Edremit Edremit is a lesser known tourist destination but with its clean sea and beaches it is becoming better known. Edremit is the central city of Edremit District on the west coast of Turkey close to the Greek Island of Lesbos. It is situated at the tip of the gulf with the same name - Gulf of Edremit approximately 190 kilometers from Izmir on the Aegean Sea coast.. Edremit may be reached by bus or by flight to Izmir airport, and more infrequently to Edremit Airport, which is only 3 kilometers from the town center. The climate is influenced by Aegean and Mediterranean conditions, so winters are mild and rainy whereas summers are hot and dry. The town center is situated a few kilometers inland and is an important center of trade along with the other towns that are situated on the Gulf of Edremit such as Ayvalık, Gömeç, Burhaniye and Havran. It is also one of the largest district centers of Balıkesir Province. The district of Edremit, especially around Kazdağı, is largely covered with forests.
Edremit's economy relies largely on the production of olives, as well as on the tourist trade. Edremit is known as the capital of olive production in Turkey. Kaz Dağı National Park, extending around the ancient Mount Ida mentioned in the epic poems of Homer such as the Iliad, is situated within the boundaries of Edremit district and is an important tourist attraction with its natural scenery and a number of picturesque small villages around it. Edremit is known for its thermal springs like Güre Thermal Spring which retains the features of the Roman Public Baths. Its waters are said to be curative for rheumatism, gynecological disorders, calcification, goiters, kidney stone, liver diseases and skin disorders. Derman Thermal Spring is situated 3.5 kilometers from Edremit with waters that are said to be useful against gynecological disorders and rheumatism. Drinking the spring water is also rumored to be curative for kidney stones.
In ethno-cultural terms, the population of Edremit is a mixture of Balkan Turks, descendants of immigrants from Aegean Islands, Circassians as well as native Tahtacı Turkmens, who continue to pursue their own traditions and life-style to this day. A private museum of ethnography in the village of Tahtakuşlar is one of the rare institutions in Turkey focusing on Tahtacı culture. The father of presidential candidate Michael Dukakis was born in Edremit in 1896 (Panos Dukakis).
Edremit
