Talas, formerly known as Dalassa (Greek: Δάλασσα) is a town and now largely suburban enclave in central Anatolia in the district of Kayseri Province in Turkey. The population of Talas city was 165,127 in 2020, up from 30,485 in 1990. It is located about 7 km from the city of Kayseri and has evolved from an independent town to a satellite city of Kayseri. Talas is connected to neighboring Kayseri by road and by the Kayseray mass transit system. The city has experienced rapid urbanization and population growth in the last 30 years. History The history of Talas dates back to 1500 BC. Its name first appears in 1070 AD as Moutaláskê, when it was mentioned for the first time when referring to St. Sabas as Moutalaske. It is believed that in (1500 BC) the area was inhabited by Mazacs and later in (510 BC) Cappadocians, (312 BC) Kayrus, and later the Romans. Its name was later rendered as Dalassa (Greek: Δάλασσα). Recent Chronological History 1071-1168 Danishmendids Administration 1077-1307 Seljuk Empire Administration "Mongol Invasion" in 1243 1312-1388 Ilkhanids Administration 1388-1446 Kadi Burhan al-Din Period 1446-1467 "Karakhanids" 1467-1923 Ottomans (Al-i Osman, Al-i Dulkadiriye, Ramazanoğulları, Egyptian Mamluk Comrade (1835)) 1923–Present Turkish Republic In 1510, some of the Armenians, who were exposed to the pressure of the Safavid ruler Shah Ismail, settled around Talas. Talas later became one of the important Armenian settlements in Anatolia until its eventual destruction and evacuation in 1915 by members of the late Ottoman Empire. Following the establishment of Turkish Republic, Greeks in this region were deported to Greece by ships via Tarsus and Silifke during the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Today, there is a negligible presence of Armenian or Greek population in Talas. Modern History Talas has grown rapidly since 1980 as a result of its proximity to neighboring Kayseri. Kayseri is considered to be one of the Anatolian Tigers which were one of a number of cities in Turkey which have displayed impressive growth records since the 1980s. While Talas was long an independent and adjacent town it has now physically connected into the larger Kayseri region and has several major road and one mass transit connection via Kayseray. A more traditional Anatolian village aesthetic of older single family homes and gardens dominates the southern portion of Talas while the northern section is predominantly high-rise housing - much of which was initially developed by