Erdek


Erdek is a town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The population was 34000 in 2010. Located on the north coast of Gulf of Erdek at the south of the Sea of Marmara, Erdek is known as a holiday destination that is popular among domestic tourists. The area has a rugged geology and topography and evergreen wooded areas. There are also large olive groves. The mayor is Hüseyin Sarı.

History

The town was inhabited chiefly after the abandonment of nearby Cyzicus in the early Middle Ages. Briefly, in the late 7th century, it hosted a Cypriot refugee population including the island's archbishop, and was known as Nova Justiniana. During the Ottoman period, Erdek was the center of a kaza in the Sanjak of Karasi. According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the kaza of Erdek had a total population of 33,007, consisting of 29,165 Greeks, 3,070 Muslims, 300 Jews, 18 Armenians and 454 foreign citizens.

Twin townssister cities

Erdek is twinned with: