Gaziantep is best known for being Turkey’s culinary heartland. Many of the country’s most famous and beloved kebabs and desserts are native to the Gaziantep region. The region is also the heart of Turkish pistachio production. In addition to fabulous cuisine, Gaziantep is home to one of the best museums I have ever seen: the Zeugma mosaic museum.
Orientation
Gaziantep is 150 kms west of Urfa, 85kms southeast of Kahramanmaraş and 225 kms east of Adana. If you are not already in the southeast or Cappadocia, I recommend flying directly to Gaziantep. There are daily flights from Istanbul and Ankara to the Gaziantep Airport (GZT) on Turkish Airlines and many of the discount carriers.
There are a number of good boutique hotels in the old city area. On my trip I stayed at the Anadolu Evleri, which was very nice and centrally located. You can navigate the city sites pretty easily without a car. The castle and market areas are easy to walk around. The Zeugma museum is a little outside of the old city area but can easily be reached by taxi.
Zeugma Mosaic Museum
As its title suggestions, the Zeugma Mosaic Museum primarily displays mosaics from the ancient Greek city of Zeugma, 50 kms from Gaziantep. The mosaics were discovered in the 1990s and were hastily excavated by archaeologists before the site was flooded by the construction of the Birecik dam over the Euphrates river. The mosaics are stunningly beautiful and well-preserved and the museum does an excellent job of displaying them in a way that evokes their original surroundings. There are great opportunities to view large mosaics on the ground floor from the second floor viewing areas. Most of the mosaics are completely intact and have sustained very little damage. Many of the mosaics show mythological Greek characters. The most famous mosaic, the Gypsy Girl, is displayed on its own in a special dark room. The museum is open daily from 8:00am to 6:30pm from April through October and 9:00am to 5:00pm from November through March. Admission fee is 10TL.
Food
Gaziantep is a food-lovers mecca. It is the center of Turkish cuisine and you can easily and happily eat your way through the city. The NY Times agrees and recently published an article devoted to Gaziantep food touring.
First and foremost, Gaziantep is a baklava town. Thin, flaky layers of dough are coated in butter, stuffed with locally-grown pistachios and doused in syrup by ustas following recipes that have been passed down for centuries. The Güllü family are one of the traditional baklava purveyors. Their Güllüoğlu baklava shops can be found all over Gaziantep (and throughout Turkey). Each shop will proudly announce which Güllü family member it descends from. Imam Çağdaş is also well known for its baklava. You can buy baklava here in traditional squares or in other shapes including the havuç dilim – a larger, triangular piece. You can find baklava in Gaziantep that is not made from pistachios but when you are in the pistachio heartland, why bother?
Kebabs of all sorts grilled over an open flame are also a specialty of Gaziantep. My favorite Gaziantep kebab is Ali Nazik: meat on top of a yogurt and eggplant mixture. You can either get it with cubes of meat or with a grilled meatball on top. The meatball preparation is more traditional; I highly recommend it. Patlıcan kebabı is another Gaziantep staple: meat grilled on a skewer with eggplant and peppers. Fıstık kebabı is also popular: ground beef mixed with pistachios and grilled over an open flame. You really can’t go wrong with any of these (or any other kebab you will find in Gaziantep)!
Another food common in Gaziantep is lahmacun – the Turkish version of pizza. Finely ground beef or lamb is mixed with peppers and spices and put on top of a very thin crust that is cooked in a hot oven. The result is a mildly spicy, crispy delight. Lahmacun can make up your entire meal, or when sold in the smaller fındık size can be a good starter. Lahmacun is usually served along with some veggies to pile on top of it. I eat mine by squeezing some lemon on top, sprinkling on parsley and tomato and then rolling it up and eating it like a taco. You will see lahmacun all over the country but it is at its best in Gaziantep.
Another unique Gaziantep food item is menengiç kahvesi – coffee made from wild pistachios. It is brewed and served in small cups like Turkish coffee but has a very unique, nutty flavor. It can be made with water or milk (I recommend trying it with milk). The traditional place to try it is at Tahmis Kahvesi.
Imam Çağdaş is one of the most famous restaurants in Gaziantep, and with good reason. They specialize in both traditional Gaziantep kebabs and baklava. Cavuşoğlu is another famous spot for both kebabs and baklava. Off the tourist path but adored by locals is Kebabçi Halil Usta, near the Zeugma museum.
Other Sites in Gaziantep
Gaziantep Castle
Gaziantep’s castle is perched on a prominent hill close to the old city area and is in easy walking distance to Bakırcılar çarşısı and many of the boutique hotels. This ancient castle boasts some nice views over the modern city from its entryway. The interior of the castle contains the Panorama museum, which details the history of how the citizens of Gaziantep defended their city from international forces after World War I as part of the Turkish War of Independence. It was because of this defense that the city’s name changed from “Antep” to “Gaziantep.” (You will still sometimes hear the city referred to as “Antep”). Gazi means warrior in Turkish and was a title awarded to the city to honor their bravery. This display of history is interesting but don’t expect to see too much else of interest inside the castle – it is really just a dark walkway without any outdoor views.
Emine Göğüş Mutfak Müzesi
This small “kitchen museum,” located near the castle, is a real delight. It shouldn’t be surprising that a city with such a rich culinary history would have a museum devoted to cuisine, but I was still very impressed. The museum contains displays detailing many of the traditional foods of Gaziantep and also has many artifacts and implements used by a traditional Gaziantep cook. The museum proprietor is also a good person to hit up for restaurant recommendations in the city. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00am-6:00pm.
Bakırcılar Çarşısı
The “copper market” is a great place to buy some souvenirs and to observe a real market in action with artisans practicing their craft right in front of you. You will find plates, bowls, pots and decorative copper items of all shapes and sizes in this market. The copper items are traditionally coated in tin to make them functional for use in the kitchen. Bakırcılar çarşısı refers to a specific piece of the covered market in Gaziantep but there are many other areas and twists and turns within the market area. Through the windy streets you will find not only copper shops but also purveyors of spices, pistachios, dried fruits and vegetables, wooden items and other souvenirs. My favorite thing about the market in Gaziantep is that it is not at all pushy. No one tries to hustle you into their shop and window shopping can be done at your leisure.
