Balıkesir

{{About|the city in Turkey|the village on Cyprus|Palaikythro}} {{Expand Turkish|topic=geo|Balıkesir|date=November 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox settlement  | official_name = Balıkesir | settlement_type = City | map_caption = Location of Balıkesir within Turkey. | image_skyline = {{multiple image|total_width=270px|perrow=1/2/2/2|border=infobox | image1 = BalıkesirSaatKulesi.jpg | alt1 = | image2 = General view of Ayvalık (cropped).jpg | alt2 = | image3 = Plaj-Ören.jpg | alt3 = | image4 = Atatürk Parkı.JPG | alt4 = | image5 = Balıkesir Salih Tozan Cultural Center.jpg | alt5 = | image6 = Şahinderesi Canyon.jpg | alt6 = | image7 = Sarimsakli beach.jpg | alt7 = }} | image_caption = '''Clockwise from top:''' Clocktower in Balıkesir, Zagnos Pasha Mosque, Balıkesir Museum, Sarımsaklı Beach, Ottoman Architecture in Balıkesir, Atatürk Park, Fountain in Balıkesir | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{TUR}} | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Marmara | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = Balıkesir Province | elevation_m = 70 | population_footnotes = <ref name=citypop/> | population_total = 314,958 | population_as_of = 2022 | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | pushpin_map = Turkey#Turkey Marmara#Europe | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_label_position =  | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Balıkesir | coordinates = {{coord|39|38|50|N|27|53|17|E|region:TR|display=inline,title}} | leader_title1 = Governor | leader_name1 = İsmail Ustaoğlu | leader_title2 = Metropolitan Mayor | leader_name2 = Ahmet Akın (CHP) | timezone = TRT | utc_offset = +3 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 10xxx | blank_info = 10 | blank_name = Licence plate | area_code = (+90) 266 | website = [http://www.balikesir.gov.tr www.balikesir.gov.tr] | name = | image_blank_emblem = Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyesi logo.png | blank_emblem_type = Emblem of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality }}

'''Balıkesir''' ({{IPA|tr|baˈlɯcesiɾ}}) is a city in the Marmara region of Turkey. It is the seat of Balıkesir Province, which is also a metropolitan municipality. As of 2022, the population of Balıkesir Province is 1,257,590,<ref name=tuik>{{Cite web |title=Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports|url=https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/medas/?kn=95&locale=en |access-date=19 September 2023|publisher=TÜİK|language=en|format=XLS}}</ref> of which 314,958 in the city proper (the urban part of the districts Altıeylül and Karesi).<ref name=citypop>{{cite web|title=Balıkesir|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/turkey/balikesir/_/1684__bal%C4%B1kesir/ |publisher=citypopulation.de|access-date=16 January 2024}}</ref> Between 1341 and 1922, it was the capital of Karasi.

== History == Close to modern Balıkesir was the Roman town of ''Hadrianutherae'', founded, as its name commemorates, by the emperor Hadrian.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Balikisri|volume=3|page=256}}</ref> Hadrian came to the region in 124 A.D., as a result of a successful bear hunting he had established a city called his name here. It is estimated that the city consisted of the castle, the homestead, the stud and a few homes. It is thought that the small town was where the current stadium is present.<ref>Prof. Dr Bilge Umar, Mysia, İnkılap Yayınevi, 2006, sf. 153</ref>

Members of the Roman and Pre-Byzantine dynasty had used this castle as a vacation area and for hunting. During the Byzantine period, the small town which had become increasingly neglected was known as ''Palaiokastron'' ({{langx|el|Παλαιόκαστρον}}) meaning Old Castle.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Hadrianutherae, Balukiser|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cyzicus/hadrianutherae-balukiser/36C2D7BAD37F047BFB0C480D700FF1C6|journal=Hasluck, F. (2010). In Cyzicus: Being Some Account of the History and Antiquities of That City, and of the District Adjacent to It, with the Towns of Apollonia Ad Rhyndacum, Miletupolis, Hadrianutherae, Priapus, Zeleia, Etc.|year=2010|volume=Cambridge Library Collection – Archaeology|pages=88–94|doi=10.1017/CBO9780511696978.009|via=Cambridge University Press.|last1=Hasluck|first1=F. W.|isbn=9780511696978|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Also, when the Turkomans came from Middle Asia to Mysia, they called it Balukiser because of the remains of the castle, as ''Hisar'' is the Turkish word for castle. Balıkesir's former name was Karasi because Balıkesir city was founded by Karasi Bey in the 13th century as using the remains of the small town. 1297 is considered as the date of establishment of the city which was one of the few to be founded by the Turks in Anatolia. The Karasids was a Turkic principality in Mysia. Since the 13th century, Balıkesir city have been the administrative centre of the Mysia region.

