Ayaş: Historic Mosques, Thermal Baths and Mulberry Festival

Ayaş brings together historic buildings, thermal attractions and an annual mulberry festival. These varied themes offer several starting points for planning your trip: Would you like to explore mosques and the history of the Via Tauri, are you interested in thermal baths and drinking waters, or would you like to time your stay to coincide with the mulberry festival? This thematic overview provides a starting point for searching for hotels in Ayaş; a hotel’s specific features depend on its individual offering.

Historic Buildings and the Via Tauri

The Ulu Mosque stands in Belediye Square and is considered the oldest and largest mosque in the city. Based on its architecture, it is dated to the 15th century. The Şeyh-Muhyiddin Mosque and the Bünyamin-Ayaşi Mosque are in the city center; both were built in the 16th century. In terms of chronology, the Ulu Mosque, architecturally dated to the 15th century, contrasts with two mosques from the 16th century. Ayaş’s historic houses and streets are considered to resemble an open-air museum.

Ayaş lies on a main section of the historic Via Tauri pilgrimage route, which led from Istanbul through Tarsus to Jerusalem. The Via Tauri adds another perspective to the history of the buildings: it connects Ayaş with a historic route, while the mosques are specific buildings in the city center. Kırkevler, near the Ayaş Stream, is one of the historic landmarks mentioned alongside other buildings.

Thermal Baths and Water Connections

Ayaş is known for its drinking waters and thermal baths, particularly the historic Paşa Hamamı and Karakaya-Kaplıca. Karakaya-Kaplıca is one of the particularly notable thermal baths in Ayaş. The Ayaş Foundation exhibits ethnographic and archaeological objects at Paşa Hamamı. Thus, the historic hamam combines bathing with an exhibition featuring two different groups of objects.

Karakaya is an area in the center of Ayaş associated with water. For orientation, it is useful to distinguish Karakaya from Karakaya-Kaplıca: Karakaya refers to the central area, while Karakaya-Kaplıca is a particularly notable thermal bath. Together, these place references show that Ayaş’s water theme includes both thermal baths and a distinct area of the town.

Paragliding and the Mulberry Festival

Paragliding takes place at Kumludoruk Tepesi in the municipality of Ayaş. Flights launch from a site at an elevation of 450 meters and offer views of Ayaş. This activity in the municipality complements the historic significance of the mosques in the city center with a different focus. These are two distinct locations to consider when planning your trip: central religious buildings on the one hand, and paragliding at Kumludoruk Tepesi on the other.

Ayaş also holds a mulberry festival every year. If the festival is a deciding factor for you, check the dates and program for your planned visit before traveling. This lets you take the recurring festival into account when planning your timing, without assuming a specific date.

For an overview of the wider destination: Ankara.