Gaziantep

Understand

Ain means a well or spring, and Aintep was a fortress on the site of the present castle since around 1500 BC. It was an outlying town of the city of Dülük 12 km north, until that was destroyed in a 14th century earthquake. Aintep then came to the fore: it was on trade routes and had occasional spells of prosperity but was wrecked again and again by warfare and yet more earthquakes. The last battles came in the aftermath of the First World War, when the victorious Great Powers seized territory from the defeated Ottoman Empire. The British occupied Aintep in 1918/19 then handed it over to the French: for both it was a sideshow to their main target the Mesopotamian oilfields. Turkish forces seized Aintep while the main French force was elsewhere, and there ensued four sieges of the city, with the longest from Aug 1920 to Feb 1921. The Turks then surrendered to the French. However the Treaty of Ankara in October that year awarded the city to Turkey, and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne confirmed the new republic's borders in their present shape. France continued to rule Syria and Lebanon, while the British held Palestine. Gazi meaning veteran was added to the city name to acknowledge its stand against the French. But it's usually simply called Antep: you might see "G Antep" on road signs. It's grown into a sprawling industrial city, mostly based on agriculture. Gaziantep GoTürkiye is the online tourist portal.

Getting there

1 Gaziantep Oğuzeli Airport (GZT IATA) has frequent flights from Istanbul IST taking 1 hr 45 min, and daily from Istanbul SAW, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. An occasional flight from western Europe calls here on its way to Ercan, to circumvent the legal flimflam over the status of Northern Cyprus. The airport has the usual facilities including car hire. It's 15 km south of city centre, the Havaş bus meets the flights from Istanbul, otherwise take a taxi. Gaziantep is on Highway D400, which runs the length of the Turkish Med coast from Bodrum to Adana then away east to the border with Iran. The Adana - Gaziantep - Şanlıurfa section is now paralleled by O-52 motorway, which links to O-21 from Ankara, so travel times from the west are much reduced. Buses from Istanbul run four times a day, taking 17 hours via Ankara, Kayseri and Kahramanmaras. From Adana they take 3 hours via Ceyhan and Osmaniye. From Diyarbakır is 5 hours via Şanlıurfa. Bus lines are Metroturizm, Ben Turizm and Kamil Koç, now part of Flixbus. 2 Gaziantep Şehirlerarası Otobüs Terminali is the inter-city bus terminal, 6 km north of city centre. Take a city (tangerine) bus from the stop on Bahattin Nakıpoğlu Cd just outside the terminal. Gaziulaş Otobüs İşletme Merkezi 1 km south of the terminal is simply a depot for city buses not a transport hub. Though seeing so many broken-down buses, it's a natural mistake to make . . . As of 2026, Gaziantep remains cut off from the mainline railway network: reconstruction of the line from Adana has been lumbering on since what feels like early Ottoman times. Long gone (perhaps never to return) are the trains from Damascus, Aleppo, Mosul and Baghdad. Gaziray is a commuter line from Baspinar to the west across city centre to Taslica in the east. A regional train runs from Nizip once a day, taking 50 min via Taslica. These railways were swiftly repaired after the earthquake but visitors are unlikely to use them. 3 Gaziantep Garı the railway station is consequently rather a quiet place. It's 2.5 km north of city centre, tram T1 runs to within 250 m.

Getting around

Gaziantep is a sprawling city but you can walk to most places of interest. Gaziulaş is the city transport combine, running some 70 bus routes, three tram lines and Gaziray commuter trains. Pay by bank card as you get on. The most useful tram for visitors is T1 (red line), from near the railway station to the north through the central districts to the south. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive.

See

1 Archaeology Museum, İstasyon Cd 2, ☏ +90 342 324 8809. Closed. Prehistoric works, but the Roman mosaics are now in the Zeugma museum, It was damaged in the earthquake and remains closed to visits. (updated Apr 2026) 2 War Museum, Derekenarı Cd 39, ☏ +90 342 211 1200. Daily 08:30-17:00. Panoramic display of the War of Independence. (updated Apr 2026) 3 Gaziantep Castle, Naip Hamamı Sk 1. Closed. First built by the Romans, this castle was a major battle ground during World War I and Turkish War of Independence. The museum within showcases this history and there are great views from the ramparts. But it was badly damaged in the 2023 earthquake and the interior is closed for restoration. (updated Apr 2026) Olive oil mills (zeytin işlikleri) were just south of the castle on Handan Bey Sk. The oil was made into soap, and the ancient structure has been covered with a glass platform that you walk over, free 24 hrs. But the glass is grubby and reflects the sunlight so it's sometimes difficult to see through. 4 Soap Museum, Karahacı Sk 10, ☏ +90 533 961 7660. Daily 08:30-17:00. How the olives were mushed into soap. (updated Apr 2026) Hamam Museum, Mehmet Dai Sk 20 (south side of castle), ☏ +90 342 211 1200. Daily 08:30-17:30. Hamam built in 1577 and reconstructed. Adult 1 € / 50 TL, only by card. (updated Apr 2026) 5 Atatürk Museum, Bey Ali Özalgan Sk 4, ☏ +90 342 211 1200. Daily 08:30-17:30. Atatürk stayed overnight here in 1933 and the house is now a museum of early Republican times. (updated Apr 2026) Toy Museum, Bey Ali Özalgan Sk (next to Atatürk Museum), ☏ +90 533 913 0840. Daily 08:30-17:00. Toys and games from 1700 onward, in an old schoolhouse. (updated Apr 2026) 6 Kurtuluş Mosque, Cami Sk 10. Closed. This was built as the Armenian Apostolic Surp Asdvazdadzin Egeghets or Holy Mother of God Church in 1892. In 1915 the Armenians were deported by a death march into Syria and the church used as a prison. In 1986 it was refurbished as a mosque. The dome and minaret collapsed in the 2023 earthquake and the mosque has not yet re-opened. (updated Apr 2026) 7 Kozluca Mosque is an atmospheric little mosque built in 1800. It housed a mevlevihane, a dervish lodge, but this part is closed. 15th July Democracy Museum, Zafer Cd 55 (by railway station). Daily 08:30-17:30. Detailing the attempted military coup of 15 July 2016: most of the action was around Istanbul and Ankara. It was swiftly defeated, and followed by mass reprisals against those opposed to President Erdoğan. Signage is only in Turkish. (updated Apr 2026)

