Gaziantep
Encyclopedia
Gaziantep Ottoman Turkish
: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb ʕajn tæːb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres (115 miles) northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo
, Syria
. The metropolitan area in the entire Gaziantep Province
had a population of 1.3 million as of 2010, making the city sixth most populous in Turkey. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey
and Şehitkamil
.
In 1921, "Antep" was legally renamed "Gaziantep", meaning "Victorious Antep".
Gaziantep is the probable site of the Hellenistic city of Antiochia ad Taurum
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites
. Being the center of pistachio
cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past - the citadel was restored by the Byzantines
in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic
and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye
, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip
and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites
, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks
, Armenians
, Parthians, Commagene, Romans
, Byzantines
, Sassanids, and Arabs
.
, the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids. In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines (Eastern Romans), and retained by them until the Seljuk conquest in 1067. The regime of the Anatolian Seljuks gave way to the Syria Seljuks
in 1086. Tutush I
appointed Thoros of Edessa
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the Crusaders
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the County of Edessa
in 1098. It reverted to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
in 1150, occupied by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the Ayyubids in 1181. It was retaken by Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the Ilkhanate
between 1260–1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the Mamluks between 1261–1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395-1516. It was also governed by the Dulkadirids, which was a Turkish vassal state of the Mamluks.
captured Gaziantep after the Battle of Marj Dabiq
in 1516, during the reign of Sultan Selim I
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a sanjak centered initially in the Dulkadir Eyalet (1516-1818), and later in the Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a kaza
in the Aleppo vilayet (1818–1908).
signed between the Ankara government and the Allies
at the end of World War I
, together with other parts of northern Syria
including Adana
, Mersin
, Tarsus
, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş
, and Diyarbakır
.
census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen
. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadirids (Maraş
) was approximately 4.5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır
was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911
, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük
Türkmens.
in 1984, DYP in 1989, Necmettin Erbakan
's (then named as) Welfare Party
in 1994, and AKP
in 2004 local elections. One exception was in 1999 when, boosted by the successful image of Gaziantep city mayor Mr. Celal Doğan, CHP
came first with 17.02 % of the votes for the Provincial General Assembly (with four parties scoring over 15 %, and the rightist MHP
's rise at that time (campaigning on Turkish
-identity consciousness arguments) still being reflected by its second position after CHP for the province. DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish
-identity consciousness arguments, after having touched a modest 5 % ceiling in 1999, seems to have ebbed down, its score under SHP
's cover in 2004 local elections remaining at a still more modest 1.81 % (with MHP at 5.36 %). Although Kurdish sources seem to show an interest in and put forth categorizations concerning the province's ethnic structure, in the light of the voter's trends, it is doubtful whether Gaziantep Province fits in the viewpoint. In any case, in 2004, AKP obtained 55.11 % and CHP 21.57 %, and all other parties below 6 % at the Provincial General Assembly elections. Prime Minister Erdoğan
is known to have deemed the local elections in Gaziantep as particularly important and to have mobilized considerable governmental weight beforehand. Current mayor is Mr. Dr. Asım Güzelbey, who successfully continued his career after serving 30 years in Gaziantep as an orthopaedic surgeon till the elections in 2004.
Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA. The town lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio
, Antep fıstığı, meaning "Antep nut".
In 2009, the first enclosed shopping center in the city and region, Sanko Park
, opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from Syria
.
Zincirli Bedesten is the Ottoman
era covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. We know from records that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri, however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
hosts ceramic pieces from the Neolithic Age, various objects, figures, seals from Calcolithic and Bronze Age, stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, and glass objects from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Roman and Byzantium periods. The mosaic
s of the ancient city of Zeugma are also displayed at the museum.
Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.
Yesemek Open Air Museum is located in the village known by the same name, close to Islahiye District of Gaziantep. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to Hittites.
The remains of the old city of Belkis (Zeugma) are located in Kavunlu village which is 10 kilometers away from Nizip district of Gaziantep. These remains date back to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.
Gaziantep Defence Museum
Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the Gaziantep Castle, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Karayılan, Şehitkamil and Şahinbey at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)."
Gaziantep War Museum
This historical Antep house also known as "Nakıpoğlu House" in Gaziantep is expressing 6.317 martyrs and their sprits from defending of Gaziantep as strongly a symbol for our national union and unity and how Antep War was won with voice and chronological panels.
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The dervish
lodge is part of the mosque's külliye
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904, has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Zeugma ancient city is located on the shore of the river Euphrates within the boundaries of Belkıs Village. Zeugma ancient city which was established on a land of about 20 million kilometres, because it is at the shallowest passable part of Euphrates and since it is very strategic region in terms of military and commerce, it protects its importance in each period of history.
Aziz Bedros Church
This church is an old Armenian church. (Built nearly 450 years ago).
Doliche City
Doliche village and its neighbourhood is located 11 kilometres north of Gaziantep have witnessed all major houses of humankind history and have caused their traces to reach up to today. It is almost open-air museum by means of stone tools used by people who had lived 30-40 thousand years ago, of Mithras underground temple, splendid rock graves, stone quarries from which giant rock blocks are produced.
Gaziantep Citadel
Gaziantep Citadel, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is a mystery, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Kendirli Church
The Church was built in 1860 by means of assistance of French missionaries and Napoleon the Third. It is a catholic Armenian Church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel
The "kastel" (fountain) used to be part of a bigger group of buildings, and it is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Rumkale settlement Rumkale is an ancient castle near to Kasaba Village. The castle, which took shape of a peninsula due to the Birecik Dam, may be accessed from Kasaba village and Halfeti by boats. It is located on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat (Euphrates) River and Merziman stream meet. It is believed that settlement on it started since the era of Assyrians due to its strategic position.
Karkamis was an important centre of arts and culture in the past and it's located on the Syrian border. It's the place of the famous Legend of Gilgamesh.
Houses of Gaziantep are worth to visit with rich cultural heritage. They are great samples of traditional architectural featuring Southeastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Syria cultures.
Tahmis Coffee House
The Tahmis Coffee House was built by the Turkmen Ağa and Flag Officer, Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf in 1635-1638, in order to provide an income for the dervish lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
The exact date of the inn's (caravanserai
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th Century.
Şire Inn
It is possible to obtain information on the building from epitaphs taking place in three fronts of the inn. Its architect was stated as Kirkos. The building, which bears many properties of the classical Ottoman inn architecture, has a rectangular plan. It was built with evenly-cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th Century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th Century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Food in Gaziantep is different from the cuisine in other parts of Turkey because of the influence of Oğuz Turks and the culinary traditions of nearby Aleppo
which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman
empires. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebab
s, meatballs, etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with malhita (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt.
Antep's desserts are a must try for the tourist as well and they include the sweet pastry baklava
(originally native to this city and famous throughout the former Ottoman lands), burmalı, künefe, kadayıf, etc. Antep is also famous for its slender and delicious type of pistachio
s (which are among the most valuable and fresh-tasted types in the global market.)
Its kebab varieties include the kıyma (minced meat) kebab, kuşbaşı (meat cut in goulash
-type cubes) kebab, simit kebab, patlıcan (aubergine) kebab, ciğer (liver) kebab and soğan (onion) kebab. Other than these, make sure you at least taste the lahmacun
(thin-crusted Armenian pizza
with spicy minced meat, mostly found in Cilicia, in those areas close to Syria and Lebanon), yuvarlama (mas soup) and karışık (mixed) dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables, yoğurtlu patates (potato with yogurt), beyran, etc.)
with influences of a semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.
Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University
.
The Zirve University
(Turkish Zirve Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.
and Greece
by the Turkish
TV series Yabancı Damat
(literally The Foreign Groom), known in Bulgaria
as Брак с чужденец (Marriage with a Foreigner), a love story between a Turk and a Greek. In Greece, the popular TV series is known as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love). It is a love story between two youngsters, Nikos, a Greek boy, son of a wealthy Athenian ship owner; and Nazlı, daughter of a Gaziantep baklava maker. Due to the historic rivalry and hatred between the Greeks and Turks, a love affair between these two youngsters is received badly by both families. The dislike between the two families increases as the episodes pass, with the Turkish family being more strict towards their daughter. The main culprits, however, are the two grandparents (Nikos' grandmother and Nazlı's grandfather), who reach extreme points in order to stop the youngsters' wedding. The TV series was launched in 2004 and was well known in both countries.
with:
: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb ʕajn tæːb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres (115 miles) northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo
, Syria
. The metropolitan area in the entire Gaziantep Province
had a population of 1.3 million as of 2010, making the city sixth most populous in Turkey. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey
and Şehitkamil
.
In 1921, "Antep" was legally renamed "Gaziantep", meaning "Victorious Antep".
Gaziantep is the probable site of the Hellenistic city of Antiochia ad Taurum
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites
. Being the center of pistachio
cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past - the citadel was restored by the Byzantines
in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic
and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye
, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip
and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites
, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks
, Armenians
, Parthians, Commagene, Romans
, Byzantines
, Sassanids, and Arabs
.
