Gaziantep

Unique Blend of Gastronomy and History

Located at the junction of Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, on the historical Silk Road, the ancient city Gaziantep embraced different civilizations for generations and offers its visitors modernity and tradition with a unique taste.

When Gaziantep is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is its cuisine. The diversity of the Gaziantep cuisine comes from the civilizations it hosted. Antep’s culture and history is so rich that it has countless museums, from mosaics to toys, from baths to pistachios, from the National Struggle in the War of Independence to Mevlevism, from zoology to gastronomy, from the history of Islamic sciences to the ancient culture of the city. Once you come to Gaziantep, get ready for a journey where you will learn beyond what you already know…

There is much more that Gaziantep has to offer… The Kastels, as the unique example of water architecture in the world in its own style; the magnificent castles built on steep slopes, the world’s largest underground temple of of the mysterious religion Mitras; the mosaic paved villas on the edge of the Euphrates, the Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, and of course the historical houses and the streets of Antep are waiting for you to be discovered…

Gaziantep is an ancient city adorned with cultural, religious, and gastronomic riches and 6000 years of history. Its location on trade routes and the crossing point of civilizations has made it popular and enriched in every period.

These lands, which hosted many important city-states, also welcomed numerous types of beliefs, from pagan cults to monotheistic religions. Each civilization added its own cultural heritage to the previous one, which resulted in a wonderful historical taste, just like the layers of phyllo that make up baklava. This amazing taste came to light through the mosaics, sculptures and reliefs of the craftsmen in the region.

Apart from the visible ones, the people of Antep also attached importance to the underground. They built the world’s largest underground Temple of Mitras (Mitras Tapınağı), as well as the Kastels, an intelligently built underground water system, as a solution to regional problems.

If you are curious about the visible and invisible treasures of Antep, come and explore this mysterious city!

Zeugma Ancient City

Zeugma has become a center of attraction as one of the largest and most populous cities of the Romanperiod, with its houses overlooking the Euphrates River, river trade, and the mobility in social life. Merchants, commanders and wealthy people who settled in Zeugma built many villas on the scenic terraces; master artists used colored stones to adorn the floors of these villas with the mosaics of mythological scenes and geometric motifs of the ancient world.

Zeugma drew the attention of the world with its unique mosaics depicting mythological Greek gods on the floor of a pool or a dining hall, and frescoes on the walls of the houses, and with the bullas (about 100,000 bulla-seal imprints) found in all ancient cities around the world.

Excavations in most of the mosaic villas in the city were completed and the recovered artifacts were moved to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum (Zeugma Mozaik Müzesi). Those that could not be excavated were flooded by the Birecik Dam (Birecik Barajı). The villas located in the higher parts of the city were taken under protection and opened to visitors. Archaeological excavations in the city are still going on.

Zeugma Mosaic Museum

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum (Zeugma Mozaik Müzesi), which is one of the largest Mosaic Museums in the world, has a very rich mosaic collection in terms of subject and color variety. It attracts attention with the high number of tessera (name given to each mosaic stone) per square meter within the scope of approximately 3,000 m² of mosaic exhibited. The transfer of architecture, life style, plant and animal themes of the period with three-dimensional designs and high-level techniques made Zeugma one of the most important museums worldwide.

The statue of Mars (Ares), the God of War, made of bronze is one of the most striking artifacts exhibited in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. In addition, the world-known”Gypsy Girl” Mosaic is exhibited here too.

Archaeology Museum

The Gaziantep Archaeology Museum (Gaziantep Arkeoloji Müzesi), founded by Sebahat Göğüş, one of the first female archaeologists of the Republican period, has an interesting and rich collection. The museum literally takes visitors on a historical journey from the past to the present, with exhibition units from the Early Paleolithic Period to the present. In 106 showcases in the museum, the exhibition begins with fossils and rocks from the Geological period, and continues with artifacts from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Ages, Hittite, Hurrian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Eastern Roman, Islamic, and Ottoman periods.

Yesemek Open Air Museum

Yesemek is known as the largest stone quarry and sculpture workshop in the Middle East between the 14th century BCE and the 7th century BCE. The workshop, where the local people of Hurrians worked, was put into operation in the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE, when the region came under Hittite rule during the time of the Hittite King Shuppiluma I. The workshop, which suspended its activities during the migration of the Sea Peoples in 1,200 BCE, started to work again during the Late Hittite Kingdoms from the 9th century BCE. In the new period, especially Hittite, Syrian, Aramaic and Assyrian art elements have gained importance. This style, known as Orientalism, formed the core of Greek art by influencing the Aegean Cultures that started to develop in the West.

Gaziantep Castle

The Gaziantep Castle (Gaziantep Kalesi) is one of the most beautiful examples of castles that could survive in Türkiye, and is located on a hill in the city center.  It is known that it was founded on a mound dating back 6,000 years from the present to the Chalcolithic period, and that there was a small city named “Theban” in and around the castle in the 2nd – 3rd century CE. During this period, it was understood by archaeological excavations that the castle was built as a Roman watchtower and expanded over time. It took its current form in the 6th century CE during the Byzantine Emperor Justinian.

As a result of the archaeological excavations carried out by the Gaziantep Archeology Museum, a bath and a mosque belonging to the Ottoman period were unearthed. A gallery of the castle is now used as the Gaziantep Defense and Heroic Panorama Museum. (Gaziantep Savunması ve Kahramanlık Panaroması Müzesi)

 

48 hours in Gaziantep

First Day 

You can start your day by exploring various museums in central Gaziantep. First of all you can visit December 25 Panoroma Museum, Bath Museum and Emine Göğüş Culinary Museum. After these museum tours you can climb up to the Gaziantep Castle and witness magnificent views of the the city from above. If you are interested in learning while doing then you can try the Olive workshop where you can practice different culinary skills. After the workshop you can visit National and Gümrük Caravanserais. If you plan to do some shopping you can visit Zincirli Bazaar, Coppersmiths Bazaarand Almaci Bazaar where you can find different local tastes and souvenirs. You can taste Tahmis Coffeewhile you are having a break during your trip in Gaziantep. You can visit Mevlevi Lodge and Whirling Dervishes Foundation Museum to have a better understanding about Mevlevi beliefs. You can finish your day by visiting Pişirici Kastel and Kozluca Kastel.

Second Day

You can start your day by visiting one of the most famous museums in the region which is located in the Gaziantep city center. Zeugma Mosaic Museum holds a magnificent collection of mosaics. Afterwards you can visit Gaziantep Archeology Museum and examine the historical artifacts found in the region. You can wander streets of Bey Neighborhood and feel like a local. Atatürk Memorial Museum and Ali İhsan Göğüş Museums worth a visit. If you are visiting the city with your kids you can explore the Play and Toy Museum which has a nice collection of toys from different periods. You can witness the wonderful Ottoman architecture by visiting the Kurtuluş Mosque. Bayazhan City Museum offers an insight to the economical, natural and social life of Gaziantep and its people. Finally, if you are looking for a nice family attraction you can visit the Gaziantep Zoo which covers around 1000 acres of land.