Cunda Island

Cunda Island, or officially known as Alibey Island, is the only inhabited member of the 22-island group known as the Ayvalık Islands, belonging to the Balıkesir Province of Ayvalık. Historically referred to by names such as Nesos, Moshonisia, and Yunda, the island is defined by its architectural fabric, historical past, and geographical location.

Etymology and Nomenclature

The island has been known by various names throughout history. In ancient sources (Strabo, Pliny, Herodotus), it was referred to as "Nesos". In Piri Reis’s Kitab-ı Bahriye (1521), it was mentioned as part of the "Yund Islands". During the period of Greek settlement, the name "Moshonisia" or "Moschonesi", meaning "fragrant island", was used, possibly due to the aromatic plants on the island or a corsair named Moshos. Under Ottoman rule, the settlement was known as "Cezire-i Yunda". Since 1980, it has been named "Alibey Island" in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Ali Çetinkaya, who organized resistance in the region during the War of Independence.

Geography and Transportation

Located south of the Edremit Gulf, the island lies in a position that shields the center of Ayvalık from open seas to the north. It has the largest area and settlement extent among the islands surrounding Ayvalık. Administratively, it consists of two neighborhoods: Mithatpaşa and Namık Kemal.

Cunda Island is connected to the mainland by a two-stage bridge system. The first bridge, constructed in 1964 at the Dolap Strait and recognized as Turkey’s first strait bridge, links Cunda to Lale (Soğan) Island. Lale Island, in turn, is connected to the Ayvalık mainland by a 700-meter-long causeway built in 1817 after the sea was filled in. The road distance to Ayvalık center is 8 km, while the sea distance is 3 nautical miles. The island has a Mediterranean climate, with westerly and northwesterly winds prevailing during summer.

View from Cunda Island(Ayvalık Municipality)

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that human settlement on the island dates back to the Bronze Age. After the Aegean migrations of the 12th century BCE, the region was settled by Aeolian tribes. In the 10th century, as the ancient city of Nesos declined in importance, a new settlement was established to the south under the name Moshonisia.

When the island came under Ottoman administration in the 15th century, it remained part of the Midilli Sanjak. In 1862, it gained independent municipal status separate from Ayvalık. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the population exchange altered the island’s demographic structure. The Greek population migrated to Greece, while Muslim Turkish populations from Crete and Midilli were resettled on the island.

Architectural Fabric and Urban Structure

Cunda Island was declared a natural and historical conservation area by the High Council for Immovable Cultural and Historical Monuments in 1976. The settlement pattern exhibits two distinct characteristics: a grid-plan layout and an organic layout. The organic (curvilinear) street pattern dominates around Aşıklar Tepesi, the island’s highest point, while the coastal zone and slopes in the south feature a grid-plan layout with streets intersecting at right angles.

Traditional residential architecture consists mostly of buildings constructed in the second half of the 19th century, displaying Neoclassical features. Key characteristics include:

• Material: The local volcanic stone known as "Sarımsak taşı" (garlic stone), characterized by its rose-pink hue, is extensively used in construction. This stone provides excellent thermal insulation.
• Plan Type: Houses are typically built in a row on rectangular plots. The most common plan type is the "inner sofali" layout. Ground floors, known as "mağaza", were used for storing olives and olive oil.
• Facade Features: Facades feature monumental entrance doors, cornices, story setbacks, triangular pediments, wrought-iron or stone-supported balconies, and eaves.
• The island also contains religious structures such as the Taksiyarhis Church, Panagia Church, and Agios Yannis Church, as well as monumental structures like windmills, former Greek schools, and the "Despot House". The Taksiyarhis Church, dating from 1873, is one of the town’s focal points.

Economy

Historically, the island’s economy was based on olive cultivation, viticulture, and fishing. Today, tourism has become one of its primary economic activities. During the tourist season, the island’s population can increase eight to ten times its permanent population of approximately 2,400. Some of the historic buildings have been converted into boutique hotels, restaurants, and cafés to support tourism.