Geography

Güzelyayla is a mountain town on the Toros Mountains . Highway distance to Mersin is approximatelly 40 km (24.9 mi). The altitude of the town is between 900 m (2,952.8 ft) and 1100 m (3,608.9 ft). The coordinates are 37°01′N 34°29′E. The winter (settled) population is 2515 as of 2010.

History

The earliest settlers were the members of a Turkmen tribe named Sarıkeçili in the 15th century. Two nearby settlements used by the tribe (Evci and Kızılbağ) later on were merged and they were decleared the town of Güzelyayla in 1998.

Economy

The main crops are apple, grape and especially peach. The traditional animal husbandry is another economic activity. Tourism at the moment plays only a minor role in the economy of the town. Being a mountain town (yayla

Yayla (resort)

Yayla is a name given to the summer mountain resorts in Turkey.- Etymology :Nomadic herdsmen of Turkic origin used to call their herding locations by different names depending on the season. Yazlak, yaylak, güzlek and kışlak referred to herding locations of different seasons of the year...

) Güzelyayla attracts city dwellers for spending summer holidays.