Ayaş, is a Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 coastal town in Mersin Province

Mersin Province

The Mersin Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

Geography

Ayaş is a part of Erdemli

Erdemli

Erdemli is a town and district of Mersin Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, west of the city of Mersin.-Geography:The district extends from the Mediterranean coastal plain, the largest agricultural area in Mersin Province, to high in the Taurus Mountains where there is forest, and...

 district which is a part of Mersin Province. It is on the Datça Mersin highway at about 36°29′N 34°11′E. Distance to Mersin

Mersin

-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...

 is 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) and to Erdemli is 18 kilometres (11.2 mi). The population is 2391 as of 2010. The town is situated at the coast and there are two beaches of touristic potential, namely Yemişkumu and Merdivenkuyu.

History

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

Archelaus of Cappadocia

-Family & Early Life:Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent. His full name was Archelaus Sisines. He was the first born son, namesake of the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus, of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia and Glaphyra. Archelaus’ father...

 had a palace in Elaiussa. But island had since been joined the main land because of alivion accumulation. During middle age, Elaiussa Sebaste lost its former importance. After 12th century the ruins of the former town became a battle ground between The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...

 and the Karamanids. The area around the former town was incorporated into Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 in the 15th century and it became the grazing area of a nomadic Turkmen tribe named Ayaş. A part of the tribe was settled in the village named after Ayaş and in 1989 it was incorporated into Kumkuyu

Kumkuyu

-Geography:Kumkuyu is a Mediterranean coastal town in the rural area of Erdemli district which is a part of Mersin Province. It is on the main highway . The distance to Erdemli is and to Mersin is . The coordinates are . The population is 2887 as of 2010.-History:The vicinity of the town had been...

municipality on the east. But in 1999 Ayaş was decleared a town and issued from Kumkuyu municipality.

Economy

Like most towns around Ayaş economy depends on vegetable agriculture. But there are hotels, beaches and summer houses around and tourism begins to play a role in town economy.