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KILIS
Kilis, situated near the Turkish-Syrian border en
route to Gaziantep is an especially charming area. dotted
with vineyards and olive groves on all sides. It was
originally known as Kilis (mentioned in the Assyrian
archives) and was a very important town in ancient
days for frontier commerce. It is still famous today
for its cotton, silk weaving and leather products.
Several interesting sites in Kilis include the 16th
century Canbolat Bey Complex, ancient 15th century
baths, a dervish room dating from the 19th century,
the 14th century Ulu Mosque and the 16th century
Akcururn Mosque. Near Kilis there are several sites
worth seeing. En route from Kilis to Gaziantep is
Ravanda Castle. constructed by the Crusaders and
restored by the Mamelouks. Kuzeyne (Kuzuini) located 5
kilometers northeast of Kilis resembles an open-air
museum with its castle and mosaics. Many diverse
cultures settled in this area, including: Hittite,
Roman and Byzantine. This is a perfect place for
archaeology buffs because there are many ruins here.
Korus (Kiriz) is 20 kilometers east of Kilis where an
ancient Roman center with castle ruins, a temple and
theater are definitely worth seeing.
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