Karayılan, Hatay

Karayılan (literally "black snake") is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of İskenderun, Hatay Province, Turkey. Its population is 9,074 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde).

Geography
Karayılan is situated to the east of Turkish state highway D.817 and Çukurova Motorway. Distance to İskenderun is 16 km and to Antakya (administrative center of Hatay Province) is 93 km.

History
The name of the town refers to a 17th-century Turkmen family. In 1691 the Ottoman government tried to settle the nomads. The nomads struggled to continue their traditional lifestyle. Although the government punished them by exiling to Rakka Eyalet (now in Syria) they were able to return. But at the end of continuous struggles, towards the end of the 18th century, three families gave up and agreed to settle where they were assigned to. In 1990, Karayılan was declared a seat of township.

Economy
Cereals and citrus are among the major crops. Many residents work in Isdemir (steel works)