, the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids. In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines (Eastern Romans), and retained by them until the Seljuk conquest in 1067. The regime of the Anatolian Seljuks gave way to the Syria Seljuks
in 1086. Tutush I
appointed Thoros of Edessa
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the Crusaders
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the County of Edessa
in 1098. It reverted to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
in 1150, occupied by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the Ayyubids in 1181. It was retaken by Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the Ilkhanate
between 1260–1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the Mamluks between 1261–1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395-1516. It was also governed by the Dulkadirids, which was a Turkish vassal state of the Mamluks.
captured Gaziantep after the Battle of Marj Dabiq
in 1516, during the reign of Sultan Selim I
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a sanjak centered initially in the Dulkadir Eyalet (1516-1818), and later in the Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a kaza
in the Aleppo vilayet (1818–1908).
signed between the Ankara government and the Allies
at the end of World War I
, together with other parts of northern Syria
including Adana
, Mersin
, Tarsus
, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş
, and Diyarbakır
.
census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen
. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadirids (Maraş
) was approximately 4.5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır
was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911
, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük
Türkmens.
in 1984, DYP in 1989, Necmettin Erbakan
's (then named as) Welfare Party
in 1994, and AKP
in 2004 local elections. One exception was in 1999 when, boosted by the successful image of Gaziantep city mayor Mr. Celal Doğan, CHP
came first with 17.02 % of the votes for the Provincial General Assembly (with four parties scoring over 15 %, and the rightist MHP
's rise at that time (campaigning on Turkish
-identity consciousness arguments) still being reflected by its second position after CHP for the province. DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish
-identity consciousness arguments, after having touched a modest 5 % ceiling in 1999, seems to have ebbed down, its score under SHP
's cover in 2004 local elections remaining at a still more modest 1.81 % (with MHP at 5.36 %). Although Kurdish sources seem to show an interest in and put forth categorizations concerning the province's ethnic structure, in the light of the voter's trends, it is doubtful whether Gaziantep Province fits in the viewpoint. In any case, in 2004, AKP obtained 55.11 % and CHP 21.57 %, and all other parties below 6 % at the Provincial General Assembly elections. Prime Minister Erdoğan
is known to have deemed the local elections in Gaziantep as particularly important and to have mobilized considerable governmental weight beforehand. Current mayor is Mr. Dr. Asım Güzelbey, who successfully continued his career after serving 30 years in Gaziantep as an orthopaedic surgeon till the elections in 2004.
Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA. The town lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio
, Antep fıstığı, meaning "Antep nut".
In 2009, the first enclosed shopping center in the city and region, Sanko Park
, opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from Syria
.
Zincirli Bedesten is the Ottoman
era covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. We know from records that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri, however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
hosts ceramic pieces from the Neolithic Age, various objects, figures, seals from Calcolithic and Bronze Age, stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, and glass objects from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Roman and Byzantium periods. The mosaic
s of the ancient city of Zeugma are also displayed at the museum.
Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.
Yesemek Open Air Museum is located in the village known by the same name, close to Islahiye District of Gaziantep. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to Hittites.
The remains of the old city of Belkis (Zeugma) are located in Kavunlu village which is 10 kilometers away from Nizip district of Gaziantep. These remains date back to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.
Gaziantep Defence Museum
Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the Gaziantep Castle, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Karayılan, Şehitkamil and Şahinbey at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)."
Gaziantep War Museum
This historical Antep house also known as "Nakıpoğlu House" in Gaziantep is expressing 6.317 martyrs and their sprits from defending of Gaziantep as strongly a symbol for our national union and unity and how Antep War was won with voice and chronological panels.
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The dervish
lodge is part of the mosque's külliye
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904, has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Zeugma ancient city is located on the shore of the river Euphrates within the boundaries of Belkıs Village. Zeugma ancient city which was established on a land of about 20 million kilometres, because it is at the shallowest passable part of Euphrates and since it is very strategic region in terms of military and commerce, it protects its importance in each period of history.
Aziz Bedros Church
This church is an old Armenian church. (Built nearly 450 years ago).
Doliche City
Doliche village and its neighbourhood is located 11 kilometres north of Gaziantep have witnessed all major houses of humankind history and have caused their traces to reach up to today. It is almost open-air museum by means of stone tools used by people who had lived 30-40 thousand years ago, of Mithras underground temple, splendid rock graves, stone quarries from which giant rock blocks are produced.
Gaziantep Citadel
Gaziantep Citadel, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is a mystery, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Kendirli Church
The Church was built in 1860 by means of assistance of French missionaries and Napoleon the Third. It is a catholic Armenian Church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel
The "kastel" (fountain) used to be part of a bigger group of buildings, and it is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Rumkale settlement Rumkale is an ancient castle near to Kasaba Village. The castle, which took shape of a peninsula due to the Birecik Dam, may be accessed from Kasaba village and Halfeti by boats. It is located on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat (Euphrates) River and Merziman stream meet. It is believed that settlement on it started since the era of Assyrians due to its strategic position.
Karkamis was an important centre of arts and culture in the past and it's located on the Syrian border. It's the place of the famous Legend of Gilgamesh.
Houses of Gaziantep are worth to visit with rich cultural heritage. They are great samples of traditional architectural featuring Southeastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Syria cultures.
Tahmis Coffee House
The Tahmis Coffee House was built by the Turkmen Ağa and Flag Officer, Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf in 1635-1638, in order to provide an income for the dervish lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
The exact date of the inn's (caravanserai
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th Century.
Şire Inn
It is possible to obtain information on the building from epitaphs taking place in three fronts of the inn. Its architect was stated as Kirkos. The building, which bears many properties of the classical Ottoman inn architecture, has a rectangular plan. It was built with evenly-cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th Century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th Century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Food in Gaziantep is different from the cuisine in other parts of Turkey because of the influence of Oğuz Turks and the culinary traditions of nearby Aleppo
which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman
empires. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebab
s, meatballs, etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with malhita (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt.
Antep's desserts are a must try for the tourist as well and they include the sweet pastry baklava
(originally native to this city and famous throughout the former Ottoman lands), burmalı, künefe, kadayıf, etc. Antep is also famous for its slender and delicious type of pistachio
s (which are among the most valuable and fresh-tasted types in the global market.)
Its kebab varieties include the kıyma (minced meat) kebab, kuşbaşı (meat cut in goulash
-type cubes) kebab, simit kebab, patlıcan (aubergine) kebab, ciğer (liver) kebab and soğan (onion) kebab. Other than these, make sure you at least taste the lahmacun
(thin-crusted Armenian pizza
with spicy minced meat, mostly found in Cilicia, in those areas close to Syria and Lebanon), yuvarlama (mas soup) and karışık (mixed) dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables, yoğurtlu patates (potato with yogurt), beyran, etc.)
with influences of a semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.
Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University
.
The Zirve University
(Turkish Zirve Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.
and Greece
by the Turkish
TV series Yabancı Damat
(literally The Foreign Groom), known in Bulgaria
as Брак с чужденец (Marriage with a Foreigner), a love story between a Turk and a Greek. In Greece, the popular TV series is known as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love). It is a love story between two youngsters, Nikos, a Greek boy, son of a wealthy Athenian ship owner; and Nazlı, daughter of a Gaziantep baklava maker. Due to the historic rivalry and hatred between the Greeks and Turks, a love affair between these two youngsters is received badly by both families. The dislike between the two families increases as the episodes pass, with the Turkish family being more strict towards their daughter. The main culprits, however, are the two grandparents (Nikos' grandmother and Nazlı's grandfather), who reach extreme points in order to stop the youngsters' wedding. The TV series was launched in 2004 and was well known in both countries.
with:
: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb ʕajn tæːb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres (115 miles) northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo
, Syria
. The metropolitan area in the entire Gaziantep Province
had a population of 1.3 million as of 2010, making the city sixth most populous in Turkey. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey
and Şehitkamil
.
In 1921, "Antep" was legally renamed "Gaziantep", meaning "Victorious Antep".
Gaziantep is the probable site of the Hellenistic city of Antiochia ad Taurum
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites
. Being the center of pistachio
cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past - the citadel was restored by the Byzantines
in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic
and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye
, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip
and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites
, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks
, Armenians
, Parthians, Commagene, Romans
, Byzantines
, Sassanids, and Arabs
.
