yaylmas

Yaylmas refers to seasonal highland pastures and the associated transhumant settlements used by pastoral communities in the mountainous regions around the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus, including parts of Turkey, Iran, and neighboring highland areas. The term is derived from the Turkish word yayla, meaning a summer pasture or highland plateau, and is used in regional languages and scholarship to describe these networks of summer grazing sites.

Geography and pattern: Yaylmas are typically located on elevated plateaus or alpine valleys above the year-round human settlements, where summer pastures remain accessible for grazing livestock. They form a linked system accessed by traditional seasonal routes, allowing herds to move between wintering villages and summer pastures as conditions change with the seasons.

Use and activities: During the warm months, shepherds and herders move livestock such as sheep, goats, and sometimes cattle to yaylmas to take advantage of abundant forage. Activities at these sites include grazing management, haymaking, milking, dairy processing, and the construction or repair of temporary shelters and corrals. Water sources, fencing, and land management practices are essential to sustaining the pasture system.

Architecture and landscape: Settlements at yaylmas are often modest, featuring stone-and-wood shelters, animal pens, and terraces integrated into the hillside. The landscape emphasizes low-impact, seasonal use rather than permanent urban-style development.

Cultural and contemporary significance: Yaylmas represent a traditional form of pastoral adaptation to mountainous environments, contributing to livestock genetic diversity and ecological knowledge. In modern times, some yaylmas attract tourism or are incorporated into conservation and rural development programs, while others face pressures from land use change, climate variability, and migration. Preservation efforts frequently focus on sustainable grazing practices, habitat protection, and community governance.