Karesi

The Anatolian Turkish Beylik of Karesi with its capital in Balıkesir was one of the frontier principalities established by Oghuz Turkish clans after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm.

They were the first beylik to be taken over by the neighboring Osmanoglu dynasty, who were later to found the Ottoman Empire. The acquisition of Karesi allowed the Ottomans to begin the conquest of European lands in Rumelia across the Dardanelles.

The Turkish province ("sanjak", later "vilayet") of Balıkesir was called the sub-province ("sanjak", later "vilayet") of Karesi until the early years of the Republic of Turkey, after which it was re-named after its central town Balıkesir.