, the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids. In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines (Eastern Romans), and retained by them until the Seljuk conquest in 1067. The regime of the Anatolian Seljuks gave way to the Syria Seljuks
in 1086. Tutush I
appointed Thoros of Edessa
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the Crusaders
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the County of Edessa
in 1098. It reverted to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
in 1150, occupied by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the Ayyubids in 1181. It was retaken by Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the Ilkhanate
between 1260–1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the Mamluks between 1261–1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395-1516. It was also governed by the Dulkadirids, which was a Turkish vassal state of the Mamluks.
captured Gaziantep after the Battle of Marj Dabiq
in 1516, during the reign of Sultan Selim I
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a sanjak centered initially in the Dulkadir Eyalet (1516-1818), and later in the Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a kaza
in the Aleppo vilayet (1818–1908).
signed between the Ankara government and the Allies
at the end of World War I
, together with other parts of northern Syria
including Adana
, Mersin
, Tarsus
, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş
, and Diyarbakır
.
census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen
. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadirids (Maraş
) was approximately 4.5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır
was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911
, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük
Türkmens.
in 1984, DYP in 1989, Necmettin Erbakan
's (then named as) Welfare Party
in 1994, and AKP
in 2004 local elections. One exception was in 1999 when, boosted by the successful image of Gaziantep city mayor Mr. Celal Doğan, CHP
came first with 17.02 % of the votes for the Provincial General Assembly (with four parties scoring over 15 %, and the rightist MHP
's rise at that time (campaigning on Turkish
-identity consciousness arguments) still being reflected by its second position after CHP for the province. DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish
-identity consciousness arguments, after having touched a modest 5 % ceiling in 1999, seems to have ebbed down, its score under SHP
's cover in 2004 local elections remaining at a still more modest 1.81 % (with MHP at 5.36 %). Although Kurdish sources seem to show an interest in and put forth categorizations concerning the province's ethnic structure, in the light of the voter's trends, it is doubtful whether Gaziantep Province fits in the viewpoint. In any case, in 2004, AKP obtained 55.11 % and CHP 21.57 %, and all other parties below 6 % at the Provincial General Assembly elections. Prime Minister Erdoğan
is known to have deemed the local elections in Gaziantep as particularly important and to have mobilized considerable governmental weight beforehand. Current mayor is Mr. Dr. Asım Güzelbey, who successfully continued his career after serving 30 years in Gaziantep as an orthopaedic surgeon till the elections in 2004.
Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA. The town lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio
, Antep fıstığı, meaning "Antep nut".
In 2009, the first enclosed shopping center in the city and region, Sanko Park
, opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from Syria
.
Zincirli Bedesten is the Ottoman
era covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. We know from records that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri, however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
hosts ceramic pieces from the Neolithic Age, various objects, figures, seals from Calcolithic and Bronze Age, stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, and glass objects from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Roman and Byzantium periods. The mosaic
s of the ancient city of Zeugma are also displayed at the museum.
Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.
Yesemek Open Air Museum is located in the village known by the same name, close to Islahiye District of Gaziantep. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to Hittites.
The remains of the old city of Belkis (Zeugma) are located in Kavunlu village which is 10 kilometers away from Nizip district of Gaziantep. These remains date back to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.
Gaziantep Defence Museum
Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the Gaziantep Castle, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Karayılan, Şehitkamil and Şahinbey at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)."
Gaziantep War Museum
This historical Antep house also known as "Nakıpoğlu House" in Gaziantep is expressing 6.317 martyrs and their sprits from defending of Gaziantep as strongly a symbol for our national union and unity and how Antep War was won with voice and chronological panels.
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The dervish
lodge is part of the mosque's külliye
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904, has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Zeugma ancient city is located on the shore of the river Euphrates within the boundaries of Belkıs Village. Zeugma ancient city which was established on a land of about 20 million kilometres, because it is at the shallowest passable part of Euphrates and since it is very strategic region in terms of military and commerce, it protects its importance in each period of history.
Aziz Bedros Church
This church is an old Armenian church. (Built nearly 450 years ago).
Doliche City
Doliche village and its neighbourhood is located 11 kilometres north of Gaziantep have witnessed all major houses of humankind history and have caused their traces to reach up to today. It is almost open-air museum by means of stone tools used by people who had lived 30-40 thousand years ago, of Mithras underground temple, splendid rock graves, stone quarries from which giant rock blocks are produced.
Gaziantep Citadel
Gaziantep Citadel, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is a mystery, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Kendirli Church
The Church was built in 1860 by means of assistance of French missionaries and Napoleon the Third. It is a catholic Armenian Church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel
The "kastel" (fountain) used to be part of a bigger group of buildings, and it is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Rumkale settlement Rumkale is an ancient castle near to Kasaba Village. The castle, which took shape of a peninsula due to the Birecik Dam, may be accessed from Kasaba village and Halfeti by boats. It is located on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat (Euphrates) River and Merziman stream meet. It is believed that settlement on it started since the era of Assyrians due to its strategic position.
Karkamis was an important centre of arts and culture in the past and it's located on the Syrian border. It's the place of the famous Legend of Gilgamesh.
Houses of Gaziantep are worth to visit with rich cultural heritage. They are great samples of traditional architectural featuring Southeastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Syria cultures.
Tahmis Coffee House
The Tahmis Coffee House was built by the Turkmen Ağa and Flag Officer, Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf in 1635-1638, in order to provide an income for the dervish lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
The exact date of the inn's (caravanserai
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th Century.
Şire Inn
It is possible to obtain information on the building from epitaphs taking place in three fronts of the inn. Its architect was stated as Kirkos. The building, which bears many properties of the classical Ottoman inn architecture, has a rectangular plan. It was built with evenly-cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th Century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th Century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Food in Gaziantep is different from the cuisine in other parts of Turkey because of the influence of Oğuz Turks and the culinary traditions of nearby Aleppo
which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman
empires. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebab
s, meatballs, etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with malhita (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt.
Antep's desserts are a must try for the tourist as well and they include the sweet pastry baklava
(originally native to this city and famous throughout the former Ottoman lands), burmalı, künefe, kadayıf, etc. Antep is also famous for its slender and delicious type of pistachio
s (which are among the most valuable and fresh-tasted types in the global market.)
Its kebab varieties include the kıyma (minced meat) kebab, kuşbaşı (meat cut in goulash
-type cubes) kebab, simit kebab, patlıcan (aubergine) kebab, ciğer (liver) kebab and soğan (onion) kebab. Other than these, make sure you at least taste the lahmacun
(thin-crusted Armenian pizza
with spicy minced meat, mostly found in Cilicia, in those areas close to Syria and Lebanon), yuvarlama (mas soup) and karışık (mixed) dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables, yoğurtlu patates (potato with yogurt), beyran, etc.)
with influences of a semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.
Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University
.
The Zirve University
(Turkish Zirve Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.
and Greece
by the Turkish
TV series Yabancı Damat
(literally The Foreign Groom), known in Bulgaria
as Брак с чужденец (Marriage with a Foreigner), a love story between a Turk and a Greek. In Greece, the popular TV series is known as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love). It is a love story between two youngsters, Nikos, a Greek boy, son of a wealthy Athenian ship owner; and Nazlı, daughter of a Gaziantep baklava maker. Due to the historic rivalry and hatred between the Greeks and Turks, a love affair between these two youngsters is received badly by both families. The dislike between the two families increases as the episodes pass, with the Turkish family being more strict towards their daughter. The main culprits, however, are the two grandparents (Nikos' grandmother and Nazlı's grandfather), who reach extreme points in order to stop the youngsters' wedding. The TV series was launched in 2004 and was well known in both countries.
with:
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb ʕajn tæːb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres (115 miles) northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The metropolitan area in the entire Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province is a province in south-central Turkey. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep which had a population of 853,513 as of 2000. Its neighbours are Adıyaman at north, Şanlıurfa at east, Syria and Kilis at south, Hatay at southwest, Osmaniye at west and Kahramanmaraş at northwest.An...
had a population of 1.3 million as of 2010, making the city sixth most populous in Turkey. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey
Sahinbey
Şahinbey is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is a part of Gaziantep Metropolitan municipality. The population is 730,562 as of 2010.- External Links :*...
and Şehitkamil
Sehitkamil
Şehitkamil is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is a part of Gaziantep Metropalitan Center municipality. The population is 593,958 as of 2010.- External Links :*...
.
Etymology
Gaziantep was originally called Aïntap (from Arabic عين تاب) but after some centuries the name shifted to Antep. The origin of the name is shrouded in mystery, but there are several theories:- "Aïntap" may be derived from "Khantap", meaning "king's land" in the Hittite languageHittite languageHittite is the extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centred on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia...
. - "Aïntap" means "full of springs" in PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. - "Aïn", a word of praise, and "tap", meaning "spring", may have combined to form the name.
- "Ayin ţaba" means "good spring" in AramaicAramaic languageAramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
(however, the Arabic name for the city is spelled with t, not ṭ)
In 1921, "Antep" was legally renamed "Gaziantep", meaning "Victorious Antep".
Antiquity
Antiochia ad Taurum
Antiochia ad Taurum was an ancient city of Hellenistic foundation in the Taurus Mountains of Cilicia , Anatolia. Most modern scholars locate Antiochia ad Taurum at or near Gaziantep, Gaziantep Province, Turkey , , although past scholars tried to associate it with Aleppo , Syria...
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
. Being the center of pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past - the citadel was restored by the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye
Islahiye
Islahiye is a town and district of Gaziantep Province in southeastern Turkey. It is a railway border crossing into Syria.The train station of Islahiye is the last stop on the railway to Damascus in Syria...
, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip
Nizip
Nizip is a district of Gaziantep Province of southeastern Turkey.As of 2010, the population of the city is 96,229. It is located 45 km from the city of Gaziantep, 95 km from Şanlıurfa , and 35 km from Karkamış, which is an old city also known historically as Gilgamesh. It is quite...
and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Parthians, Commagene, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Sassanids, and Arabs
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
.
Middle Ages
In the first half of the 7th century, Arab armies captured this region. It was passed to the Umayyads in 661 and the Abbasids in 750. During the period of Arab rule, it was ravaged several times by the Eastern Romans (Byzantines). After the disintegration of the Abbasid dynasty, the city was ruled successively by the TulunidsTulunids
The Tulunids were the first independent dynasty in Islamic Egypt , when they broke away from the central authority of the Abbasid dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate during that time...
