main market in Ayvalık center. This market is so famous that there are even guests from the Greek islands .For this reason,the marketers here even learned Greek. The fruits and vegetables produced by the people in their own garden in their fields are consumed in the early hours of the day untill noon You go to this market for olive oil sold in pet bottles,pumpkin flowers and stuffed Ayvalık. After Ayvalık market drive to Cunda ısland , also called Alibey Island, (Turkish: Cunda Adası,Alibey Adası), Greek Moschonisi is the largest of the Ayvalık Islands archipelago in Turkey, which was historically called the Hekatonisa or Moschonisia archipelago in Greek. It lies in the Edremit Gulf on the Turkey's northwestern coast, off the coast of Ayvalık in Balıkesir Province, Turkey, with an area of 23 square kilometres (9 sq mi). It is located 16 kilometres (10 miles) east of Lesbos, Greece.

Before you visit Cunda ısland ,will have Lunch in Cunda .

Then you will visit Taksiyarhis Church.The church was built by the Alibey(Cunda) Island Greek Orthodox (Moschonese) community on its old foundations as the Metropolitan Church.At the time of its construction ,the majority of Cunda Island was Greek and the Greek population was around 8.000-10.000.the church is attributed to ‘’Taksiyarhis’’,the Guardian Archangels Gabriel and Mikhail.It still constitutes the most important monument of Cunda Island.

In 1927-1928 ,the church building was converted into a mosque without a minaret .In the following periods ,it stood abandoned for a while,then it was registered as an’’immovable cultural property to be protected and preserved for a long time by temporary measures.In 2011,the church building allocated to the Rahmi M.Koç Museum and Culture Foundation was restored and took its current form.

The bell inside was removed during the World War II and used to inform the public.It was later revealed that this bell was the largest bell in the World.this bell is now exhibited in the Bergama Museum in Berlin,the capital of Germany.

You can see the church of Agios Yannis .The church ,which is one of the most striking buildings with the windmill,on the top of the ısland center was restored and started to serve as Sevim and Necdet Kent Library.

You can drink some thing in historical place ‘’Taş Kahve’’

Another historical texture that you should not leave without seeing during your visit to Ayvalık is the historical mills.There are 3 mills in cunda Island.While one of the mills is used as a restaurant by a private enterprise,another mill is not open to use.The third mill ,along with the Agios Yannis Church,eas bought and restored by Rahmi Koç.

You will drive to İzmir to your Hotel in İzmir .

DURATION : 8 HOURS

THE GUIDE MAY CHANGE THE ROUTE FOR THE VENUES

THE CAPACITY OF THE TOUR MAXIMUM 12 PAX