Gaziantep
A UNESCO City of Gastronomy famed for pistachio baklava and kebabs, the "Gypsy Girl" at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, and the old town's Coppersmiths' Bazaar.
Gaziantep (still often called Antep by locals) lies in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border. It is Turkey's sixth-largest city and a UNESCO-designated "City of Gastronomy". This is the home of pistachios and baklava, and its kebabs, Ali Nazik, beyran soup and pistachio coffee are all highly distinctive—many visitors come purely to eat. The sights are concentrated in the old town: the castle, the Coppersmiths' Bazaar, the Zincirli Bedesten covered market, mosques and a string of small museums housed in converted stone mansions and caravanserais, all easily explored on foot; the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in the north of the city is a must-see. Day trips are easy to arrange: head about 50 km east to the ruins of ancient Zeugma, then on to Rumkale and a boat trip from the half-submerged town of Halfeti; to the southwest is Yesemek, a Hittite sculpture workshop. The best times to visit are Apr–May and Sep–Nov; summer temperatures often exceed 35°C, and winter occasionally brings snow. Gaziantep Airport has direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara, and the airport bus takes about 30 minutes to the city; Şanlıurfa is about 2 hours away by road, making it easy to combine into a southeastern Turkey route. Plan on 2–3 days. The February 2023 earthquake damaged the castle and other historic sites; some attractions are still under restoration, so check opening status on site.
Top sights
- Zeugma Mosaic Museum – One of the world's largest mosaic museums; its treasure is the 'Gypsy Girl' mosaic, whose eyes seem to follow you.
- İmam Çağdaş – A century-old restaurant founded in 1887, famous for its Ali Nazik kebab and freshly baked pistachio baklava.
- Baklava Shops (Güllüoğlu & Koçak) – Eat freshly baked pistachio baklava at its birthplace; Güllüoğlu and Koçak are well-known local shops.
- Gaziantep Castle & Panorama Museum – An ancient castle built on an artificial mound, housing a panorama museum of the city's defence; damaged in the 2023 earthquake and current…
- Coppersmiths Bazaar – A historic copper street filled with the sound of hammering, where handmade copper trays, coffee pots and engraved vessels are abundant.
- Zincirli Bedesten – An 18th-century stone covered market, now selling spices, dried fruit, pistachios and handicrafts.
- Alaüddevle Mosque – An old-town mosque built in the early 16th century under the Dulkadirid dynasty, known for its striking black-and-white striped stone arche…
- Zeugma Ancient City – A Hellenistic-Roman city on the Euphrates, partly submerged by a reservoir, with villa mosaics preserved in the open air.
- Rumkale – An ancient castle on a cliff above the Euphrates, once the seat of the Armenian Church. Visitors can take a boat up to the fortress for vie…
- Tahmis Coffee House – An Ottoman-era coffeehouse dating to 1635, where you can taste local specialties such as pistachio coffee and menengiç coffee.
- Kurtuluş Mosque – Originally a 19th-century Armenian Church of the Holy Mother of God, distinctive for its black-and-white striped exterior and later convert…
- Bayazhan Gaziantep City Museum – A city museum housed in a 19th-century caravanserai, using multimedia displays to present Gaziantep's crafts and folk traditions.
- Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Museum – A 17th-century monastery of the Sufi whirling dervishes, displaying the costumes, instruments, and daily life of the Mevlevi order.
- Emine Göğüş Culinary Museum – A small museum on the food culture of Gaziantep, the 'City of Gastronomy,' showcasing traditional cookware, ingredients, and the preparatio…
- Hasan Süzer Ethnography Museum – A traditional Gaziantep stone house with black-and-white masonry, converted into a museum showing the life of a wealthy merchant family and…
- Hamam Museum (Naib Hamamı) – An Ottoman bathhouse at the foot of the castle, converted into a museum that uses wax figures to recreate the traditional Turkish bath ritu…
- Gaziantep Zoo – One of Turkey's largest zoos, with a vast grounds, large cats, a penguin house, and an aquarium.
- Yesemek Open-Air Museum – The site of a Hittite stone-carving workshop, where hundreds of unfinished sphinxes and reliefs lie scattered across the hillside.
- Doliche (Dülük) Ancient City – An ancient site 10 km north of the city, known for the sanctuary of Jupiter Dolichenus, rock-cut tombs, and a Mithraeum.
- Halfeti – An old town partly submerged by a reservoir on the Euphrates, where the minarets of a mosque rise above the water. A boat trip is the class…
Where to eat
- İmam Çağdaş – An iconic bazaar establishment founded in 1887, whose kebabs and pistachio baklava represent the signature flavors of G…
- Metanet Lokantası – A famous lamb soup restaurant opening at 5:00 AM, with multiple guides calling its beyran the best in town, making it a…
- Kebapçı Halil Usta – A simple, rustic restaurant opened in 1972, famous for its tender lamb tenderloin (küşleme), located just behind the Ze…
- Katmerci Zekeriya Usta – A third-generation specialty shop serving stone-oven baked pistachio and clotted cream katmer, a classic breakfast for…
Itineraries
- Southeastern Mesopotamia Antiquities – Savor Gaziantep's culinary heritage, stand before the giant statues of Mount Nemrut, and explore Göbeklitepe and the st…