Gaziantep & the Southeast

About — Gaziantep & the Southeast

Gaziantep is a lively city in south-eastern Türkiye, known above all for its food: it is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and the home of pistachio baklava. Gaziantep Airport (GZT) is about 1 hour 45 minutes by air from Istanbul and around 20 km from the centre. We suggest staying near the old town, where several historic stone mansions have become boutique hotels. Two days are enough for the museums, the bazaars and plenty of good meals.

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum displays Roman mosaics rescued from the ancient city of Zeugma on the Euphrates; the famous "Gypsy Girl" has its own dimly lit room. In the Coppersmiths' Bazaar (Bakırcılar Çarşısı) you can watch craftsmen hammer and engrave trays and coffee sets, and the restored Zincirli Bedesten nearby sells spices, dried fruit and local products. Gaziantep Castle, on a mound in the centre, is partly under restoration after the 2023 earthquake, but the streets around it make a pleasant walk. Watch the thin layers of dough being rolled by hand in a baklava workshop, and try beyran, a peppery lamb and rice soup eaten in the morning, and katmer, a pistachio and cream pastry. For a full day out, Rumkale is a fortress on a cliff above the Euphrates, usually seen on a boat trip from Halfeti, about 1.5–2 hours' drive away.

Family tips: summer temperatures approach 40°C, so plan sightseeing for the morning and evening; spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Halal food is the norm and meals are generous: kebabs, lahmacun, stuffed vegetables and baklava are best ordered to share. There are many mosques in the old town. Some historic buildings in the region are still being restored after the earthquake, so your guide will confirm what can be visited on the day. A private vehicle is very useful for Rumkale and for Göbeklitepe near Şanlıurfa, about 2 hours away. Gaziantep can be added to an Istanbul holiday with a short domestic flight.

City Guide — Gaziantep & the Southeast

Gaziantep, previously and still informally called Antep, is a city in south-east Türkiye and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it is located 185 km north-east of Adana and is the sixth most populous city in Türkiye. Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites; being the centre of pistachio cultivation in Türkiye and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, it is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of the country. Gaziantep is the probable site of the Hellenistic city of Antiochia ad Taurum; the ruins of Doliche (Duluk) lie a few kilometres north of the city centre in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area with picnic and camping facilities. In the centre of the city stand the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of the past; the citadel was restored by the Byzantines in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from the Neolithic and Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors; a recent addition to the museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma, including the famous "Gypsy Girl" mosaic. The surroundings of the city are full of valuable Hittite remains; the Hasan Suzer House, restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. The Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 km south of the town of Islahiye, is one of the world's first of its kind; other historical remains are the Zeugma (also called Belkis) and Kargamis ruins by the town of Nizip and, slightly more to the north, Rumkale. Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Parthians, Commagene, Romans, Byzantines, Sassanids and Arabs.