Kilis, Turkey
Kilis Merkez
Kilis is a regional capital of 111,648 people in Kilis, Turkey.
Why visit Kilis
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 19 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Acar Dağ, Ceylan Tepe, Oylum Höyük and Cyrrhus.
Weather in Kilis
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Kilis
Kilis is a city in southernmost Turkey, near the border with Syria, and the administrative centre of Kilis Province and Kilis District. Its population is 112,187 (2022).
From the Wikipedia article Kilis (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Kilis on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do8
Museums and landmarks9
Oylum Höyük
Monument and historic site · 6.0 km
Archeological site in Turkey
Cyrrhus
Monument and historic site · 14.9 km
Archaeological site and ancient city in modern Syria
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes19
7 more on the map.
History
Although there aren't any definite information related to its foundation, today's Kilis mainly developed and became urbanized during the Ottoman period. However, traces of important cities found in the near surroundings of Kilis and the historical documents prove that important centres were always present here in every period. In the tablets belonging to the Assyrian period, the name 'Ki-li-zi' is written in cuneiform and a city named as "Ciliza Sive Urnagiganti" during the Roman Empire period is mentioned.
In addition to centers such as Kirus antique city, Oylum Höyük, Ravanda Castle, Ilezi and Tarzime Han, many other residential areas starting from the Neolithic period have also been discovered in the surrounding of Kilis as a result of archaeological surface explorations. Hittite, Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods were experienced in the region respectively.
During the late 12th and centuries the Kilis and Aroud became the seat of the Emirate of Kilis, a Kurdish-ruled emirate established c. 1181/1183 under the aegis of the Ayyubid dynasty. The emirate continued in varying degrees of autonomy through the Mamluk period and into the early years of the Ottoman era until its final incorporation c. 1610.
From the History section of Kilis on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship65
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare59
Map of Kilis
185 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport (GZT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 41 km away.
- Çukuroba 6 km northeast, about 6 min by car
- Duruca 9 km northwest, about 9 min by car
- Yavuzlu 14 km east, about 14 min by car
- Bağarası 14 km north, about 14 min by car
- Güldüzü 17 km north, about 17 min by car
- Şahinbey 23 km north, about 23 min by car
- Musabeyli 26 km northwest, about 26 min by car
- Gaziantep 45 km northeast, about 45 min by car
- İskenderun 85 km west, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Osmaniye 87 km northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kilis city center, Brian Dell, Public domain
- Türk Kızılay Kilis Toplum Merkezi, Charismaniac, CC0
- OylumHüyük1, Klaus-Peter Simon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NebiHuriTheater, Bertramz, CC BY 3.0
- ISS006-E-28390 - View of Turkey, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS013-E-75009 - View of Lebanon, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-6512 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-6511 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-83288 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS013-E-75008 - View of Lebanon, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-6513 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS023-E-18172 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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