Aybastı

Geography

Aybastı is a rural, agricultural district in the foothills of the Canik Mountains above the Black Sea coast, 54 km inland from the coastal town of Fatsa. The climate and flora are typical of the central Black Sea region although the district is drier at high altitudes. This is good agricultural land with of meadow and of farmland. The road up here from the coast is slow and winding, the journey takes over an hour, and journey from here up into the mountains is even worse, some of it on dirt roads. The people of these country villages are very traditional, for example they marry between the ages of 15 and 22 by arrangement between the families. Aybastı itself is a small town providing high schools, a hospital and other basic amenities to the surrounding area. Market day is Saturday. The town is growing and today most buildings are four stories or more, the local economy is boosted by money coming from families that since the 1960s have been living and working in Istanbul, Ankara or abroad (especially France and Austria).