Balıkesir

Balıkesir is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 265,747 inhabitants. Old name is Karesi or Karasi. Close to modern Balıkesir was the Roman town of Hadrianutherae, founded, as its name commemorates, by the emperor Hadrian. During the Byzantine period, the small town was known as Palaeokastron (Greek: Old Castle). The remains of the ancient Makestos Bridge and castles are found in the surrounding region. Members of the Byzantine dynasty had used this castle as a vacation area and for hunting. Also, when the Turkmens came from Middle Asia to Mysia, they called it Balak Hisar because of the remains of castle, as Hisar is the Turkish word for castle. Balıkesir's former...