Gaziantep

Gaziantep is a major city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Gaziantep Province, best known as one of the country's culinary capitals. Its older name, Antep, still survives in everyday speech and in famous local dishes, while the Gazi prefix honours the city's resistance to the French siege during the Turkish War of Independence. Set at the crossroads of Anatolia and the Levant, the city has long combined trade, craft and agriculture.

The historic centre clusters around Gaziantep Castle and the surrounding bazaars, where coppersmiths still work in shops along the Coppersmiths Bazaar. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum preserves Roman mosaics from the nearby ancient city of Zeugma, including the celebrated Gypsy Girl, and ranks among the world's most important mosaic collections. Restored stone houses, caravanserais, mosques and narrow lanes give the old districts a strong sense of place.

Food defines the visitor experience as much as any monument. Gaziantep is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, celebrated for Antep baklava, locally grown pistachios, katmer, beyran soup, lahmacun and regional kebabs. Markets such as Zincirli Bedesten and Elmaci Pazari, family-run lokantas and specialist sweet shops draw food-focused travellers throughout the year.

Beyond the table, Gaziantep is a dynamic industrial and trade centre, with large organized industrial zones, textile and food-processing industries and a busy calendar of trade fairs. Its position near the Syrian border makes it an important regional hub, while its museums, historic quarters and surrounding sites such as Dülük and Rumkale add depth for sightseers.

For both leisure and business travellers, Gaziantep offers a distinctive mix of heritage, serious food culture and commercial energy. Visitors can spend mornings in Roman-era collections, afternoons in bazaars and workshops, and evenings working through one of Turkey's richest regional menus.