Kilis is a small historic city in southeastern Turkey, situated just kilometres from the Syrian border and nestled among ancient olive groves. Long an important junction between Anatolia and the Levant, Kilis retains a distinctive Arab-influenced culture expressed in its unique cuisine, centuries-old bazaars, Ottoman mosques, and the olive oil traditions that have shaped life here for millennia. Visitors come for the unforgettable local gastronomy — especially kilis tarhana, şıllık flatbread, and kiraz kebabı — and for the rare experience of a historic Anatolian border city largely untouched by mass tourism.
Cultural orientation
Essential context for travellers.
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Do's and don'ts
Quick guide to local norms.
Do
- Accept the first cup of çay (tea) offered — it marks you as a respectful visitor
- Greet shopkeepers on entering and leaving a shop, even if not buying
- Try to use a few Turkish words — Teşekkürler (thank you), lütfen (please), and Aferin (bravo) go a long way
- Visit the Canbolat Bey Hamam for an authentic cultural experience rather than as a tourist attraction
- Participate in the evening stroll (akşam yürüyüşü) along Atatürk Caddesi where families walk and socialise after sunset
Don't
- Do not enter a mosque during prayer times or while the call to prayer (ezan) is sounding
- Do not photograph military installations, border posts, or security checkpoints — it is illegal
- Do not raise your voice or argue in public — Kilis locals find this deeply embarrassing
- Do not refuse food offered as hospitality without a polite explanation; a small taste is appreciated
- Do not assume everyone speaks Turkish — Arabic is the first language of many families in Kilis
Etiquette by setting
How to navigate everyday situations.
Useful phrases
A few words go a long way.
Merhaba
Hello
mer-HA-ba
Teşekkürler
Thank you
te-shek-KUR-ler
Lütfen
Please
LUET-fen
Ne kadar?
How much?
ne KA-dar
Çok güzel
Very beautiful
chok GUE-zel
Günaydın
Good morning
GUUN-ay-duhn
İyi akşamlar
Good evening
ee-yee AK-sham-lar
Yardım edin!
Help!
YAR-duhm e-DIN
Hesap lütfen
The bill, please
he-SAP LUET-fen
Marhaba
Hello (Arabic)
MAR-ha-ba
Shukran
Thank you (Arabic)
SHUK-ran
Religion & spirituality
Understanding faith in Kilis.
Items:
- Faith
- Sunni Islam
- Notes
- The vast majority of Kilis residents are Sunni Muslim. The city has numerous mosques, all active. The call to prayer (ezan) sounds 5 times daily. Mosques welcome respectful non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times.
- Faith
- Arabic Levantine heritage
- Notes
- Unlike most Turkish cities, Kilis has a significant Arabic-speaking community with cultural ties to northern Syria and the wider Levant. Arabic Alawite and Sunni traditions coexist with Turkish Sunni culture.