Abstract
Maraş is in the position of a gateway between Southeastern Anatolia and Mediterranean Region. Throughout history, the comings and goings between these regions was through Maraş. It also protected the feature in the period of Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate. Ağaçeris came to Maraş region through Azerbaijan, Baghdad, Mosul when they departed from Horasan. They attempted to establish a beylik here; but, they couldn’t be successful. They made banditry at the time. In the later years, they quitted either voluntarily or forcibly. They moved from here to Çukurova and scattered to Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Name of “Ağeçeris” has put the record as “Tahtacıs” since 15th century. Tahtacıs are two ocaks. One of them is Yanyatır Ocağı whose center is Narlıdere of İzmir. Pir of ocak is Durhasan Dede whose tomb is in the village of Durhasandede in Ceyhan of Adana. Other ocak is Hacıemirli Ocağı whose center is in the village Kızılcapınar in Germencik of Aydın. Pir of ocak is Ibrahim-i Sani Dede whose tomb is in the village of Çerçili in Islahiye of Gaziantep. In other words, ocaks of Tahtacıs, who are descendants of Ağaçeris, are in Aegean Region; tombs of their pirs are around Çukurova and Maraş. There is a grove called “Şah Korusu” in Maraş. Line of “Kayabaşı derler Şahın korusu” is mentioned in a nefes read by Turkmens of Kazdağı Tahtası. Moreover, myth of being position of Kayabaşı close by each village of Tahtacı Turkmen and position of Yelkesiği close by each village of Yoruk spread in the region. This myth and line of nefes seem as reminders of memories of Ağaçeris around Maraş.
