Özet:

ABSTRACT The Mediterranean Coast includes areas where people settled down as of ancient times and different cultures and civilizations have been established and lived. The ancient city, which was founded in the mountainous Cilicia region of Eastern Mediterranean, known as Elaiussa Sebaste within its period, and calledو لاس ا - Avlas by IX-X century Islamic geographers, is also one of these areas. This city, which has served people as a settlement center since early times, had remained under the rule of Hellene, Rome, Byzantine, Sassanid and Islam. It is seen that this ancient city, which had remained independent with its own money and rich economy at the beginning of the first century B.C., presented a prosperous life for its inhabitants. The city known as ا و لا س in Islamic sources has been an important trade port as well as a production center for some products such as olive oil since the early days of its history. This port is a frequent destination for Venetian and Genoese traders. One of the most remarkable aspects of this ancient city is seen in religious life there. It is possible to see this situation in the name of Elaiussa Sebaste, which is considered to be of Luwice origin and means "Bosphorus-Passage-temple-settlement". It is observed that a mystical religious life has been experienced in this ancient city, which has not deprived of temple in almost every stage of history. Apparently, the people here had given up all worldly things and continued to have an ascetical life by devoting themselves to praying and worship. We can understand from the records of “حصن الزها د Zahitler Kalesi (Ascetics Castle)” in the works of Muslim geographers that this understanding and lifestyle had continued in the Islamic period of the city.

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