Things to Do in Kilis: 7 Best Places to Visit

Getting to Know Kilis

Kilis lies in the west of Southeastern Anatolia, 55 km south of Gaziantep and only 10 km from the Syrian border. For a long time a district of Gaziantep, it became Türkiye’s 79th province on 6 June 1995. The mild climate and fertile soil of the Kilis Plain made the area attractive for settlement for thousands of years: at Oylum Höyük, 7 km east of the city, layers from the Chalcolithic to the Roman and Byzantine periods are being excavated.

In the Middle Ages Kilis lay on the caravan road between Aleppo and Anatolia, and Ravanda Castle, north-west of the city, was an important defensive point in the time of the Crusaders and the Ayyubids. In the Ottoman period the city flourished, and stone mansions, mosques, hammams and a Mevlevi lodge were built; a good part of them still stand today. Kilis, which resisted the French occupation in the War of Independence, was liberated on 7 December 1921.

Kilis is known today for olive, grape and wheat farming; the table of the province is a close relative of the cuisines of Aleppo and Antep. During the Syrian Civil War it drew international attention for hosting a number of refugees close to its own population.

When to Go

Kilis has a Mediterranean climate: summers are very hot and dry, winters mild and wet. Averages for 1959–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:

Month	Avg. high	Avg. low	Rainfall	Rainy days
January	9.9 °C	2.5 °C	84 mm	13
February	11.8 °C	3.3 °C	70 mm	11
March	16.2 °C	6.2 °C	68 mm	11
April	21.7 °C	10.1 °C	48 mm	9
May	27.7 °C	14.4 °C	27 mm	6
June	33.0 °C	18.5 °C	9 mm	1
July	36.4 °C	21.3 °C	3 mm	<1
August	36.4 °C	21.5 °C	7 mm	<1
September	32.9 °C	18.8 °C	6 mm	1
October	26.5 °C	14.4 °C	33 mm	5
November	18.4 °C	8.5 °C	55 mm	8
December	11.8 °C	4.3 °C	85 mm	12

The best times are April to May and October to November. In July and August temperatures exceed 36 °C; the highest recorded value is 47.6 °C. The olive harvest takes place in October–November, and freshly pressed olive oil is available at this time.

How to Get to Kilis

By air: There is no airport in the province; the nearest is Gaziantep Airport, about 60 km to the north.

By road: Kilis is linked to Gaziantep by a road of about 55 km, with frequent bus and dolmuş services from Gaziantep. Hatay is reached via Islahiye.

Kilis Area by Area

• Merkez (central district): Stone mansions, the Grand Mosque, the Tekke Mosque and Hammam, the Mevlevi lodge, Kilis Museum, the arasta bazaar, Oylum Höyük and Ravanda Castle.
• Musabeyli: Olive groves and rural villages.
• Elbeyli and Polateli: The farmland of the plain and small village settlements.

Suggested Itineraries

Day 1 – The city centre: Kilis Museum (Neşet Efendi Mansion), the Grand Mosque, the muqarnas mihrab of the Tekke Mosque and the Mevlevi lodge; Kilis tava for lunch in the arasta bazaar. Oylum Höyük in the afternoon; cennet çamuru in the evening.

Day 2 – Ravanda and the olive groves: Ravanda Castle and the olive groves around it; if it is harvest season, freshly pressed oil at an olive oil mill.

Kilis Cuisine

Kilis cuisine is related to those of Aleppo and Antep and is built on olive oil, meat and pastries. Its most famous dessert is cennet çamuru (Kilis kaymaklı kırma künefe), made with crumbled kadayıf, clotted cream and pistachio. Other delicacies with registered geographical indications are Kilis tava, cooked in a tray, Kilis ekşili kebabı (sour kebab), Kilis katmeri (layered pastry), Kilis kırk semseği, Kilis şıhılmahşe, kübbülmişviyye and Kilis kahvaltılık toz zahter (breakfast zahter spice mix). Among the products, Kilis zeytinyağı (olive oil) and Kilis horoz karası üzümü (Horoz Karası grapes) are registered.

Handicrafts

The cotton-filled, hand-embroidered Kilis yorganı (quilt) has a registered geographical indication. Traditional coppersmithing and olive oil soap-making are also kept up in the city.

Practical Tips

• Kilis is a border city; do not approach military zones in the border area, and heed the warnings.
• Midday hours are very hot in the summer months; plan sightseeing for the morning and late afternoon.
• It is easy to combine Gaziantep and Kilis in one trip; the two cities are about 1 hour apart.