8 Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Hacı Sani Konukoğlu B

Do

Hammams are traditional Turkish baths. There's a dozen around city centre, such as Tabak Hamami on Halil Cami Sk east side of the castle. Demokrasi Meydanı is the central plaza and park, on Istasyon Cd a block west of the castle. Football: Gaziantep FK play soccer in Süper Lig the top tier. Gaziantep Stadium (capacity 30,000) is north edge of the city.

Buy

Forum AVM, corner of Istasyon Cd and Nizip Cd (a block south of the railway station). Open daily 10:00-22:00. The central shopping mall. Bakırcılar Çarşısı means "coppersmith bazaar" and it's a trad covered market selling handicrafts. It's on Eskici Çarşısı Sk, 500 m south of the castle, open daily 08:00-22:00.

Eat

Antep kebabı is the spicy local kebab. Wash it down with ayran yoghurt. Lahmacun is minced, marinated, spiced meat with minced vegetables on a thin crunchy dough. Elsewhere it may use onions, but here it's always with garlic. Dolma and sarma are vegetables wrapped in vine leaves. Much of Turkey's pistachio crop is grown locally, so they're known as Antep fıstığı, "the nut of Antep". They're best when roasted and seasoned with salt or with spices. Baklava from Gaziantep is highly rated.

Drink & nightlife

A Birahane is a beer-house, a good spot for a quiet drink. They cluster mid-town along Atatürk Blv. Many cafes serving alcohol are fronts for the sex industry. You might notice the security at the door; still you saunter innocently in, glance at the menu and order kofta. There's then a murmuring at the back of the room and a phone call: "Tell Gypsy Girl we got a fellow here wanting the Number 17, y'know, the kofta."

Sleep

There are two accommodation strips: downtown along Atatürk Blv and İnönü Cd, and along D400 some 2-3 km north of the centre but convenient for motorists.

1 Uğurlu Hotel, Mehmet Tevfik Uygunlar Sk 14, ☏ +90 533 669 9310. Clean and comfy, great value. Some noise from the nightclub. B&B double €50. (updated Apr 2026) Yunus Hotel, Mehmet Tevfik Uygunlar Sk 16 (next to Uğurlu Hotel), ☏ +90 342 221 1722. Very basic but central place. B&B double €30. (updated Apr 2026) Tuğcan Hotel, Atatürk Blv 34, ☏ +90 342 220 4323. Mostly good reviews for this central modern hotel. B&B double €100. (updated Apr 2026) 2 Holiday Inn, Numarali Sk 8 (D400 jcn), ☏ +90 342 324 2727. Clean and comfy. B&B double €100. (updated Apr 2026) Teymur Continental Hotel, 52009th Cd (next to Holiday Inn), ☏ +90 342 325 1010. Great reviews for comfort, cleanliness and service. B&B double €120. (updated Apr 2026) Park Dedeman, 52009th Cd (opposite Teymur Continental), ☏ +90 342 211 8444. Well-run business hotel. B&B double €110. (updated Apr 2026) Ibis, Istasyon Cd 78 (Forum shopping centre, block south of railway station), ☏ +90 342 211 0030. Clean efficient Accor chain hotel, rooms are tiny. B&B double €90. (updated Apr 2026) Grand Hotel is a block south of D400 junction at Ali Fuat Cebesoy Blv 32, corner with Kibris Cd. Green Park Hotel is by the Zeugma Museum at Alibey Sk 1.

Go next

Nizip 45 km east has a few mosaics from Zeugma, but the best are now in Gaziantep. Halfeti is a picturesque riverside old town to the northeast, off the highway to Urfa, partly inundated under a dam lake on the Euphrates. Urfa is the next major city to the east, 150 km. The "Cave of Abraham" is a collection of mosques around a pool inhabited by "holy fish". The highway north leads to Malatya. Branch off it east through Adıyaman to reach Mount Nemrut with its huge statues of the gods. Yesemek 100 km southwest was a stone quarry used by the Hittites. When it was abandoned its part-hewn statues were left to dot the landscape.