Edremit

Edremit lies at the head of the gulf bearing its name, beneath the wooded slopes of Mount Ida. The ancient city of Adramyttion stood nearer the shore, at Ören, and gave its name to the surrounding gulf. The later town developed inland, among the streams and fields of the valley. Olive groves became a defining feature of the district and linked it to markets across the Aegean.

Under Ottoman rule the produce of Edremit's groves supplied a wide trade. Olive oil from the district and nearby Lesbos reached Constantinople, where it was an important part of the city's provisions. Foreign merchants also sought the oil of the Aegean. The plantations were held under various arrangements, including religious endowments, and their harvest formed part of the economic life of the gulf and its inland settlements.