Esra Başak is a researcher and project developer who has worked for many years in the fields of nature conservation, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. Throughout her years in Ayvalık, she has continued to bring this knowledge and experience to the place she calls home. We photographed Esra at Panagia Phaneromeni Ayazması, one of Ayvalık’s most important historic landmarks. Built around a sacred spring and an icon of the Virgin Mary believed to have been discovered fo

Nestled in one of the most peaceful and distinctive corners of Cunda Island, Ortunç is set within a secluded bay surrounded by pine forests. Across the water, the silhouette of Lesbos stretches along the horizon, while the sea and forest blend seamlessly into one another, creating a sense of timelessness. The changing light throughout the day, the shifting shades of the sea, and the quiet stillness of the bay all become part of the experience of being here. One of Ortunç’s de

Çöp (m)adam is one of our favorite initiatives in Ayvalık, and one we’ve been collaborating with for the past few years. Transforming discarded materials into creative and functional objects, the collective also creates a space of economic and social solidarity for women. A large part of the women producing under the Çöp (m)adam umbrella are women who had never previously worked in a salaried job. Çöp (m)adam is a social enterprise founded in Ayvalık in 2008 by Tara Hopkins.

Baba & Kız Atelier is located on the ground floor of a former Greek house built in the 1880s, in Sakarya Mahallesi. Once used as a traditional “hayat altı” space, this area is now used as the atelier and production space. The house was carefully restored by Ece and her father in 2016, staying true to its original character. Preserving the history of this home, once lived in by families who came to Ayvalık after the 1924 population exchange, remains an important part of the at

There are some places that naturally belong to Ayvalık’s calm rhythm, you feel it the moment you walk through the door. Özge Erol Pilates Studio is exactly one of those places. Rather than a large and distant studio, it feels almost like a home; a space that instantly puts you at ease with its light, simplicity, and atmosphere. Özge’s story actually begins in the kitchen. After studying art history, she starts working at her family business, Uzay Pastanesi, and later gains ex

Tulya Madra is the founder of Santimetre Studio, a designer and ceramic artist based in Ayvalık. She initially worked in furniture and interior design, and over time shifted her focus toward ceramics. Porcelain has since become her primary material, the one she has chosen to deepen and refine her practice around. Santimetre Studio was founded in Ayvalık in 2009 and is a design and production brand working with handmade porcelain in small scale production. Its studio, locate

Ayvalık is one of the places where Moyy Atölye builds a connection. We love its texture, its spirit, its contrast with the Black Sea, its Aegean character and its blues. It has always been a source of inspiration for us. Ayvalık was once also home to Moyy Atölye. Keeping the connection we’ve built with it nourishes us and makes us happy. There is so much to tell about Ayvalık. In these stories, we wanted to tell the stories of women who live in Ayvalık, women whose work, liv

Ayna is a food and dining place in Cunda, Ayvalık, that has been around for 20 years. Ezgi Güven and her mother, Nihal Sayın, have been running it in the same consistent way for years. In a country and a world that are this turbulent, this kind of continuity alone is something truly worth respect. Ayna has come to today without ever losing its own rhythm, even as the island changed over time. A simple yet strong world, where everything is carefully chosen. In its kitchen, the

Melek Yalnız is a weaver from the village of Çükita. She works on traditional black looms, weaving Feretiko and combining it with hand embroidery. She has been at the loom for more than twenty-three years. She has been working with Moyy Atölye since 2017 and is today one of the key artisans who form the backbone of the production process. She is known for bringing the most challenging fabric experiments to life at the loom. Many ideas that exist only at the design stage—ideas

An Exhibition at Çinçiva School Between 19 October and 1 November 2024, Moyy Atölye hosted a special exhibition in Çamlıhemşin. The exhibition “Habitat” by botanical artist Işık Güner, who lives in the Fırtına Valley, took place in the former elementary school in the village of Çinçiva. For many years, Işık Güner has been studying and documenting wild plants in different parts of the world, especially in Turkey. She is known for her botanical illustrations that depict plants

The hazelnut wood baskets in the MOYY Atölye collection are made by master basket maker Bekir Hervenik, who lives in Çayeli, Rize, in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Bekir learned the craft from his father and grandfather and grew up surrounded by this tradition. For most of his life he has been weaving baskets from hazelnut branches, and today he is one of the few remaining masters who continues this craft in the region. The tradition of hazelnut basket making reflec

Feretiko is a traditional handwoven fabric from the Eastern Black Sea region of Türkiye, with a history that goes back centuries. For a long time, it was a natural part of everyday life among local communities. Especially around Rize, it is known as Rize bezi (Rize Cloth / Rize fabric). Today, feretiko is a geographically registered product that represents this deep- rooted textile tradition. Although written historical records are limited, oral history and regional research

Çamlıhemşin is a district of Rize, located in the mountainous region of the Eastern Black Sea. It covers a wide area with hundreds of villages and highland pastures, spread across the Kaçkar Mountains and their foothills. Dense forests, rich water sources, valleys and high-altitude landscapes create strong natural patterns and ecological diversity. Many areas in the region are under special protection, and life here develops with care, awareness and responsibility toward natu