In 1345, Balıkesir city was annexed by the Ottomans. In 1898 an earthquake destroyed much of the city. The number of buildings that were not destroyed in the 1898 earthquake was only 51.<ref>Karagöz, Berkan (2020). Kentlerarası Rekabette Balıkesir ve Ekonomisi, Ankara: Gece Yayınları, p. 23, {{ISBN|978-625-7904-97-1}}</ref> In 1914, Turkish students marched through the streets of the city singing a song of hatred against the Greeks.<ref name="Persecution_of_the_Greeks_in_Turkey_1914_1918">{{cite book| title = Persecution of the Greeks in Turkey, 1914–1918| url = https://archive.org/details/persecutionofgre00consrich| publisher = Constantinople [London, Printed by the Hesperia Press]|date=1919}}</ref> In April 1916, the Christian Greeks of the villages in the vicinity of Balikesser underwent persecution from the Turks. They were refused bread on payment. The women were told that they should become Muslim so as not to die of hunger.

At the beginning of June, many young Greeks were forced by the authorities to convert to Islam at Government headquarters.<ref name="Persecution_of_the_Greeks_in_Turkey_1914_1918" /> On 30 June 1919 Balıkesir city was occupied by the invading Greeks but on 6 September 1922, the Turkish Army took back the city. During the Turkish War of Independence, Balıkesir was the main centre of the Turkish militias in Western Anatolia against the occupying Greek Army.

On 3 August 1950, a major fire destroyed the centre of the city which was rebuilt later. That fire destroyed an important part of the city. According to estimates, it was the result of the firing of firecrackers belonging to child guns in a shop. According to another opinion, it was caused by the gnawing of the firecrackers of child guns by rats and this fire spread to the electrical contact. 498 shops completely burned. It is the second biggest disaster to befall in Balıkesir after the 1898 earthquake. Nearly a thousand people were unemployed. The tents were set up by the Turkish Red Crescent and food aid was provided for a long time.<ref>Karagöz, Berkan (2020). Kentlerarası Rekabette Balıkesir ve Ekonomisi, Ankara: Gece Yayınları, p. 24, {{ISBN|978-625-7904-97-1}}</ref>

In January 1974, a cassette player and five tapes were stolen from a car belonging to Mehmet Aygün, located in the Yalın Apartment area, by unknown individuals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BALIKESİR BİRLİK GAZETESİ YEREL TAŞRA BASINI ----29 Ocak 1974 Yıl :6 Sayı :1536-- İstanbul da İş Bankası Şubesi Dün Soyuldu -- Demokrasimizde parti anlayışımız Nedim Ercan --- Hükümet programının hazırlanması başladı ---Okullar arası voleybol karşılaşmaları sona erdi --Çanakkale ilinde yeni bir maden bulundu -- Doğudan bir hatıra :O. Behçet Yazgan -- Balıkesir -Bandırma tren yolu kaldırılmayacak -- Dünyadan ve yurdumuzdan ilginç olaylar yaşamak bilmeyen kadı -- Balıkesir Spor son maçta da puan tevziyine devam etti - |url=https://www.kitantik.com/product/BALIKESIR-BIRLIK-GAZETESI-YEREL-TASRA-BASINI-29-Ocak-1974-Yil-6-Sayi-1536-Istanbul-da-Is-Bankasi-Subesi-Dun-Soyuldu-Demokrasimizde-parti-anlayisimiz-Nedim-Ercan-Hukumet-programinin-hazirlanmasi-basladi-Okullar-arasi-voleybol-karsilasmalari-sona-erdi-Canakkale-ilinde-yeni-bir-maden-bulundu-Dogudan-bir-hatira-O-Behcet-Yazgan-Balikesir-Bandirma-tren-yolu-kaldirilmayacak-Dunyadan-ve-yurdumuzdan-ilginc-olaylar-yasamak-bilmeyen-kadi-Balikesir-Spor-son-macta-da-puan-tevziyine-devam-etti_1br9qfwlvldbmrk18be |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=kitantik |language=tr}}</ref>

==Main sights== left|thumb|The historical clock tower

*''Zaganos Pasha Mosque'' built by and named after the Grand Vizier of Mehmet the Conqueror, Zaganos Pasha in 1461. Only the mosque and baths remain. *''Yildirim Mosque'' built in 1388 is the oldest remaining work from the Ottoman period in Balikesir city.