, the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids. In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines (Eastern Romans), and retained by them until the Seljuk conquest in 1067. The regime of the Anatolian Seljuks gave way to the Syria Seljuks
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I was the Seljuq ruler of Damascus from 1079 to 1095, succeeding Abaaq al-Khwarazmi. He finished the construction of the Citadel of Damascus, a project that had begun under the direction of Abaaq al Khwarizmi...
in 1086. Tutush I
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I was the Seljuq ruler of Damascus from 1079 to 1095, succeeding Abaaq al-Khwarazmi. He finished the construction of the Citadel of Damascus, a project that had begun under the direction of Abaaq al Khwarizmi...
appointed Thoros of Edessa
Thoros of Edessa
Thoros was an Armenian ruler of Edessa at the time of the First Crusade.Thoros was a former officer in the Byzantine Empire and a lieutenant of Philaretos Brachamios. He was Armenian but practised the Greek Orthodox faith...
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the County of Edessa
County of Edessa
The County of Edessa was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century, based around Edessa, a city with an ancient history and an early tradition of Christianity....
in 1098. It reverted to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
in 1150, occupied by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the Ayyubids in 1181. It was retaken by Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
between 1260–1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the Mamluks between 1261–1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395-1516. It was also governed by the Dulkadirids, which was a Turkish vassal state of the Mamluks.
Ottoman Period
The Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
captured Gaziantep after the Battle of Marj Dabiq
Battle of Marj Dabiq
The battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history, fought on 24 August 1516, 44 km north of Halab , Syria.- Battle preparations :...
in 1516, during the reign of Sultan Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a sanjak centered initially in the Dulkadir Eyalet (1516-1818), and later in the Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a kaza
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
in the Aleppo vilayet (1818–1908).
Modern Turkey
In 1923, Antep was removed from the Aleppo vilayet and ceded to Turkey according to the Treaty of LausanneTreaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
signed between the Ankara government and the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, together with other parts of northern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
including Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
, Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Tarsus
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
, and Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
Demographics
According to the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadirids (Maraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
) was approximately 4.5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük
Yörük
The Yorouks, also Yuruks or Yörüks are immigrants, ultimately of Thracian descent,some of whom are still nomadic, primarily inhabiting the mountains of Anatolia and partly Balkan peninsula...
Türkmens.
Politics
Gaziantep is traditionally said to reflect in advance the rising political trends in Turkey, according preference to ANAPMotherland Party (Turkey)
The Motherland Party, was a political party in Turkey. It was founded in 1983 by Turgut Özal. It was merged to Democratic Party in October 2009...
in 1984, DYP in 1989, Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan was a Turkish engineer, academic, politician , who was the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1996 until 1997. He was Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister...
's (then named as) Welfare Party
Welfare Party
The Welfare Party was an Islamist political party in Turkey. It was founded by Ali Türkmen, Ahmet Tekdal and Necmettin Erbakan in Ankara in 1983 as heir to two earlier parties, Milli Nizam Partisi and Milli Selamet Partisi , which were banned from politics...
in 1994, and AKP
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
in 2004 local elections. One exception was in 1999 when, boosted by the successful image of Gaziantep city mayor Mr. Celal Doğan, CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
came first with 17.02 % of the votes for the Provincial General Assembly (with four parties scoring over 15 %, and the rightist MHP
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
's rise at that time (campaigning on Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
-identity consciousness arguments) still being reflected by its second position after CHP for the province. DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
-identity consciousness arguments, after having touched a modest 5 % ceiling in 1999, seems to have ebbed down, its score under SHP
Social Democratic People's Party (Turkey)
The current Social Democratic People's Party or SHP is a Turkish left social-democratic political party established in 2002 by Murat Karayalçın, former Ankara Metropolitan Mayor and Foreign Minister ....
's cover in 2004 local elections remaining at a still more modest 1.81 % (with MHP at 5.36 %). Although Kurdish sources seem to show an interest in and put forth categorizations concerning the province's ethnic structure, in the light of the voter's trends, it is doubtful whether Gaziantep Province fits in the viewpoint. In any case, in 2004, AKP obtained 55.11 % and CHP 21.57 %, and all other parties below 6 % at the Provincial General Assembly elections. Prime Minister Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
is known to have deemed the local elections in Gaziantep as particularly important and to have mobilized considerable governmental weight beforehand. Current mayor is Mr. Dr. Asım Güzelbey, who successfully continued his career after serving 30 years in Gaziantep as an orthopaedic surgeon till the elections in 2004.
Mayors
| The mayors of Gaziantep | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal President's Name | Mission Year | ||
| Dr. Asım Güzelbey Asim Güzelbey Asim Güzelbey, is a Turkish politician of the Justice and Development Party and the current mayor of Gaziantep.... |
2004–present-day | ||
| Celal Doğan | 1989–2004 | ||
| Ömer Arpacıoğlu | 1984–1989 | ||
Economy
Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialities: the copper-ware products and "Yemeni" slippers, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economic center for South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. The number of large industrial businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of Turkish industry in general, while small industries comprise six percent. Also Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position in exports and imports.Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA. The town lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
, Antep fıstığı, meaning "Antep nut".
In 2009, the first enclosed shopping center in the city and region, Sanko Park
Sanko Park
Sanko Park is an enclosed shopping mall located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The first enclosed mall in the region, construction of the US$160 million project began in 2007,, Haber27, November 14, 2008 and the center opened in the spring of 2009....
, opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Places of interest
Gaziantep Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Turkey. Especially interesting are the bird pavilion and the aquarium. Gaziantep Zoo offers a large variety of animals, attractive picnic grounds, and a cafeteria .Zincirli Bedesten is the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. We know from records that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri, however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
Museums in Gaziantep
Gaziantep Museum of ArchaeologyGaziantep Museum of Archaeology
The Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology is an archaeological museum located in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey. It is best known for its collection of mosaics, most of which were excavated from the ancient Roman city site of Zeugma...
hosts ceramic pieces from the Neolithic Age, various objects, figures, seals from Calcolithic and Bronze Age, stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, and glass objects from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Roman and Byzantium periods. The mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s of the ancient city of Zeugma are also displayed at the museum.
Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.
Yesemek Open Air Museum is located in the village known by the same name, close to Islahiye District of Gaziantep. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to Hittites.
The remains of the old city of Belkis (Zeugma) are located in Kavunlu village which is 10 kilometers away from Nizip district of Gaziantep. These remains date back to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.
Gaziantep Defence Museum
Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the Gaziantep Castle, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Karayılan, Şehitkamil and Şahinbey at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)."
Gaziantep War Museum
This historical Antep house also known as "Nakıpoğlu House" in Gaziantep is expressing 6.317 martyrs and their sprits from defending of Gaziantep as strongly a symbol for our national union and unity and how Antep War was won with voice and chronological panels.
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
lodge is part of the mosque's külliye
Külliye
Külliye, deriving from the Arabic word "kull" is a term which designates a complex of buildings, centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a vakıf , and composed of a medrese, a darüşşifa, kitchens, bakery, hammam, other buildings for various benevolent...
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904, has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Gaziantep Historical Places
Zeugma CityZeugma ancient city is located on the shore of the river Euphrates within the boundaries of Belkıs Village. Zeugma ancient city which was established on a land of about 20 million kilometres, because it is at the shallowest passable part of Euphrates and since it is very strategic region in terms of military and commerce, it protects its importance in each period of history.
Aziz Bedros Church
This church is an old Armenian church. (Built nearly 450 years ago).
Doliche City
Doliche village and its neighbourhood is located 11 kilometres north of Gaziantep have witnessed all major houses of humankind history and have caused their traces to reach up to today. It is almost open-air museum by means of stone tools used by people who had lived 30-40 thousand years ago, of Mithras underground temple, splendid rock graves, stone quarries from which giant rock blocks are produced.
Gaziantep Citadel
Gaziantep Citadel, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is a mystery, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Kendirli Church
The Church was built in 1860 by means of assistance of French missionaries and Napoleon the Third. It is a catholic Armenian Church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel
The "kastel" (fountain) used to be part of a bigger group of buildings, and it is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Rumkale settlement Rumkale is an ancient castle near to Kasaba Village. The castle, which took shape of a peninsula due to the Birecik Dam, may be accessed from Kasaba village and Halfeti by boats. It is located on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat (Euphrates) River and Merziman stream meet. It is believed that settlement on it started since the era of Assyrians due to its strategic position.
Karkamis was an important centre of arts and culture in the past and it's located on the Syrian border. It's the place of the famous Legend of Gilgamesh.
Houses of Gaziantep are worth to visit with rich cultural heritage. They are great samples of traditional architectural featuring Southeastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Syria cultures.
Tahmis Coffee House
The Tahmis Coffee House was built by the Turkmen Ağa and Flag Officer, Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf in 1635-1638, in order to provide an income for the dervish lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
Gaziantep Historical Inns
Anatolia InnThe exact date of the inn's (caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th Century.
