Yaylak is a summer highland pasture associated with transhumance pastoralism across several Turkic communities in Central and West Asia. While the term refers to specific seasonal grazing lands, it describes a broader system of livestock movement where herders relocate animals to higher elevations during warmer months.
The practice of yaylak pastoralism encompasses various forms, ranging from alpine transhumance and herdsman husbandry to styles similar to seminomadic pastoralism. In regions such as the Eurasian steppes, the Middle East, and North Africa, these practices often coexist with other forms of pastoral nomadism. The term has also been frequently utilized within the field of Soviet anthropology.