Tilhalit

Tilhalit, also spelled Tell Khalid (Latin: Trialeth) and officially recognized as Asmacık, is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Oğuzeli, Gaziantep Province, Turkey.^[1] Its population is 195 (2022).^[2] It was a fortress during the 12th century, contested at times by the Crusaders, Zengids and Ayyubids.

Tilhalit Asmacık
Neighbourhood
Tilhalit Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 36°45′43″N 37°37′46″E
Country	Turkey
Province	Gaziantep
District	Oğuzeli
Population  (2022)	195
Time zone	UTC+3 (TRT)

The village is inhabited by Abdals of the Kurular tribe.^[3]

History

On 29 November 1114, an earthquake devastated Tell Khalid, along with numerous other places across the region of Aleppo.^[4] It was also damaged in the 1138 Aleppo earthquake.^[5]

In the autumn or winter of 1150, the village was captured by the Zengid ruler Nur ad-Din from the County of Edessa, a Crusader state, which was entirely conquered by the Zengids and other Muslim powers by July 1151.^[6] On 17 May 1183, Saladin, a former emir of Nur ad-Din, turned Ayyubid sultan, captured Tell Bashir as part of his general movement to capture Aleppo, which he besieged four days later, from the Zengids.^[7] Saladin's brother, Buri, had already been besieging Tell Khalid, but its town and fortress surrendered without fighting upon Saladin's arrival there.^[7] It was thereafter bestowed to Badr ad-Din Dildirim al-Yaruqi, the Turkmen lord of nearby Tell Bashir and ally of Saladin.^[7] He continued to hold Tell Bashir well after the death of Saladin, and into the 12th century during the latter's son az-Zahir Ghazi's rule over the Emirate of Aleppo, which included Tell Bashir.^[8] By 1218, it was firmly in the possession of az-Zahir Ghazi's son and successor, al-Aziz Muhammad.^[9] There is scant information about Tell Khalid in the historical record after the Ayyubid era.