Şire Inn
It is possible to obtain information on the building from epitaphs taking place in three fronts of the inn. Its architect was stated as Kirkos. The building, which bears many properties of the classical Ottoman inn architecture, has a rectangular plan. It was built with evenly-cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th Century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th Century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Cuisine
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
empires. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
s, meatballs, etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with malhita (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt.
Antep's desserts are a must try for the tourist as well and they include the sweet pastry baklava
Baklava
Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia....
(originally native to this city and famous throughout the former Ottoman lands), burmalı, künefe, kadayıf, etc. Antep is also famous for its slender and delicious type of pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
s (which are among the most valuable and fresh-tasted types in the global market.)
Its kebab varieties include the kıyma (minced meat) kebab, kuşbaşı (meat cut in goulash
Goulash
Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
-type cubes) kebab, simit kebab, patlıcan (aubergine) kebab, ciğer (liver) kebab and soğan (onion) kebab. Other than these, make sure you at least taste the lahmacun
Lahmacun
Lahmacun or lahmajoun , from , , "meat with dough", is an item of prepared food originating in the early Syrian cuisine of the Levant, consisting of a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat...
(thin-crusted Armenian pizza
Armenian cuisine
Armenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people, the Armenian diaspora and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as incorporating outside influences...
with spicy minced meat, mostly found in Cilicia, in those areas close to Syria and Lebanon), yuvarlama (mas soup) and karışık (mixed) dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables, yoğurtlu patates (potato with yogurt), beyran, etc.)
Climate
Gaziantep has a continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with influences of a semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.
Education
Gaziantep Anatolian High School (founded in 1976) is a public school focusing on English language education.Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University
Metu
Metu is a market town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region along the Sor River, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an altitude of 1605 meters...
.
The Zirve University
Zirve University
The Zirve University is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.-Faculties:*Faculty of Communication*Faculty of Engineering...
(Turkish Zirve Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.
Popular culture
Gaziantep was made famous in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
by the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
TV series Yabancı Damat
Yabanci Damat
Yabancı Damat , is a popular Turkish TV series distributed by Erler Film with 106 episodes in...
(literally The Foreign Groom), known in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
as Брак с чужденец (Marriage with a Foreigner), a love story between a Turk and a Greek. In Greece, the popular TV series is known as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love). It is a love story between two youngsters, Nikos, a Greek boy, son of a wealthy Athenian ship owner; and Nazlı, daughter of a Gaziantep baklava maker. Due to the historic rivalry and hatred between the Greeks and Turks, a love affair between these two youngsters is received badly by both families. The dislike between the two families increases as the episodes pass, with the Turkish family being more strict towards their daughter. The main culprits, however, are the two grandparents (Nikos' grandmother and Nazlı's grandfather), who reach extreme points in order to stop the youngsters' wedding. The TV series was launched in 2004 and was well known in both countries.
Sports
| Club | Sport | Established | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaziantepspor Gaziantepspor Gaziantepspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969, Gaziantepspor are nicknamed the Şahinler . The club colours are black and red, and they play their home matches at Kamil Ocak Stadyumu.... |
Football | 1969 | Spor Toto Super League (Turkish Premier Division) | Gaziantep Kamil Ocak Stadium |
| Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyüksehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The club was founded in 1998 after Sankospor became defunct.-Current squad:... |
Football | 1998 | Bank Asya 1. Lig (TFF First League) | Gaziantep Kamil Ocak Stadium |
| Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyüksehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The club was founded in 1998 after Sankospor became defunct.-Current squad:... |
Basketball | 2000 | Turkish Basketball League 2 | Kamil Ocak Sports Hall |
Images from Gaziantep
Twin towns - Sister cities
Gaziantep is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Duisburg Duisburg - History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... (since 2005) Florence Florence Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... Aleppo Aleppo Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant... , Syria Syria Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.... Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... Kermanshah Kermanshah Kermanshah is a city in and the capital of Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 784,602, in 198,117 families.The overwhelming majority of Kermanshahi people are Shi'a Muslims... , Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... |
Nijmegen, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... Karlstad Karlstad Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... Cetinje Cetinje Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro... , Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the... Kuwait City Kuwait City -Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:... , Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the... Irbid Irbid Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of... , Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... |
Notable people from Gaziantep
- Abdullah AtalarAbdullah AtalarAbdullah Atalar is a Turkish scientist and academic. Atalar is the Rector of Bilkent University, and a professor at Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering...
- scientist - Ahmet ÜmitAhmet ÜmitAhmet Ümit is an Turkish author and poet best known for his work in thrillers.-Biography:Born in Gaziantep in 1960. Finished his Primary, Middle and High School there...
- writer, poet - Arik Erkin - actor
- Kadri PashaKadri PashaKadri Pasha or Mehmet Kadri Pasha was an Ottoman statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 9 June 1880 to 12 September 1880.Born 1832 in Antep as El Lakits was the son of Abd el Birr and Zarka....
- Ottoman Grand Vizier 1880 - Doğu PerinçekDogu PerinçekDoğu Perinçek is a Turkish politician, leader of the Workers' Party , a scientific socialist organization, and former chairman of the Workers' Party . His first name Doğu means "East" in Turkish.-Personal life:...
- leader of Workers' Party (Turkey)Workers' Party (Turkey)Workers' Party is political party in Turkey led by Doğu Perinçek. İP has its roots in the Revolutionary Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey , Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey and Socialist Party... - Edip Akbayram - singer
- Gizem MemiçGizem MemiçGizem Memiç is a Turkish beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Miss Turkey 2010 on Thursday 1 April 2010. Gizem Memiç accepted the crown from Ebru Şam, Miss Turkey 2009...
- Miss Turkey 2010 - Hazal KayaHazal Kaya-Biography:Hazal Kaya was born in Gaziantep on October 1, 1990. Kaya attended Italian High School in Istanbul, and graduated in 2009. She currently continues her studies in Istanbul Bilgi University . Her parents divorced when she was 7 years old...
- actress - Kemal AslanKemal AslanKemal Aslan is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Adanaspor in the TFF First League.- External links :**...
- footballer - Kenan Doğulu - singer
- Murat CeylanMurat CeylanMurat Ceylan is a Turkish footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Gaziantepspor in the Süper Lig. Ceylan is also a youth international, having been capped at the U-17, U-19, and U-21 levels.-Life and career:...
- footballer - Necdet YaşarNecdet YasarNecdet Yaşar or Necdet Yasar in the West , is a Turkish tanbur lute player and teacher. A founding member of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble, he performed throughout the world as a cultural ambassador for Turkey and taught twice at the University of Washington...
- musician - Nedim GürselNedim GürselNedim Gürsel is a Turkish writer. In the late 1960s, he published novellas and essays in Turkish magazines. After graduating from Galatasaray High School in 1970, he studied at the Sorbonne. In 1974, he graduated from the Sorbonne's Department of Modern French Literature...
- writer - Onat Kutlar - writer, poet
- Ozan Doğulu - musician
- Ömer Asım Aksoy - one of the Turkey's important linguists
- Seza Kutlar AksoySeza Kutlar AksoySeza Kutlar Aksoy is an award-winning Turkish children's author residing in Istanbul, Turkey. She is the younger sister of writer Onat Kutlar.-Biography:Seza Kutlar Aksoy was born in Gaziantep, Turkey....
- children's literature writer - Sinan TuzcuSinan Tuzcu-Biography:After doing a course on Tourism and Hotel Management at Bilkent University, he graduated in Theatre from Mimar Sinan University's State Conservatory in 2003...
- actor - Tiran NersoyanTiran NersoyanTiran Nersoyan was Patriarch-elect of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem very briefly in 1957-1958 but never received his position as Patriarch....
- Armenian archbishop and deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem - Ugurol BarlasUgurol BarlasUgurol Barlas ,Turkish Sociologist and author, published 37 books and 95 declarations and articles at national and international Conferences and Symposiums.- The Published Books by Ugurol Barlas :*1.Honey Rock 1958...
- writer,sociologist - Ülkü Tamer - writer, poet
- Yağmur Atacan - actor
- Metehan Eroğlu - student
- Faruk Hekim - ambassador of Turkey on Planet Earth (May 26, 1986)
External links
Gaziantep ( ˈgaːziantep), Ottoman TurkishOttoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb ʕajn tæːb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres (115 miles) northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The metropolitan area in the entire Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province is a province in south-central Turkey. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep which had a population of 853,513 as of 2000. Its neighbours are Adıyaman at north, Şanlıurfa at east, Syria and Kilis at south, Hatay at southwest, Osmaniye at west and Kahramanmaraş at northwest.An...
had a population of 1.3 million as of 2010, making the city sixth most populous in Turkey. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey
Sahinbey
Şahinbey is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is a part of Gaziantep Metropolitan municipality. The population is 730,562 as of 2010.- External Links :*...
and Şehitkamil
Sehitkamil
Şehitkamil is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is a part of Gaziantep Metropalitan Center municipality. The population is 593,958 as of 2010.- External Links :*...
.
Etymology
Gaziantep was originally called Aïntap (from Arabic عين تاب) but after some centuries the name shifted to Antep. The origin of the name is shrouded in mystery, but there are several theories:- "Aïntap" may be derived from "Khantap", meaning "king's land" in the Hittite languageHittite languageHittite is the extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centred on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia...
