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Gaziantep - Koroglu Sok No 6, Sekeroglu Mah Sahinbey
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Gaziantep — simply called Antep by locals — is Turkey’s sixth-largest city and one of the country’s most underrated destinations. Located in south-east Anatolia, roughly 100 kilometres from the Syrian border, it has been a commercial crossroads between Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the Mediterranean for millennia. This layering of history is still palpable today in every alley of the bazaar, in every dish served in its restaurants.
Gaziantep’s international reputation is chiefly tied to gastronomy: in 2015, UNESCO designated it a Creative City of Gastronomy, a recognition that places it alongside cities such as Lyon and Parma. Antep baklava, made with pistachios grown in the surrounding countryside, has been protected by European geographical indication since 2013. Yet the city is far more than culinary excellence: the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of Roman mosaics, alone justifies a visit.
Gaziantep is a vibrant, delightfully chaotic city with a walkable historic centre, still-authentic artisanal markets and a young population that has transformed the neighbourhoods around the castle into an unexpected cultural scene.
Gaziantep knows how to surprise: alongside grand museums and historical sites, it offers unique gastronomic experiences, bazaars that have survived the ages and neighbourhood life rarely encountered in Turkey’s busier tourist destinations. Here are the attractions not to be missed.
The Zeugma Mozaik Müzesi, opened in 2011, houses the world’s largest collection of Roman mosaics: over 1,700 square metres of mosaic floors recovered from the Greco-Roman city of Zeugma before the Birecik Dam reservoir submerged it in 2000. The most famous piece is the Gypsy Girl Mosaic (Çingene Kızı), a 2nd-century AD female portrait of extraordinary expressiveness that has become the city’s symbol. The galleries are arranged with modern curatorial care, dramatic lighting and informational panels in Turkish and English. Allow at least two hours for a thorough visit.
The Gaziantep Kalesi dominates the city centre from atop a basalt hill and is Antep’s most recognisable architectural symbol. Its origins are Roman — 2nd-3rd century AD — but the current structure results from Byzantine and Ottoman additions. Cylindrical towers and walls of black basalt stone give the castle a severe yet dramatic appearance. Inside, it houses the Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Museum, dedicated to the city’s resistance during the Turkish War of Independence, 1920-21. The view from the wall walk encompasses the entire historic city.
The Bakırcılar Çarşısı — the coppersmiths’ market — is the artisanal heart of Gaziantep’s historic centre: a network of covered alleyways where copper workers still craft metalware by hand with hammers and punches, producing cookware, trays and decorations using techniques inherited from Ottoman craftsmen. The sound of beaten metal accompanies your entire visit. Radiating outwards are the spice bazaar, textile market and the Saffron Bazaar, where you’ll find Antep pistachios, isot chilli peppers and sesame pastes that define the local cuisine.
The Gaziantep Mutfağı Müzesi is arguably Turkey’s most serious gastronomic museum: housed in a historic Ottoman mansion in the old city centre, it documents the preparation techniques of over 400 traditional Antep recipes through life-size wax figures. It’s not a children’s museum — it’s a rigorous ethnographic record of how people cook and eat in this part of Turkey. Immediately after your visit, neighbourhood restaurants offer the chance to taste everything you’ve seen: Antep kebab, katmer (filo pastry filled with cream and pistachios) and of course freshly made baklava.
Among Gaziantep’s historic restaurants, Şirvani best embodies the depth of Antep’s cuisine: a location in the old city centre serving recipes passed down through generations, in an ancient stone setting with vaulted ceilings. A visit is worthwhile not only for the food but to understand what distinguishes Gaziantep’s cooking from other Turkish regional cuisines: the systematic use of isot chilli — a local variety with a smoky aroma — raw pistachios as a savoury ingredient and rose water in desserts. Booking ahead at weekends is advisable.
Housed in an elegant 18th-century Ottoman structure in the Şahinbey neighbourhood, the Mevlevihane Müzesi was the lodge of the Mevlevi dervishes of Gaziantep, the same Sufi order as the whirling dervishes of Istanbul. The building has been carefully restored and arranged as a museum illustrating the life, rituals and music of the Mevleviyye order: original musical instruments, ceremonial dress, manuscripts and period furnishings. The central hall of the semahane, where the whirling dance ritual took place, remains intact. One of the city’s lesser-visited gems.
About 15 kilometres north of Gaziantep lies Dülük (ancient Doliche), one of Turkey’s oldest cultic sites: a rock sanctuary carved into limestone that was dedicated to the worship of Jupiter Dolichenus, a cult that spread throughout the Roman Empire between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. Recent excavations by the University of Münster have uncovered reliefs, inscriptions and cultic chambers of considerable interest. The site remains under active excavation and is accessible with site personnel. The landscape itself — hills of pistachio and olive trees — is remarkable.
The Hasan Süzer Etnografya Müzesi is housed in one of Gaziantep’s best-preserved Ottoman mansions: a 19th-century palace with an internal courtyard, iwan, majolica-tiled rooms and period furnishings. It illustrates the domestic life of wealthy Antep families between the 19th and early 20th centuries, with faithfully reconstructed kitchens, reception rooms, private hammam and artisanal workshop. It’s one of the city’s most picturesque museums and takes about an hour to tour. Located a short distance from the castle, it’s easily incorporated into a walking itinerary through the historic centre.
The historic centre around the castle and bazaar is the most interesting area for those who want to experience the city on foot: boutique hotels created within historic Ottoman mansions with internal courtyards, minutes’ walk from the Zeugma Museum, city-centre restaurants and artisanal markets. It’s the ideal choice for those visiting for gastronomy and culture, with virtually everything within walking distance.
The Şahinbey and İslahiye Caddesi neighbourhood instead hosts international chain hotels and more modern facilities with larger rooms and business services. It’s quieter than the historic centre, convenient for those arriving by car or needing parking, and well connected to the rest of the city. The university area along Üniversite Bulvarı is more budget-friendly and lively in the evenings, with cafés and bars frequented by Gaziantep University’s students.
Gaziantep is located in south-east Turkey, approximately 660 kilometres from Ankara, 1,130 from Istanbul and 220 from Adana. The city is well served by air connections to Turkey’s major cities and some international destinations, and serves as the main gateway to the entire south-eastern region of the country.
Oğuzeli Airport (IATA code: GZT) is located roughly 20 kilometres east of the city centre. It handles direct flights from Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen and Atatürk), Ankara, Izmir and some seasonal international routes. From the terminal you can reach the city centre by taxi in approximately 25-30 minutes (indicative cost 200-250 Turkish lire). Havaş airport shuttle buses connect the airport to the city centre with stops at various locations; the journey takes around 40 minutes. There is no direct metro or tram connection to the airport.
Gaziantep is served by the central train station, with connections to Adana (approximately 3 hours), from where you can access Turkey’s main high-speed rail lines to Ankara and Istanbul. The Adana-Gaziantep route is served by regional trains with daily frequencies. Overall travel times from Istanbul by train (with a change at Adana) are approximately 12-14 hours, making flying the most practical option for those coming from western Turkey.
What's the weather at Gaziantep? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Gaziantep for the next few days.
Gaziantep is located in south-eastern Turkey, at the crossroads between southern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia. It lies approximately 220 km from Adana, 145 km from Şanlıurfa and 330 km from Antakya (Hatay). It sits roughly 100 kilometres from the Syrian border.
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