Kırıkhan

36°29′51″N 36°21′39″E / 36.49750°N 36.36083°E / 36.49750; 36.36083CountryTurkeyProvinceHatayGovernment • MayorAyhan Yavuz (AKP)Area715 km² (276 sq mi)Elevation151 m (495 ft)Population121,028 • Density170/km² (440/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)Postal codeArea code0326Websitewww.kirikhan.bel.tr

Kırıkhan is a municipality and district of Hatay Province, Turkey.^[2] Its area is 715 km²,^[3] and its population is 121,028 (2022).^[1] The name Kırıkhan means "broken inn" in the Turkish language, perhaps a reference to one of the many lodgings that once lined the road. The town stands at the intersection of the route between İskenderun and Aleppo, and the major north-south road between Antakya and Kahramanmaraş.

The town was once part of the district of Belen, but became a district in its own right in 1923 at the time of the French Mandate. Kırıkhan was annexed to Turkey in 1939 with the rest of Hatay.

Its average summer temperature is 32.3 °C, and its average winter temperature is 7.3 °C.^{[citation needed]}

The district’s major religious and touristic site is the Beyazid-i Bestami Külliyesi (Complex) on Darb-ı Sak Castle at Alabeyli village, which contains the tomb or maqam of Bayazid Bastami.^[4] The ruined medieval Crusader castle Trapessac is situated near Kırıkhan.

Kırıkhan was heavily damaged by powerful earthquakes in February 2023 and subsequent aftershocks.^[5]

Composition

There are 73 neighbourhoods in Kırıkhan District:^[6]

Notable people

• Nerses Pozapalian, senior bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church

References