TITLE:
Life In Kilis with Its Traditional Urban Fabric and Houses
AUTHORS:
Funda Yırmıbesoğlu, Engin E. Eyuboglu, Ozhan Ertekın, Reyhan Genli Yigiter, Neslihan Aydin Yonet
KEYWORDS:
Kilis, Traditional, Urban, Home, Lifestyle, Conservation, Urban Heritage
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.3 No.4,
November
20,
2015
ABSTRACT: Conserving historic urban environments is currently one of the most universally urgent and challenging
cultural heritage conservation issues. Conservation in this paper is seen as a term that
covers a wide spectrum of issues that can be classified under three categories: historic urban fabric,
traditional Kilis houses and lifestyle concerns. Kilis, which has been a home for many civilizations
and cultures throughout history, is an outstanding settlement with its unique historic urban
fabric and distinctive house plans. Situated in a transition climate zone, the city also shines for its
traditional local cuisine and varied traditional handicrafts. This study aims to give a detailed description
of the traditional urban fabric, streets, squares, residential plan types including commonly
used architectural details, and the traditional materials in Kilis. The study also examines
the lifestyle in Kilis with respect to the city’s potentialities. The recommendations regarding how
to preserve and maintain the historic urban fabric, the traditional Kilis houses, and lifestyle characteristics
are presented in the discussion and conclusion part.