GAZIANTEP

Gaziantep especially known throughout Turkey for its excellent pistachios. Industry also contributes to the local economy. The 36 towers of the city’s fortress were originally constructed in the Justinian era and were later rebuilt by the Seljuks. The Archaeology Museum has important items from Neolithic, Hittite and Roman times. The Hasan Sözer House, from the turn of the century, has been beautifully restored and houses the Ethnographical Museum. The artisans of Gaziantep specialize in copperware and furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The kitchens produce some of the best lahmacun, a delicious pizza topped with spicy meat and herbs, and baklava, a honey and nut pastry.

AROUND GAZIANTEP

 

West of Gaziantep, the Dülük forest makes a good day’s outing, or you can stay overnight in the campsite. In the woods, stroll through the Dülük archaeological site, which dates back to prehistoric times. A Hittite sculpting school was centered in Yesemek, where the 200 works of art on view reveal the beauty of Hittite art. Next to the Syrian border, on the banks of the Firat River, Kargamis, once a late Hittite capital, is another important archaeological site. The site’s finds, including immense bas-reliefs, have been moved to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The ruins of Belkis (Zeugma) are on the borders of Nizip. It has a Mound, which has been turned into a citadel. The mosaics from the Roman period are well worth seeing.