. - "Aïntap" means "full of springs" in PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. - "Aïn", a word of praise, and "tap", meaning "spring", may have combined to form the name.
- "Ayin ţaba" means "good spring" in AramaicAramaic languageAramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
(however, the Arabic name for the city is spelled with t, not ṭ)
In 1921, "Antep" was legally renamed "Gaziantep", meaning "Victorious Antep".
Antiquity
Antiochia ad Taurum
Antiochia ad Taurum was an ancient city of Hellenistic foundation in the Taurus Mountains of Cilicia , Anatolia. Most modern scholars locate Antiochia ad Taurum at or near Gaziantep, Gaziantep Province, Turkey , , although past scholars tried to associate it with Aleppo , Syria...
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
. Being the center of pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past - the citadel was restored by the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye
Islahiye
Islahiye is a town and district of Gaziantep Province in southeastern Turkey. It is a railway border crossing into Syria.The train station of Islahiye is the last stop on the railway to Damascus in Syria...
, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip
Nizip
Nizip is a district of Gaziantep Province of southeastern Turkey.As of 2010, the population of the city is 96,229. It is located 45 km from the city of Gaziantep, 95 km from Şanlıurfa , and 35 km from Karkamış, which is an old city also known historically as Gilgamesh. It is quite...
and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Parthians, Commagene, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Sassanids, and Arabs
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
.
Middle Ages
In the first half of the 7th century, Arab armies captured this region. It was passed to the Umayyads in 661 and the Abbasids in 750. During the period of Arab rule, it was ravaged several times by the Eastern Romans (Byzantines). After the disintegration of the Abbasid dynasty, the city was ruled successively by the TulunidsTulunids
The Tulunids were the first independent dynasty in Islamic Egypt , when they broke away from the central authority of the Abbasid dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate during that time...
, the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids. In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines (Eastern Romans), and retained by them until the Seljuk conquest in 1067. The regime of the Anatolian Seljuks gave way to the Syria Seljuks
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I was the Seljuq ruler of Damascus from 1079 to 1095, succeeding Abaaq al-Khwarazmi. He finished the construction of the Citadel of Damascus, a project that had begun under the direction of Abaaq al Khwarizmi...
in 1086. Tutush I
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I was the Seljuq ruler of Damascus from 1079 to 1095, succeeding Abaaq al-Khwarazmi. He finished the construction of the Citadel of Damascus, a project that had begun under the direction of Abaaq al Khwarizmi...
appointed Thoros of Edessa
Thoros of Edessa
Thoros was an Armenian ruler of Edessa at the time of the First Crusade.Thoros was a former officer in the Byzantine Empire and a lieutenant of Philaretos Brachamios. He was Armenian but practised the Greek Orthodox faith...
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the County of Edessa
County of Edessa
The County of Edessa was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century, based around Edessa, a city with an ancient history and an early tradition of Christianity....
in 1098. It reverted to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
in 1150, occupied by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the Ayyubids in 1181. It was retaken by Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
between 1260–1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the Mamluks between 1261–1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395-1516. It was also governed by the Dulkadirids, which was a Turkish vassal state of the Mamluks.
Ottoman Period
The Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
captured Gaziantep after the Battle of Marj Dabiq
Battle of Marj Dabiq
The battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history, fought on 24 August 1516, 44 km north of Halab , Syria.- Battle preparations :...
in 1516, during the reign of Sultan Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a sanjak centered initially in the Dulkadir Eyalet (1516-1818), and later in the Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a kaza
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
in the Aleppo vilayet (1818–1908).
Modern Turkey
In 1923, Antep was removed from the Aleppo vilayet and ceded to Turkey according to the Treaty of LausanneTreaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
signed between the Ankara government and the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, together with other parts of northern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
including Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
, Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Tarsus
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
, and Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
Demographics
According to the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadirids (Maraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
) was approximately 4.5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük
Yörük
The Yorouks, also Yuruks or Yörüks are immigrants, ultimately of Thracian descent,some of whom are still nomadic, primarily inhabiting the mountains of Anatolia and partly Balkan peninsula...
Türkmens.
Politics
Gaziantep is traditionally said to reflect in advance the rising political trends in Turkey, according preference to ANAPMotherland Party (Turkey)
The Motherland Party, was a political party in Turkey. It was founded in 1983 by Turgut Özal. It was merged to Democratic Party in October 2009...
in 1984, DYP in 1989, Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan was a Turkish engineer, academic, politician , who was the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1996 until 1997. He was Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister...
's (then named as) Welfare Party
Welfare Party
The Welfare Party was an Islamist political party in Turkey. It was founded by Ali Türkmen, Ahmet Tekdal and Necmettin Erbakan in Ankara in 1983 as heir to two earlier parties, Milli Nizam Partisi and Milli Selamet Partisi , which were banned from politics...
in 1994, and AKP
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
in 2004 local elections. One exception was in 1999 when, boosted by the successful image of Gaziantep city mayor Mr. Celal Doğan, CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
came first with 17.02 % of the votes for the Provincial General Assembly (with four parties scoring over 15 %, and the rightist MHP
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
's rise at that time (campaigning on Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
-identity consciousness arguments) still being reflected by its second position after CHP for the province. DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
-identity consciousness arguments, after having touched a modest 5 % ceiling in 1999, seems to have ebbed down, its score under SHP
Social Democratic People's Party (Turkey)
The current Social Democratic People's Party or SHP is a Turkish left social-democratic political party established in 2002 by Murat Karayalçın, former Ankara Metropolitan Mayor and Foreign Minister ....
's cover in 2004 local elections remaining at a still more modest 1.81 % (with MHP at 5.36 %). Although Kurdish sources seem to show an interest in and put forth categorizations concerning the province's ethnic structure, in the light of the voter's trends, it is doubtful whether Gaziantep Province fits in the viewpoint. In any case, in 2004, AKP obtained 55.11 % and CHP 21.57 %, and all other parties below 6 % at the Provincial General Assembly elections. Prime Minister Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
is known to have deemed the local elections in Gaziantep as particularly important and to have mobilized considerable governmental weight beforehand. Current mayor is Mr. Dr. Asım Güzelbey, who successfully continued his career after serving 30 years in Gaziantep as an orthopaedic surgeon till the elections in 2004.
Mayors
| The mayors of Gaziantep | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal President's Name | Mission Year | ||
| Dr. Asım Güzelbey Asim Güzelbey Asim Güzelbey, is a Turkish politician of the Justice and Development Party and the current mayor of Gaziantep.... |
2004–present-day | ||
| Celal Doğan | 1989–2004 | ||
| Ömer Arpacıoğlu | 1984–1989 | ||
Economy
Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialities: the copper-ware products and "Yemeni" slippers, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economic center for South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. The number of large industrial businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of Turkish industry in general, while small industries comprise six percent. Also Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position in exports and imports.Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA. The town lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
, Antep fıstığı, meaning "Antep nut".
In 2009, the first enclosed shopping center in the city and region, Sanko Park
Sanko Park
Sanko Park is an enclosed shopping mall located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The first enclosed mall in the region, construction of the US$160 million project began in 2007,, Haber27, November 14, 2008 and the center opened in the spring of 2009....
, opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Places of interest
Gaziantep Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Turkey. Especially interesting are the bird pavilion and the aquarium. Gaziantep Zoo offers a large variety of animals, attractive picnic grounds, and a cafeteria .Zincirli Bedesten is the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. We know from records that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri, however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
Museums in Gaziantep
Gaziantep Museum of ArchaeologyGaziantep Museum of Archaeology
The Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology is an archaeological museum located in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey. It is best known for its collection of mosaics, most of which were excavated from the ancient Roman city site of Zeugma...
hosts ceramic pieces from the Neolithic Age, various objects, figures, seals from Calcolithic and Bronze Age, stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, and glass objects from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Roman and Byzantium periods. The mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s of the ancient city of Zeugma are also displayed at the museum.
Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.
Yesemek Open Air Museum is located in the village known by the same name, close to Islahiye District of Gaziantep. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to Hittites.
The remains of the old city of Belkis (Zeugma) are located in Kavunlu village which is 10 kilometers away from Nizip district of Gaziantep. These remains date back to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.
Gaziantep Defence Museum
Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the Gaziantep Castle, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Karayılan, Şehitkamil and Şahinbey at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)."
Gaziantep War Museum
This historical Antep house also known as "Nakıpoğlu House" in Gaziantep is expressing 6.317 martyrs and their sprits from defending of Gaziantep as strongly a symbol for our national union and unity and how Antep War was won with voice and chronological panels.
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
lodge is part of the mosque's külliye
Külliye
Külliye, deriving from the Arabic word "kull" is a term which designates a complex of buildings, centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a vakıf , and composed of a medrese, a darüşşifa, kitchens, bakery, hammam, other buildings for various benevolent...
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904, has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Gaziantep Historical Places
Zeugma CityZeugma ancient city is located on the shore of the river Euphrates within the boundaries of Belkıs Village. Zeugma ancient city which was established on a land of about 20 million kilometres, because it is at the shallowest passable part of Euphrates and since it is very strategic region in terms of military and commerce, it protects its importance in each period of history.
Aziz Bedros Church
This church is an old Armenian church. (Built nearly 450 years ago).
