KILLIS

killis, a town of n. syria, in the vilayet of aleppo, 60 m. n. of aleppo city. it is situated in an extremely fertile plain, and is completely surrounded with olive groves, the produce of which is reckoned the finest oil of all syria; and its position on the carriage-road from aleppo to aintab and birejik gives it importance. the population (20,000) consists largely of circassians, turkomans and arabs, the town lying just on the northern rim of the arab territory. as killis lies also very near the proposed junction of the bagdad and the beirut-aleppo railways (at tell habesh), it is likely to increase in importance.