5 places to visit in the Erdek district of Balıkesir: Kapıdağ Peninsula, Kyzikos Ancient City and Erdek Beach. Plan your trip to Erdek with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Erdek is a district in the northern tip of Balıkesir province and one of Türkiye’s major holiday destinations. It lies on the Kapıdağ Peninsula, which extends into the Sea of Marmara, in the Marmara Region. It is one of Türkiye’s first summer resorts.
History
Erdek is a tourism centre with its ancient cities, an open-air museum, a clean sea and sandy beach. The history of Erdek goes back to the 5400s BC. Artake was conquered in 1339 by Süleyman Pasha, son of Orhan Gazi, and passed under Turkish rule. The district was established in 1928.
Geography
The district covers an area of 307 km² and has an average elevation of 14 metres above sea level. It consists of the Kapıdağ Peninsula, whose former name was Arktonnesos.
Tourism
Remains of the ancient city of Kyzikos are displayed at the Bandırma Archaeology Museum. In the city of Kyzikos there are the Temple of Hadrian, the Kyzikos Amphitheatre, the Altıköşe towers and other historic structures.
History and Culture
Erdek is one of Türkiye’s first summer resorts. Since 1959, Erdek has led tourism movements in Türkiye. Pomak villages that migrated from Greece during the 1924 Lausanne Population Exchange are attached to the district. The history of the ancient city of Kyzikos begins in the mid-8th century BC. Kyzikos was founded by the Doliones, who migrated from Thessaly. The Temple of Hadrian, the amphitheatre, the necropolis, the metroon, the bouleuterion, the theatre, the acropolis and the agora are among Kyzikos’s notable structures. Excavation work at the ancient city of Kyzikos is still ongoing.
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