== Sports == thumb|Stadium of Balıkesir Most known sports club in Balıkesir is Balıkesirspor which is established in 1966. Balıkesirspor is the football team played in the Süper Lig after achieving promotion having finished as runners-up of the TFF First League in 2013–14. The team's previous promotion was 40 years before that. Their stadium, the all-seater Balıkesir Atatürk Stadium, has a capacity of 13,732.

== Climate == Balıkesir has a fairly continental<ref name=":0" /> hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) under the Köppen climate classification and a temperate oceanic climate (Do) under the Trewartha classification. Winters are cool and wet with frequent frosts and occasional snowfall, while summers are hot and dry. The continentality increases as one moves from west to east and north to south. Therefore, winters are colder and snowier in the inland parts.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Sertel|first=Elif|date=January 2011|title=Modelling land cover change impact on the summer climate of the Marmara Region, Turkey|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255821261|journal=International Journal of Global Warming|volume=3|issue=2|pages=194–202|doi=10.1504/IJGW.2011.038379|via=ResearchGate}}</ref>

{{Weather box|location = Balıkesir (1991–2020, extremes 1938–present) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 23.5 |Feb record high C = 25.2 |Mar record high C = 30.0 |Apr record high C = 33.1 |May record high C = 37.8 |Jun record high C = 42.5 |Jul record high C = 43.2 |Aug record high C = 43.2 |Sep record high C = 40.3 |Oct record high C = 38.3 |Nov record high C = 31.2 |Dec record high C = 26.1 |year record high C = 43.2 |Jan high C = 8.8 |Feb high C = 10.4 |Mar high C = 13.2 |Apr high C = 19.1 |May high C = 24.2 |Jun high C = 29.3 |Jul high C = 30.8 |Aug high C = 31.1 |Sep high C = 28.0 |Oct high C = 22.7 |Nov high C = 15.0 |Dec high C = 9.9 |year high C = 20.2 |Jan mean C = 4.8 |Feb mean C = 5.7 |Mar mean C = 7.9 |Apr mean C = 13.1 |May mean C = 18.2 |Jun mean C = 23.0 |Jul mean C = 24.9 |Aug mean C = 25.0 |Sep mean C = 21.1 |Oct mean C = 16.6 |Nov mean C = 9.9 |Dec mean C = 6.6 |year mean C = 14.7 |Jan low C = 1.1 |Feb low C = 1.5 |Mar low C = 3.1 |Apr low C = 7.4 |May low C = 12.1 |Jun low C = 16.1 |Jul low C = 18.4 |Aug low C = 18.9 |Sep low C = 14.5 |Oct low C = 11.0 |Nov low C = 5.4 |Dec low C = 3.1 |year low C = 9.4 |Jan record low C = -11.9 |Feb record low C = -18.8 |Mar record low C = -7.1 |Apr record low C = -4.0 |May record low C = 1.1 |Jun record low C = 5.0 |Jul record low C = 11.0 |Aug record low C = 9.4 |Sep record low C = 3.2 |Oct record low C = -1.6 |Nov record low C = -7.9 |Dec record low C = -10.1 |year record low C = -18.8 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 47.9 |Feb precipitation mm = 54.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 65.1 |Apr precipitation mm = 55.7 |May precipitation mm = 46.5 |Jun precipitation mm = 16.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 10.0 |Aug precipitation mm = 9.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 20.7 |Oct precipitation mm = 44.4 |Nov precipitation mm = 67.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 87.2 |year precipitation mm = 524.2 |Jan precipitation days = 13.25 |Feb precipitation days = 13.63 |Mar precipitation days = 12.50 |Apr precipitation days = 11.00 |May precipitation days = 10.88 |Jun precipitation days = 5.00 |Jul precipitation days = 3.63 |Aug precipitation days = 2.13 |Sep precipitation days = 2.75 |Oct precipitation days = 8.00 |Nov precipitation days = 10.25 |Dec precipitation days = 14.75 |year precipitation days = 107.8 | Jan snow days =4.25 | Feb snow days =3.71 | Mar snow days =1.13 | Apr snow days =0.13 | May snow days =0 | Jun snow days =0 | Jul snow days =0 | Aug snow days =0 | Sep snow days =0 | Oct snow days =0 | Nov snow days =0.21 | Dec snow days =2.54 | year snow days = |Jan sun = 93.0 |Feb sun = 101.7 |Mar sun = 136.4 |Apr sun = 171.0 |May sun = 223.2 |Jun sun = 276.0 |Jul sun = 294.5 |Aug sun = 279.0 |Sep sun = 234.0 |Oct sun = 161.2 |Nov sun = 105.0 |Dec sun = 52.7 |year sun = |Jand sun = 3.0 |Febd sun = 3.6 |Mard sun = 4.4 |Aprd sun = 5.7 |Mayd sun = 7.2 |Jund sun = 9.2 |Juld sun = 9.5 |Augd sun = 9.0 |Sepd sun = 7.8 |Octd sun = 5.2 |Novd sun = 3.5 |Decd sun = 1.7 |yeard sun = 5.8 |source 1 = Turkish State Meteorological Service,<ref name=eather1>{{cite web | url = https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=H&m=BALIKESIR | title = Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Mevism Normalleri (1991–2020) | publisher = Turkish State Meteorological Service | language = tr | access-date = 24 April 2021}}</ref> Meteomanz(snow days 2000-2023)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=6290&ind=17150&m1=01&y1=2000&m2=07&y2=2024 |title=Balikesir - Weather data by months |access-date=18 July 2024 |website=meteomanz}}</ref> |date=January 2016 }}

