Ulnia

Ulnia, also known as Zeitun, lies in the mountains north of Maraş. The town grew during the period of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia, and its steep surroundings sheltered a community whose local leaders were known as ishkhans. Mountain valleys and difficult approaches gave the people of Zeitun room to preserve their own institutions long after the kingdom had fallen.

Under Ottoman rule the relationship between the town and provincial authorities could be tense, particularly over demands made on the inhabitants. Armenian communities in Zeitun rose in 1780 and again in 1782. Its mountain setting and the authority of local leaders remained important features of the district's life, linking a largely Armenian town to the wider political life of the Maraş region.