Doliche City
Doliche village and its neighbourhood is located 11 kilometres north of Gaziantep have witnessed all major houses of humankind history and have caused their traces to reach up to today. It is almost open-air museum by means of stone tools used by people who had lived 30-40 thousand years ago, of Mithras underground temple, splendid rock graves, stone quarries from which giant rock blocks are produced.
Gaziantep Citadel
Gaziantep Citadel, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is a mystery, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Kendirli Church
The Church was built in 1860 by means of assistance of French missionaries and Napoleon the Third. It is a catholic Armenian Church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel
The "kastel" (fountain) used to be part of a bigger group of buildings, and it is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Rumkale settlement Rumkale is an ancient castle near to Kasaba Village. The castle, which took shape of a peninsula due to the Birecik Dam, may be accessed from Kasaba village and Halfeti by boats. It is located on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat (Euphrates) River and Merziman stream meet. It is believed that settlement on it started since the era of Assyrians due to its strategic position.
Karkamis was an important centre of arts and culture in the past and it's located on the Syrian border. It's the place of the famous Legend of Gilgamesh.
Houses of Gaziantep are worth to visit with rich cultural heritage. They are great samples of traditional architectural featuring Southeastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Syria cultures.
Tahmis Coffee House
The Tahmis Coffee House was built by the Turkmen Ağa and Flag Officer, Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf in 1635-1638, in order to provide an income for the dervish lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
Gaziantep Historical Inns
Anatolia InnThe exact date of the inn's (caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th Century.
Şire Inn
It is possible to obtain information on the building from epitaphs taking place in three fronts of the inn. Its architect was stated as Kirkos. The building, which bears many properties of the classical Ottoman inn architecture, has a rectangular plan. It was built with evenly-cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th Century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th Century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Cuisine
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
empires. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
s, meatballs, etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with malhita (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt.
Antep's desserts are a must try for the tourist as well and they include the sweet pastry baklava
Baklava
Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia....
(originally native to this city and famous throughout the former Ottoman lands), burmalı, künefe, kadayıf, etc. Antep is also famous for its slender and delicious type of pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
s (which are among the most valuable and fresh-tasted types in the global market.)
Its kebab varieties include the kıyma (minced meat) kebab, kuşbaşı (meat cut in goulash
Goulash
Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
-type cubes) kebab, simit kebab, patlıcan (aubergine) kebab, ciğer (liver) kebab and soğan (onion) kebab. Other than these, make sure you at least taste the lahmacun
Lahmacun
Lahmacun or lahmajoun , from , , "meat with dough", is an item of prepared food originating in the early Syrian cuisine of the Levant, consisting of a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat...
(thin-crusted Armenian pizza
Armenian cuisine
Armenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people, the Armenian diaspora and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as incorporating outside influences...
with spicy minced meat, mostly found in Cilicia, in those areas close to Syria and Lebanon), yuvarlama (mas soup) and karışık (mixed) dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables, yoğurtlu patates (potato with yogurt), beyran, etc.)
Climate
Gaziantep has a continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with influences of a semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.
Education
Gaziantep Anatolian High School (founded in 1976) is a public school focusing on English language education.Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University
Metu
Metu is a market town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region along the Sor River, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an altitude of 1605 meters...
.
The Zirve University
Zirve University
The Zirve University is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.-Faculties:*Faculty of Communication*Faculty of Engineering...
(Turkish Zirve Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.
Popular culture
Gaziantep was made famous in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
by the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
TV series Yabancı Damat
Yabanci Damat
Yabancı Damat , is a popular Turkish TV series distributed by Erler Film with 106 episodes in...
(literally The Foreign Groom), known in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
as Брак с чужденец (Marriage with a Foreigner), a love story between a Turk and a Greek. In Greece, the popular TV series is known as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love). It is a love story between two youngsters, Nikos, a Greek boy, son of a wealthy Athenian ship owner; and Nazlı, daughter of a Gaziantep baklava maker. Due to the historic rivalry and hatred between the Greeks and Turks, a love affair between these two youngsters is received badly by both families. The dislike between the two families increases as the episodes pass, with the Turkish family being more strict towards their daughter. The main culprits, however, are the two grandparents (Nikos' grandmother and Nazlı's grandfather), who reach extreme points in order to stop the youngsters' wedding. The TV series was launched in 2004 and was well known in both countries.
Sports
| Club | Sport | Established | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaziantepspor Gaziantepspor Gaziantepspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969, Gaziantepspor are nicknamed the Şahinler . The club colours are black and red, and they play their home matches at Kamil Ocak Stadyumu.... |
Football | 1969 | Spor Toto Super League (Turkish Premier Division) | Gaziantep Kamil Ocak Stadium |
| Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyüksehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The club was founded in 1998 after Sankospor became defunct.-Current squad:... |
Football | 1998 | Bank Asya 1. Lig (TFF First League) | Gaziantep Kamil Ocak Stadium |
| Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyüksehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The club was founded in 1998 after Sankospor became defunct.-Current squad:... |
Basketball | 2000 | Turkish Basketball League 2 | Kamil Ocak Sports Hall |
Images from Gaziantep
Twin towns - Sister cities
Gaziantep is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Duisburg Duisburg - History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... (since 2005) Florence Florence Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... Aleppo Aleppo Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant... , Syria Syria Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.... Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... Kermanshah Kermanshah Kermanshah is a city in and the capital of Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 784,602, in 198,117 families.The overwhelming majority of Kermanshahi people are Shi'a Muslims... , Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... |
Nijmegen, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... Karlstad Karlstad Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... Cetinje Cetinje Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro... , Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the... Kuwait City Kuwait City -Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:... , Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the... Irbid Irbid Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of... , Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... |
Notable people from Gaziantep
- Abdullah AtalarAbdullah AtalarAbdullah Atalar is a Turkish scientist and academic. Atalar is the Rector of Bilkent University, and a professor at Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering...
- scientist - Ahmet ÜmitAhmet ÜmitAhmet Ümit is an Turkish author and poet best known for his work in thrillers.-Biography:Born in Gaziantep in 1960. Finished his Primary, Middle and High School there...
- writer, poet - Arik Erkin - actor
- Kadri PashaKadri PashaKadri Pasha or Mehmet Kadri Pasha was an Ottoman statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 9 June 1880 to 12 September 1880.Born 1832 in Antep as El Lakits was the son of Abd el Birr and Zarka....
- Ottoman Grand Vizier 1880 - Doğu PerinçekDogu PerinçekDoğu Perinçek is a Turkish politician, leader of the Workers' Party , a scientific socialist organization, and former chairman of the Workers' Party . His first name Doğu means "East" in Turkish.-Personal life:...
- leader of Workers' Party (Turkey)Workers' Party (Turkey)Workers' Party is political party in Turkey led by Doğu Perinçek. İP has its roots in the Revolutionary Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey , Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey and Socialist Party... - Edip Akbayram - singer
- Gizem MemiçGizem MemiçGizem Memiç is a Turkish beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Miss Turkey 2010 on Thursday 1 April 2010. Gizem Memiç accepted the crown from Ebru Şam, Miss Turkey 2009...
- Miss Turkey 2010 - Hazal KayaHazal Kaya-Biography:Hazal Kaya was born in Gaziantep on October 1, 1990. Kaya attended Italian High School in Istanbul, and graduated in 2009. She currently continues her studies in Istanbul Bilgi University . Her parents divorced when she was 7 years old...
- actress - Kemal AslanKemal AslanKemal Aslan is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Adanaspor in the TFF First League.- External links :**...
- footballer - Kenan Doğulu - singer
- Murat CeylanMurat CeylanMurat Ceylan is a Turkish footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Gaziantepspor in the Süper Lig. Ceylan is also a youth international, having been capped at the U-17, U-19, and U-21 levels.-Life and career:...
- footballer - Necdet YaşarNecdet YasarNecdet Yaşar or Necdet Yasar in the West , is a Turkish tanbur lute player and teacher. A founding member of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble, he performed throughout the world as a cultural ambassador for Turkey and taught twice at the University of Washington...
- musician - Nedim GürselNedim GürselNedim Gürsel is a Turkish writer. In the late 1960s, he published novellas and essays in Turkish magazines. After graduating from Galatasaray High School in 1970, he studied at the Sorbonne. In 1974, he graduated from the Sorbonne's Department of Modern French Literature...
- writer - Onat Kutlar - writer, poet
- Ozan Doğulu - musician
- Ömer Asım Aksoy - one of the Turkey's important linguists
- Seza Kutlar AksoySeza Kutlar AksoySeza Kutlar Aksoy is an award-winning Turkish children's author residing in Istanbul, Turkey. She is the younger sister of writer Onat Kutlar.-Biography:Seza Kutlar Aksoy was born in Gaziantep, Turkey....
- children's literature writer - Sinan TuzcuSinan Tuzcu-Biography:After doing a course on Tourism and Hotel Management at Bilkent University, he graduated in Theatre from Mimar Sinan University's State Conservatory in 2003...
- actor - Tiran NersoyanTiran NersoyanTiran Nersoyan was Patriarch-elect of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem very briefly in 1957-1958 but never received his position as Patriarch....
