Bilecik'teki kır yerleşmelerinden biri olan ve insanın doğal çevre ile etkileşiminin bir sonucu olarak ortaya çıkan saya yerleşmeleri kırsal nüfus için önemli bir ekonomik ve kültürel değere sahiptir. Fakat sayalar günümüzde giderek terk edilmekte, kullanılmayarak yok olmaktadır. Saya yerleşmelerinin giderek terk edilmesinde; kırsal ekonomik düzenin artan nüfusu besleyebilecek yeterlilikte olmaması, hijyen şartları, küçükbaş hayvancılıkla uğraşmanın zor olması sebebiyle genç nüfusun bu işle uğraşmak istememesi ve kırsaldan kentlere doğru olan göçler etkili olmaktadır. Bu araştırmanın amacı; Bilecik'te sayıları giderek azalan saya yerleşmelerinin ortaya çıkış sebeplerini, kuruluş yeri seçiminde etkili olan faktörleri, mülkiyet yapısını, saya yapımında kullanılan malzemeleri, saya tiplerini, sayalarda yapılan faaliyetleri ortaya koyabilmek ve sayaların giderek tek edilmesinde etkili olan faktörleri vurgulamaktır. Sakarya Nehri ve kolları, Bilecik ve çevresinde plato alanlarını yararak engebeli bir topografya oluşturmuştur. Engebeli topografyanın geniş yer tutması, tarıma uygun arazilerin az yer kaplamasına ve hayvancılık faaliyetlerinin ön plana çıkmasına yol açmıştır. Bilecik'te küçükbaş hayvancılık faaliyetleri yapmak amacıyla, köyün dışındaki otlak alanları üzerinde kurulmuş, ağıl ve çoban kulübesinden meydana gelen ve genellikle yıl boyu kullanılan yerleşmelere saya adı verilmektedir. Araştırmalarımız sonucunda sayaların; köylerde beslenen küçükbaş hayvan sürülerinin sayıca fazla olması sonucunda, köyde yaşayanların sağlıklarını korumak, ekili dikili alanlara zarar vermesini önlemek ve otlak alanlarına yakın olmak amacıyla ortaya çıktığı ve geleneksel olarak devam ettirildiği görülmektedir. Bilecik'te ayrı bir yaylası bulunan köy sayısının az olması da sayaların ortaya çıkışında önemli bir etkendir. Sayaların kuruluş yeri seçiminde topografya, iklim, bitki örtüsü ve su kaynakları gibi doğal faktörlerin yanı sıra; arazi mülkiyeti gibi beşeri coğrafya faktörleri de etkili olmaktadır. Sayaların otlak alanlarına yakın olması, hayvanların fazla yol yürümemesi, bol, taze ot ile beslenmesi et ve süt verimlerini artırmaktadır. Bilecik'teki geleneksel sayalar, sayanın yakın çevresinden sağlanan malzeme ile basit bir şekilde inşa edilmiştir. Sayaların temel yapı malzemesini taş, kerpiç ve ahşap oluşturmaktadır. Bunun yanı sıra; branda, germe, naylon ve sac kullanılan diğer yapı malzemeleridir. Yeni yapılan sayalarda tuğla, kiremit, tel örgü ve kereste de kullanılmaktadır. Beslenen küçükbaş hayvan sayısının fazla olmasına göre, saya yerleşmesinin büyüklüğü de artmaktadır. Sayaları iç kısımları tek bir bölmeden meydana gelebildiği gibi birkaç bölmeye de ayrılabilmektedir. İnsan çevre etkileşiminin bir sonucu olarak ortaya çıkan ve kırsal ekonomik düzenin zenginliklerinden biri olan saya yerleşmeleri, geleneksel kültürün devamı açısından önemlidir. Sayıları giderek azalan bu tip yerleşmelerin kırsal ekonomiyi korumak, kırsaldan kentlere doğru olan göçleri azaltmak ve hayvancılığı geliştirmek bakımından desteklenmesi gerekmektedir
Saya, as one of the rural settlements in Bilecik in midwest Turkey, which has emerged as a result of human interaction with the natural environment, has considerable economic and cultural value for the rural population. However, the number of sayas is increasingly decreasing and they are being redundant today. The factors that affect the gradual abandonment of settlements include the inability of rural economic order to feed the growing population, the hygienic conditions, the difficulty of dealing with small livestock breeding, and the reluctance of the young population to deal with stock breeding, and migration from rural to urban areas. The purpose of this research is to highlight the causes of the emergence of sayas in Bilecik whose number is drastically decreasing nowadays, the factors that influence the choice of location, property structure, the materials used for building of sayas, types of sayas, to reveal the activities carried out in sayas and to highlight the factors that influence the increasing decrease of sayas. The Sakarya River and its tributaries formed a rugged topography by cutting the plateau areas around Bilecik and its surroundings. The rugged topography has caused the agricultural areas to take up little space and animal husbandry activities to become at the forefront. In Bilecik, the settlements established on grassland areas outside the village for the purpose of carrying