{"id":991908,"date":"2025-10-03T23:46:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T20:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/?p=991908"},"modified":"2025-10-03T23:46:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T20:46:11","slug":"miras-kilis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/miras-kilis\/","title":{"rendered":"KILIS HERITAGE"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In mid-September, I received a call from Sabriye Yersel of K\u0131z\u0131lg\u00f6l Vineyards. After a brief chat, she invited us to Kilis the following weekend to introduce the KILIS HERITAGE project. Although the notice was short, we decided to expand the format of the trip a little and said yes. We also added a \u015eanl\u0131urfa leg to the journey\u2014which deserves its own story\u2014and set out when the day arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many of us, Kilis had long lived in our minds as if it were simply part of Gaziantep, so seeing it as a province in its own right takes some adjustment. We met our fellow invitees from K\u0131z\u0131lg\u00f6l at Canbolad Mansion, the meeting point for the small group. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>

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The \u201cKILIS HERITAGE\u201d Project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before diving into the flow of the trip, it\u2019s worth pausing to look at the project itself. KILIS HERITAGE was created by K\u0131z\u0131lg\u00f6l Vineyards, which is part of a larger group also active in construction. Their decision was not to see wine production in isolation, but as part of an agrotourism initiative. The project embraces both the agricultural and tourism riches of Kilis as a whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the \u201cagro\u201d side are the vineyards producing wines under the Ni&ce label. Since the Kilis winery is not yet complete, the grapes are currently sent to Denizli for vinification. But the hardest part is already done: permits have been secured. Given the parent company\u2019s expertise in construction, the remaining phases of the winery should move quickly. The plan is to vinify the 2026 harvest in the new facility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201ctourism\u201d side is just as colorful. Turkey\u2019s culinary heritage has been receiving more attention in recent years, with many businesses deepening and modernizing regional traditions. Once Kilis separated administratively from Gaziantep, it gained an advantage in putting its own cuisine on display. We had the chance to encounter some of the first wave examples of this change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journey Begins: A Light Lunch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our small group\u2019s first stop was a light lunch\u2014our first step into Kilis cuisine. Our host in the kitchen was Chef Mehmet Ali, originally from Kilis. The meal began with lebeniye, a yogurt-based soup. In Kilis, it is served hot with meat; in other regions, it can be served cold and meatless. Next came a Kilis lahmacun. When we asked Mehmet Ali about the difference, he explained that the filling includes both onion and garlic. The surprise of the lunch was bumbar dolmas\u0131 (stuffed intestines). While usually boiled elsewhere, in Kilis they are fried\u2014honestly, from now on it will be hard to eat them any other way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touring Kilis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After lunch, we walked through the Kilis Bazaar and visited the Kilis Museum, housed in a restored soap factory. The architectural traces of its earlier function are as interesting as the artifacts inside. The museum draws heavily from excavations at Oylum H\u00f6y\u00fck and offers a well-organized, not overwhelming experience. To be fair, the performance of the Ministry of Culture in both excavation sites and museums impressed us throughout this trip. In the midst of today\u2019s challenging circumstances, the competence and order of these cultural services give us hope for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kilis Katmeri<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of our stops was Bek\u00e2n Patisserie, still run by two brothers, famous for serving Kilis-style katmer. In conversation, we learned that U\u011fur Bey had graduated from what was then the Institute of Skilled Crafts (today\u2019s Vocational High School). Listening to how this shaped the business was a reminder of the cultural richness embedded in such stories. The brothers inherited the craft from their father, and now their own children are continuing it. If this can evolve into a century-old establishment, it would be wonderful. Turkey\u2019s record in sustaining such heritage businesses is not very strong, but much can still be done. The crucial point is maintaining traditional identity while ensuring economic sustainability. If KILIS HERITAGE manages even part of this balance, it will have fulfilled its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Reality of Kilis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may surprise you: there are no restaurants in Kilis with licenses to serve alcohol. That doesn\u2019t mean Kilislis don\u2019t drink; it simply means consumption happens in private spaces, not in public establishments. One of our main goals on this trip was to connect Kilis cuisine with Ni&ce wines. For this reason, our dinner was held at the vineyard guesthouse, just outside the city center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kilis Cuisine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the table, we first tasted examples of the region\u2019s own green olives prepared with a tomato paste sauce, accompanied by the spice mix we know as zahter and the region\u2019s olive oil. There was also a delicious pickle made from the local grape variety called Rumi (also spelled Urumi or Urum). As an alternative to bread, the region\u2019s galeta-like baked good known as k\u00e4ke was part of the spread. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>

