The Ayvalik Bazaar and its significance to the local Economy
Having grown up on the island of Lesvos, Greece I had heard countless stories about the famous bazaar at Ayvalik, in nearby Turkey. Many of my friends and family used to pay daily visits to Ayvalik to do their shopping, as it is just a one -and-a-half hour boat ride away from the port of Mytilene, the capital of Lesvos. These days, the ability for Greeks to travel to Ayvalik to do their shopping, exchanging Euros into cheaper Turkish currency, the Lira is more important than ever, because of the ongoing economic austerity in my country.
Therefore, in the summer of 2015, I decided to make the journey for myself, to understand the importance of Ayvalik to the lives of my fellow citizens on Lesvos, and to find out how this economic cross-border interaction between Greeks and Turks can so easily occur, given the long history of military and diplomatic tension between the two countries. What I found surprised me, and made me stop to reconsider the nature of the relationship between our two nations, both in the past, and today.
Ayvalik is a seaside town located in the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey. The town centre is surrounded by an archipelago of Islands which face the nearby Greek island of Lesvos. Today, the population of Ayvalik is close to 30.000, which significantly increases during the summer due to tourism. Ayvalik and its environs are famous for the highly appreciated quality of olive oil production, which provides an important source of income for the local population. It is also famous for it’s seafood restaurants which are located immediately at the seashore and, of course, it’s Bazaar which takes place on Thursdays.
A Brief History
The Ayvalik bazaar is just one of many such traditional markets dotted up and down the Turkish side of the Aegean coast, and is an example of the historical trade network that has crossed the Mediterranean since ancient times. Originating in Ancient Persia as early as 3,000 BC, bazaars originally developed along caravan routes in order to afford these traders some kind of protection, as they were built in proximity to mosques and palaces, which would have had a military garrison nearby.
I visited on a Thursday, it was swarming with people of all ages, women, children even grandparents. After all every item is a bargain. The plethora of products, the variety of clothing, the endless stalls, the counterfeit polo shirts all were essential to the essence of the Ayvalik bazaar. I remember vividly friends, family, friends of friends before visiting always asked us if we wanted anything so they could bring back to us, just like going to the local supermarket. After all Greeks are known to “hop” over to Turkey just to by a few goods in a third of the price.
The bazaar in Ayvalik is known to stimulate the economy especially during the summer season.
The bazaar starts early in the morning and lasts until the afternoon. It is said that in the traditional bazaars a prospective client could sit in front of the dealer, talk with him and drink a tea or a coffee, in a relaxed way to negotiate.
At the Ayvalik bazaar, merchants and clients were drinking tea regardless.
You can find anything from clothes, accessories, household items, rugs, groceries and even counterfeit watches.
What struck me was that many merchants labelled their products with prices in Euros even though the Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira. Thus realising how significant the European (economic) influx really is. Most merchants also accepted Euros as direct payment. Credit cards were out of the question.
Today the Ayvalik bazaar remains an essential part of the economy of the town, just as it did in the era of Persian kings. According to an interview with the President of Ayvalik Chamber of Commerce:
87,000 Greek tourists came to the Turkish province for day-long trips in 2015 while adding that numbers plummeted to 64,000 last year due to economic troubles in Greece. This year, however, an estimated 100,000 Greek tourists are expected to visit Ayvalik for daily shopping.
Meanwhile, Ayvalik Chamber of Merchants and Craftsmen President Melih Çakırca said:
The busiest day for shoppers coming from the island of Lesvos is Thursdays, when they typically purchase goods such as clothing, cosmetics, accessories and food. The high value of the euro in Turkey coupled with the economic crisis in Greece are the two main reasons behind this great influx of one-day tourists. Some 1,000 to 1,500 Greeks come to Ayvalik from Lesvos, especially on Thursdays. Even if they only buy a bottle of water and some snacks, they have contributed to the province’s economy.”
Çakırca claimed that the volume of tourists literally works as the lifeblood for the city considering the economic stagnation that Ayvalik experiences in the winter months.
Truth of the matter is that the local economy of Ayvalik is largely stimulated by Greek tourists and the numbers will continue to grow, but lets not forget that it goes both ways. Many Turkish tourists visit the island of Lesvos and enhance the local economy which has suffered a great deal in the past years. It is only natural that when two different countries are so close to each other they will interact.
Visiting Turkey for the first time and knowing the history between our two countries I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between our two cultures. Never for a moment did I feel out of place, or vulnerable it felt just like home, seeing people with giant smiles on their faces willing to help you, elder people playing Tawula at coffee shops, the excess of noise, smells and visuals. Our cuisine is similar in many ways and we even share the same coffee (even though they call it Turkish and we call it Greek it’s basically the same product).
To sum up my visit, I would describe it as vivid, vibrant, loud, spicy and an overall intense day at the bazaar and in Ayvalik in general. In fact the day I returned home I had a headache due to excess of stimuli. Although during my next visit I will try to restrain myself and stay at the bazaar for a limited amount of time and later relax at a local coffee house drinking çay by the sea.