out small animal husbandry activities, consisting of sheep-folds and shepard's hut and often used throughout year are called sayas. It was found out in our research that sayas came to being due to the high number of small ruminant animals fed in the villages in order to protect the health of the people living in the villages, to prevent them from harming the cultivated areas and to be close to the grassland areas. Also the small number of villages in Bilecik which have a separate plateau is a significant impact on the emergence of the sayas. As well as natural factors such as topography, climate, vegetation and water resources; human geography factors such as land ownership are also effective. The fact that the sayas are close to the grassy lands, the animals do not walk too far, and the abundance of fresh grass increases the yields of meat and milk. In Bilecik, traditional sayas were simply made of the materials in the immediate vicinity of the sayas. Besides; other structural materials are used such as canvas, stretchers, nylon, and sheet metal. As the number of the sheep and goats is higher, the size of the saya settlement is increasing. The inner parts of sayas consist of a single section, also they are divided into several sections. In sayas with several divisions, there are rooms for mother sheep, lambs and newborn lambs. Saya, which emerged as a result of human environmental interaction and is one of the riches of the rural economic order, is important for the continuity of the local culture. These types of settlements, which are decreasing in number, need to be supported in order to protect the rural economy, reduce migrations to rural areas and improve livestock.Saya, as one of the rural settlements in Bilecik in midwest Turkey,which has emerged as a result of human interaction with the naturalenvironment, has considerable economic and cultural value for the ruralpopulation. However, the number of sayas is increasingly decreasing andthey are being redundant today. The factors that affect the gradualabandonment of settlements include the inability of rural economic orderto feed the growing population, the hygienic conditions, the difficulty ofdealing with small livestock breeding, and the reluctance of the youngpopulation to deal with stock breeding, and migration from rural to urbanareas.The purpose of this research is to highlight the causes of theemergence of sayas in Bilecik whose number is drastically decreasingnowadays, the factors that influence the choice of location, propertystructure, the materials used for building of sayas, types of sayas, toreveal the activities carried out in sayas and to highlight the factors thatinfluence the increasing decrease of sayas.Field works of our research were carried out with visits to thestations between April and September 2016. During these visits, semistructuredinterviews were held with the owners of the sayas currently inuse and those who had previously been involved in those places. Photographs of the abandoned sayas were taken and archived. Interviewswere held in some villages' squares and coffee houses with regard to theactivities carried out in the sayas. Finally, a semi-structured interviewwas conducted with the President of the Bilecik Sheep and Goat BreedingAssociation.The Sakarya River and its tributaries formed a rugged topographyby cutting the plateau areas around Bilecik and its surroundings. Therugged topography has caused the agricultural areas to take up littlespace and animal husbandry activities to become at the forefront. Theexcess of small ruminants fed in villages makes it difficult to managethese ruminants in the village. In addition, the risk that the herds of smalllivestock could destroy planted areas inside and around the villagebrought the need to feed and shelter animal feeds away from the village.In Bilecik, the settlements established on grassland areas outsidethe village for the purpose of carrying out small animal husbandryactivities, consisting of sheep-folds and shepard's hut and often usedthroughout year are called sayas. In Bilecik, saya is also called bedbecause the herd (sheep and goats) rest there at night after grazing, andis called barracks due to being hosted in a remote village in winter.It was found out in our research that sayas came to being due tothe high number of small ruminant animals fed in the villages in order toprotect the health of the people living in the villages, to prevent them fromharming the cultivat
