Gaziantep, a city in the southeast of Turkey, is filled with cultural delights and historical importance. It does not feature highly in mainstream travel packages but is perfect for anyone who wants to discover the true face of Kurdish/Turkish life.  It has a large airport for easy access and also good bus transport links with other places of importance in Turkey.

Ten Photos from Gaziantep

The castle of Antep is the local landmark, holding a wartime museum displaying the timeline and events from the Turkish war of independence when locals fought against invading French forces. Entrance is free

Gaziantep is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and this view is from the castle. The city used to be named Antep, but after the war of Independence, “Gazian” was added which means heroes.

The Coppersmith Bazaar is on the culture route of the city and gives visitors an ideal look into this ancient trade. Even today, housewives still bring their pots and pans for cleaning and reshaping.

Gaziantep has many museums of which the Living Museum (Yasayan) is one. It displays household artefacts from over the years and a traditional shoemaker still operates in one of the workshops. This is also an ideal place to taste Gaziantep coffee.

Eating out in Gaziantep is cheap especially if you choose the local kebab sellers. Soup kitchens are also popular.

A local delicacy from Gaziantep is pistachios nuts. All over Turkey, if pistachios come from this city, they are considered to taste better and be of top quality.

Olives are not regional to Gaziantep, but a staple part of the Turkish diet. Opposite the castle is a small fruit and vegetable market where this man was selling the results of this year’s olive harvest.

The Tarihan Yenihen is an ancient landmark that used to be a stopping point for Ottoman travellers. These days, it is filled with small shops and an underground café serving Turkish coffee

As price of cigarettes increase even higher in Turkey, more and more people are turning to tobacco. This old man was selling rolling tobacco that he said was from Iran.

Wherever you go in Turkey, you should try Turkish tea. This small traditional café in the coppersmith bazaar is usually only visited by  men, who end up playing a game of “Okay” while drinking sweet, black tea from tulip shaped glasses. The game of “Okay” is very similar to backgammon.

Further Reading

See our tour of Eastern Turkey which includes a visit to Gaziantep

Read more articles about culture, traditions and places