== Municipality == {{See also|List of municipalities in Balıkesir Province}}

In the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey, under law 6360, published on 6 December 2012, Balıkesir Municipality qualified as a"Metropolitan".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Balıkesir City and Municipal History|url=https://www.balikesir.bel.tr/kurumsal/belediye-tarihcesi|website=Balıkesir Municipality}}</ref>

==International relations== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey}}

Balıkesir is twinned with;<ref name="Balıkesir University History">{{Cite web|title=Balıkesir University History|url=http://www.balikesir.edu.tr/site/genel-bilgiler}}</ref>

*{{flagicon|RUS}} Makhachkala, Russia *{{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} Shymkent, Kazakhstan (since 1995) *{{flagicon|RUS}} Kazan, Russia (since 1996) *{{flagicon|PHI}} Roxas City, Philippines (since 1997) *{{Flagicon|Kosovo}} Prizren, Kosovo (since 1997) *{{flagicon|NMK}} Štip, North Macedonia (since 1999) *{{Flagicon|Greece}} Lefkada, Greece (since 2000) *{{flagicon|GER}} Schwäbisch Hall, Germany (since 2006)<ref name="Schwäbisch Hall twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.schwaebischhall.de/en/welcome/twin-towns.html|title=Schwäbisch Hall and its twin towns|access-date=2013-07-26|work=Stadt Schwäbisch Hall|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630130233/http://www.schwaebischhall.de/en/welcome/twin-towns.html|archive-date=30 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> *{{flagicon|TUR}} Siirt, Turkey (since 2007) *{{flagicon|KOR}} Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea (since 2010)<ref>[http://balikesir.bel.tr/documents/file/bb_FoldersFiles/KY14_Karde%C5%9F%20%C5%9Eehirler-031a5a69-a5ce-42fb-b9cb-bfc003ee61f8.pdf Sister/Twin Cities of Balıkesir]</ref>

==Notable natives== {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *Ahmet Nuri Öztekin, Military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies *Barış Falay, Actor *Bekir Sami Günsav, Military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies *Caner Erkin, Football player *Cengiz Ünder, Football player *Cihat Arslan, Football player, coach *Çetin Zeybek, Football player *Egemen Korkmaz, Football player, coach *Erdal Tosun, Actor *Fikret Hakan, Actor *Hande Erçel, Actress and model *İlhan Eker, Football player *İlker Ayrık, Actor *Kazım Özalp, Military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies *Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan, World-famous oil wrestler *Mehmet Çoban, Olympian Greco-Roman wrestler *Nazmi Solok, Military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies *Necdet Tosun, Actor *Nedim Günar, Football player, coach *Oğuz Savaş, Basketball player *Olcan Adın, Football player *Ömer Seyfettin, Writer *Seyit Onbaşı, Ottoman army gunner *Şafak Edge, Basketball player *Şevket Altuğ, Actor *Tamer Yiğit, Actor *Tuğçe Kazaz, Actress and model *Tülin Altıntaş, Volleyball player *Vasıf Çınar, Politician and diplomat *Vedat İnceefe, Football player, coach *Zağanos Pasha, Ottoman military commander *Zerrin Tekindor, Actress and artist {{div col end}}

==See also== {{Wikivoyage|Balikesir}} * Altıeylül * Karesi * Balıkesirspor

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons_category|Balıkesir}} *[http://www.balikesir.bel.tr Balıkesir Municipality Web Page] *[http://www.balikesir.gov.tr Balıkesir Government Web Page]

{{Districts of Turkey|provname=Balıkesir|image=Balikesir|sortkey=Balik}} {{Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balikesir}} Category:Balıkesir Category:Populated places in Balıkesir Province