Warning: On February 6th 2023, Kahramanmaraş was hit by a devastating earthquake. Many of the city's buildings and landmarks are badly damaged or collapsed.
Kahramanmaraş, which used to be known as Maraş, is a city in Turkey, located on the crossroad of southern, eastern and southeastern Turkey.
Kahramanmaraş is the capital city of Kahramanmaraş Province in southeastern Turkey. The city lies on a plain at the foot of the Taurus Mountains and has a population of 400,100 (2010). The region is best known for its production of salep, a flour made from dried orchid tubers, and its distinctive ice cream.
Turkish Airlines operates daily direct flights from Istanbul, and Anadolu Jet operates direct flights from Ankara.
As of 2019, there are no rail services to Kahramanmaras. Nearest train station is in the small town of Türkoğlu, 20 kilometers south, which is served by one train per day on the Adana-Elâzığ route.
Adana - 2 hours (230 km) Gaziantep - 55 minutes (80 km)
Available from every city in Turkey
In the city of Kahramanmaras you can travel with the dolmuş minibuses (Fare: 1.25 TL), public urban buses (Halk otobüsü) (Fare: 1.15 TL) or taxi.
Budget: 3.50–4.50 tl, mid-range: 4.50–10 tl, splurge: 10 tl+ (meal for one + soft drink).
Cinaralti Kebab(Azerbaycan Ave.)
Cumhuriyet Lokantasi (Covered Bazaar)
Antepli Lahmacun (Binevler/Kahramanmaras)
Selale Park Café (Trabzon Ave.)
Kasap Ibrahim (Hukumet Ave.)
Kucuk Ev Kebab (Trabzon Ave.)
Yenisehir Lokantasi (Trabzon Ave.)
Turaç (Sait Zaifoglu Ave. Orman St. No: 101)
Sezal Restaurant (Hanefi Mahcicek Ave. near Kahramanmaras Zoo)
Arıkan Oteli(Azerbaycan Ave.)
Buyuk Kahramanmaras Oteli (Trabzon Ave.)
Ramada Hotel (4*) (Hanefi Mahcicek Ave. No:286 Ungut/Kahramanmaras)
Arsan Hotel (4*) (South Highway - Gaziantep Highway Arsancenter Kahramanmaras)
Kahramanmaras is one of the safest cities in Turkey for its size. There are no slums or districts you should avoid. In general, you can visit any part of the city at any time of the day without taking many risks — just use your common sense. At night, though, it is wise to avoid parks, as well as the area within and around Ulu Mosque and Castle. The drug scene at Castle hangs out there during the day, but they do not care at all about tourists. Just ignore them and they will ignore you.
Primary administrative division