In the late 1800’s, the Selian clan was well established in the town of Talas, just south of the city of Kayseri in central Turkey. Kayseri is about halfway between present day Armenia to the east and Istanbul to the west, as shown on this map.
The view below shows the proximity of Talas to Kayseri and Mount Argaeus (Erciyes Dağı in Turkish).
The town of Talas is divided by a steep cliff over 200 feet tall, as shown in this photo. The Selian family lived in Upper Talas above the edge of the cliff. Our distant cousin Sarkis Tekian still lives in the same neighborhood, near the narrow path that descends the cliff to the left.
For more information on Talas, visit the following websites:
Talas, Turkey (Wikipedia Page)
Houshamadyan.org
Mt. Erciyes Region (Fresno State Armenian Studies Program)