Zeugma Mosaic Museum
One of the largest mosaic museums in the world, built to house the Roman mosaics rescued from the ancient city of Zeugma before it was flooded by a dam. The Gypsy Girl mosaic alone is worth the visit. Budget at least two hours.
Places to Visit in Gaziantep · Eight Anchors
Where you actually go in Gaziantep.
Eight places worth your time. Tap a photograph, the map will follow.
Coppersmith Bazaar
Narrow alleys filled with the sound of hammers on copper. Coffee pots, pans, trays and handmade cezves beaten into shape by master craftsmen. One of the last working copper bazaars in Turkiye. A perfect hour of wandering.
Almaci Bazaar
The spice and dried food bazaar in the old town. Walls of pistachios, red pepper flakes, sumac, dried eggplant and cheese. Bring a bag for takeaway. Antep's own pepper flakes and sumac are much more fragrant than what you find elsewhere.
Rumkale
A dramatic ancient citadel perched on a cliff above the Euphrates near Halfeti, now partly surrounded by the still waters of the dam. Built and rebuilt across Roman, Byzantine, Armenian and Islamic periods, it served as a centre of Eastern Christianity and still holds the ruins of churches and a monastery. Reached by boat from the Halfeti shore, the approach across the green water is the experience as much as the citadel itself.
Gaziantep Castle
A hilltop Roman citadel later rebuilt by the Byzantines and Ottomans. Badly damaged in the 2023 earthquake, restoration is ongoing. The surrounding neighbourhoods are the oldest in the city and the best place to start exploring.
Emine Gogus Cuisine Museum
Set inside a restored 19th-century Antep house, a small museum dedicated entirely to Antep cuisine. Traditional kitchens, cookware, ingredient displays and recipes. A must for anyone serious about the food of the region. Short visit, high value.
Kendirli Church
A late 19th-century Catholic church in the old town centre, built with the support of Napoleon III and now restored as a small cultural museum. Stone facade, pointed-arch windows and a peaceful garden, all sitting on a quiet street just off the bazaar. A quick stop that fills in a less-known layer of the city's history beyond the Roman mosaics and the Ottoman bazaars.
Yesemek Open-Air Museum
A Hittite statue quarry and sculpture workshop from the 14th to 8th centuries BC, 100 km west of Gaziantep near İslahiye. Over 300 partially carved stone sculptures remain in situ at the quarry - sphinxes, lions and storm gods in various stages of completion - giving a unique insight into how Hittite monumental sculpture was made. One of the most unusual archaeological sites in Turkey.
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