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Next came the hot appetizers: \u00e7i\u011f k\u00f6fte, k\u00fcbb\u00fclm\u00fc\u015ffiye, i\u00e7li k\u00f6fte, \u015f\u0131h\u0131lmah\u015fi, stuffed peppers and eggplants, stuffed grape leaves, and the region\u2019s pita.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you think of Kilis, the most iconic dish that comes to mind is Kilis Tava, a dish truly worth highlighting. Baked in the oven, it arrived at the table in a round tray and was served in triangular slices, still sizzling with bubbling fat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dessert, we had one of the region\u2019s favorite sweets: Cennet \u00c7amuru. Made with pistachios and clotted cream, it was a heavenly closure for those with a sweet tooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering that Ni&ce is a wine producer, of course pairing Ni&ce\u2019s wine portfolio with these dishes was also important for us. While matching the range of wines with the savory dishes posed no problem, the dessert remained without a proper pairing. That will be a homework assignment for Ni&ce in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oylum H\u00f6y\u00fck \u2013 Aidesim Mozaikli Bazilika – Yesemek<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The star of the second day was Prof. Atilla Engin, head of the Oylum H\u00f6y\u00fck excavations. Touring both the H\u00f6y\u00fck and the nearby Mosaic Basilica, followed by the Yesemek Open-Air Museum, with his guidance was a privilege. Each of these deserves its own detailed story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Word<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KILIS HERITAGE is one of the most meaningful projects a brand could choose to express itself. We hope more businesses will have both the resources and the vision to dedicate themselves to projects like this\u2014projects that protect heritage while creating new opportunities for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>

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Eyl\u00fcl ay\u0131n\u0131n ortas\u0131nda K\u0131z\u0131lg\u00f6l Ba\u011fc\u0131l\u0131k\u2019tan Sabriye Yersel telefonla arad\u0131, ho\u015f-be\u015f ettikten sonra izleyen hafta sonu i\u00e7in M\u0130RAS K\u0130L\u0130S projesini tan\u0131tmak i\u00e7in Kilis\u2019e davet etti. S\u00fcrenin dar olmas\u0131na ra\u011fmen gezinin format\u0131n\u0131 biraz geni\u015fletip \u201cevet\u201d dedik. Kilis ziyaretinin \u00f6n\u00fcne bir ba\u015fka yaz\u0131n\u0131n konusu olacak \u015eanl\u0131urfa b\u00f6l\u00fcm\u00fcn\u00fc de ekledik, tarihi gelince de d\u00fc\u015ft\u00fck yollara. Kilis\u2019i \u00e7ocuklu\u011fumuzdan hep Gaziantep\u2019in…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":991910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-991908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nM\u0130RAS K\u0130L\u0130S - Wayana Wine Bar<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wayanatapas.com\/en\/miras-kilis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"M\u0130RAS K\u0130L\u0130S - Wayana Wine Bar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eyl\u00fcl ay\u0131n\u0131n ortas\u0131nda K\u0131z\u0131lg\u00f6l Ba\u011fc\u0131l\u0131k\u2019tan Sabriye Yersel telefonla arad\u0131, ho\u015f-be\u015f ettikten sonra izleyen hafta sonu i\u00e7in M\u0130RAS K\u0130L\u0130S projesini tan\u0131tmak i\u00e7in Kilis\u2019e davet etti. S\u00fcrenin dar olmas\u0131na ra\u011fmen gezinin format\u0131n\u0131 biraz geni\u015fletip \u201cevet\u201d dedik. Kilis ziyaretinin \u00f6n\u00fcne bir ba\u015fka yaz\u0131n\u0131n konusu olacak \u015eanl\u0131urfa b\u00f6l\u00fcm\u00fcn\u00fc de ekledik, tarihi gelince de d\u00fc\u015ft\u00fck yollara. 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