Ayaş is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of

Erdemli Erdemli is a municipality and district of Mersin Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,279 km2, and its population is 151,928 (2022). It is west of the city of Mersin. Geography Erdemli is located between the districts of Mezitli (to the east) a ...

Mersin Province Mersin Province (), formerly İçel Province (), is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast between Antalya Province, A ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Its population is 2,634 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''

belde Belde (literally "town", also known as ''kasaba'') means "large village with a municipality" in Turkish language, Turkish. All Turkish province centers and district centers have municipalities, but the Villages of Turkey, villages are usually too ...

'').

Geography

Ayaş lies on the Turkish state highway D.400. It is located 55 kilometers (34 mi) away from

Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...

and from Erdemli. The town is situated at the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coast and there are two beaches of touristic potential, ''Yemişkumu'' and ''Merdivenkuyu''.

History

Ayaş had been inhabited since the ancient ages. Ancient Ayas was an island named Elaiussa and a town on the shore facing the island named Sebaste.

Archelaus of Cappadocia Archelaus (; fl. 1st century BC and 1st century, died 17 AD) was a Roman client prince and the last king of Cappadocia. He was also husband of Pythodorida, Queen regnant of Pontus. Family and early life Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek no ...

had a palace in Elaiussa. But the island had since been joined the mainland because of alivion accumulation. During middle age, Elaiussa Sebaste lost its former importance.Turkey Pocket Guide Mersin, MTSO, p25 After the 12th century, the ruins of the former town became a battle ground between the

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian ...

and the

Karamanid The Karamanids ( or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman (), was a Turkish people, Turkish Anatolian beyliks, Anatolian beylik (principality) of Salur tribe origin, descended from Oghuz Turks, centered in South-Centra ...

s. The area around the former town was incorporated into

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in the 15th century and it became the grazing area of a nomadic Turkmen tribe named Ayaş. A part of the tribe settled in the village named after Ayaş and, in 1989, it was incorporated into Kumkuyu municipality on the east. In 1999, Ayaş was declared a town and issued from Kumkuyu municipality.

Economy

Like most towns around, Ayaş economy depends on vegetable agriculture. Tourism has begun to play a role in the town's economy and there are hotels, beaches and summer houses.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayas, Mersin Populated coastal places in Turkey Seaside resorts in Turkey Tourist attractions in Mersin Province Neighbourhoods in Erdemli District

Geography

History

Economy

See also

References