- Armenian archbishop and deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem - Ugurol BarlasUgurol BarlasUgurol Barlas ,Turkish Sociologist and author, published 37 books and 95 declarations and articles at national and international Conferences and Symposiums.- The Published Books by Ugurol Barlas :*1.Honey Rock 1958...
- writer,sociologist - Ülkü Tamer - writer, poet
- Yağmur Atacan - actor
- Metehan Eroğlu - student
- Faruk Hekim - ambassador of Turkey on Planet Earth (May 26, 1986)
External links
Gaziantep ( ˈgaːziantep), Ottoman TurkishOttoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb ʕajn tæːb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres (115 miles) northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The metropolitan area in the entire Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province is a province in south-central Turkey. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep which had a population of 853,513 as of 2000. Its neighbours are Adıyaman at north, Şanlıurfa at east, Syria and Kilis at south, Hatay at southwest, Osmaniye at west and Kahramanmaraş at northwest.An...
had a population of 1.3 million as of 2010, making the city sixth most populous in Turkey. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey
Sahinbey
Şahinbey is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is a part of Gaziantep Metropolitan municipality. The population is 730,562 as of 2010.- External Links :*...
and Şehitkamil
Sehitkamil
Şehitkamil is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is a part of Gaziantep Metropalitan Center municipality. The population is 593,958 as of 2010.- External Links :*...
.
Etymology
Gaziantep was originally called Aïntap (from Arabic عين تاب) but after some centuries the name shifted to Antep. The origin of the name is shrouded in mystery, but there are several theories:- "Aïntap" may be derived from "Khantap", meaning "king's land" in the Hittite languageHittite languageHittite is the extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centred on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia...
. - "Aïntap" means "full of springs" in PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. - "Aïn", a word of praise, and "tap", meaning "spring", may have combined to form the name.
- "Ayin ţaba" means "good spring" in AramaicAramaic languageAramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
(however, the Arabic name for the city is spelled with t, not ṭ)
In 1921, "Antep" was legally renamed "Gaziantep", meaning "Victorious Antep".
Antiquity
Antiochia ad Taurum
Antiochia ad Taurum was an ancient city of Hellenistic foundation in the Taurus Mountains of Cilicia , Anatolia. Most modern scholars locate Antiochia ad Taurum at or near Gaziantep, Gaziantep Province, Turkey , , although past scholars tried to associate it with Aleppo , Syria...
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
. Being the center of pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past - the citadel was restored by the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in the 6th century. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches are the Roman mosaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye
Islahiye
Islahiye is a town and district of Gaziantep Province in southeastern Turkey. It is a railway border crossing into Syria.The train station of Islahiye is the last stop on the railway to Damascus in Syria...
, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip
Nizip
Nizip is a district of Gaziantep Province of southeastern Turkey.As of 2010, the population of the city is 96,229. It is located 45 km from the city of Gaziantep, 95 km from Şanlıurfa , and 35 km from Karkamış, which is an old city also known historically as Gilgamesh. It is quite...
and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Gaziantep was ruled by Akkadians, Mitannis, Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, Neo-Hittites, Assyrians, Urartians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Parthians, Commagene, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Sassanids, and Arabs
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
.
Middle Ages
In the first half of the 7th century, Arab armies captured this region. It was passed to the Umayyads in 661 and the Abbasids in 750. During the period of Arab rule, it was ravaged several times by the Eastern Romans (Byzantines). After the disintegration of the Abbasid dynasty, the city was ruled successively by the TulunidsTulunids
The Tulunids were the first independent dynasty in Islamic Egypt , when they broke away from the central authority of the Abbasid dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate during that time...
, the Ikhshidids and the Hamdanids. In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines (Eastern Romans), and retained by them until the Seljuk conquest in 1067. The regime of the Anatolian Seljuks gave way to the Syria Seljuks
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I was the Seljuq ruler of Damascus from 1079 to 1095, succeeding Abaaq al-Khwarazmi. He finished the construction of the Citadel of Damascus, a project that had begun under the direction of Abaaq al Khwarizmi...
in 1086. Tutush I
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj ad-Dawla Tutush I was the Seljuq ruler of Damascus from 1079 to 1095, succeeding Abaaq al-Khwarazmi. He finished the construction of the Citadel of Damascus, a project that had begun under the direction of Abaaq al Khwarizmi...
appointed Thoros of Edessa
Thoros of Edessa
Thoros was an Armenian ruler of Edessa at the time of the First Crusade.Thoros was a former officer in the Byzantine Empire and a lieutenant of Philaretos Brachamios. He was Armenian but practised the Greek Orthodox faith...
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the County of Edessa
County of Edessa
The County of Edessa was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century, based around Edessa, a city with an ancient history and an early tradition of Christianity....
in 1098. It reverted to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
in 1150, occupied by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the Ayyubids in 1181. It was retaken by Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
between 1260–1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the Mamluks between 1261–1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395-1516. It was also governed by the Dulkadirids, which was a Turkish vassal state of the Mamluks.
Ottoman Period
The Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
captured Gaziantep after the Battle of Marj Dabiq
Battle of Marj Dabiq
The battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history, fought on 24 August 1516, 44 km north of Halab , Syria.- Battle preparations :...
in 1516, during the reign of Sultan Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a sanjak centered initially in the Dulkadir Eyalet (1516-1818), and later in the Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a kaza
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
in the Aleppo vilayet (1818–1908).
Modern Turkey
In 1923, Antep was removed from the Aleppo vilayet and ceded to Turkey according to the Treaty of LausanneTreaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
signed between the Ankara government and the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, together with other parts of northern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
including Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
, Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Tarsus
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
, and Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
Demographics
According to the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadirids (Maraş
Kahramanmaras
-Industry:Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile and ice cream. Kahramanmaraş is one of the biggest textile industry cities of Turkey. Companies like Kipaş, İskur, Arsan and Bozkurt are one of the richest companies in the city...
) was approximately 4.5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük
Yörük
The Yorouks, also Yuruks or Yörüks are immigrants, ultimately of Thracian descent,some of whom are still nomadic, primarily inhabiting the mountains of Anatolia and partly Balkan peninsula...
Türkmens.
Politics
Gaziantep is traditionally said to reflect in advance the rising political trends in Turkey, according preference to ANAPMotherland Party (Turkey)
The Motherland Party, was a political party in Turkey. It was founded in 1983 by Turgut Özal. It was merged to Democratic Party in October 2009...
in 1984, DYP in 1989, Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan was a Turkish engineer, academic, politician , who was the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1996 until 1997. He was Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister...
's (then named as) Welfare Party
Welfare Party
The Welfare Party was an Islamist political party in Turkey. It was founded by Ali Türkmen, Ahmet Tekdal and Necmettin Erbakan in Ankara in 1983 as heir to two earlier parties, Milli Nizam Partisi and Milli Selamet Partisi , which were banned from politics...
in 1994, and AKP
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
in 2004 local elections. One exception was in 1999 when, boosted by the successful image of Gaziantep city mayor Mr. Celal Doğan, CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
came first with 17.02 % of the votes for the Provincial General Assembly (with four parties scoring over 15 %, and the rightist MHP
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
's rise at that time (campaigning on Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
-identity consciousness arguments) still being reflected by its second position after CHP for the province. DEHAP, campaigning on Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
-identity consciousness arguments, after having touched a modest 5 % ceiling in 1999, seems to have ebbed down, its score under SHP
Social Democratic People's Party (Turkey)
The current Social Democratic People's Party or SHP is a Turkish left social-democratic political party established in 2002 by Murat Karayalçın, former Ankara Metropolitan Mayor and Foreign Minister ....
's cover in 2004 local elections remaining at a still more modest 1.81 % (with MHP at 5.36 %). Although Kurdish sources seem to show an interest in and put forth categorizations concerning the province's ethnic structure, in the light of the voter's trends, it is doubtful whether Gaziantep Province fits in the viewpoint. In any case, in 2004, AKP obtained 55.11 % and CHP 21.57 %, and all other parties below 6 % at the Provincial General Assembly elections. Prime Minister Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
is known to have deemed the local elections in Gaziantep as particularly important and to have mobilized considerable governmental weight beforehand. Current mayor is Mr. Dr. Asım Güzelbey, who successfully continued his career after serving 30 years in Gaziantep as an orthopaedic surgeon till the elections in 2004.
Mayors
| The mayors of Gaziantep | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal President's Name | Mission Year | ||
| Dr. Asım Güzelbey Asim Güzelbey Asim Güzelbey, is a Turkish politician of the Justice and Development Party and the current mayor of Gaziantep.... |
2004–present-day | ||
| Celal Doğan | 1989–2004 | ||
| Ömer Arpacıoğlu | 1984–1989 | ||
Economy
Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialities: the copper-ware products and "Yemeni" slippers, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economic center for South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. The number of large industrial businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of Turkish industry in general, while small industries comprise six percent. Also Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position in exports and imports.Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA. The town lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
, Antep fıstığı, meaning "Antep nut".
In 2009, the first enclosed shopping center in the city and region, Sanko Park
Sanko Park
Sanko Park is an enclosed shopping mall located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The first enclosed mall in the region, construction of the US$160 million project began in 2007,, Haber27, November 14, 2008 and the center opened in the spring of 2009....
, opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Places of interest
Gaziantep Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Turkey. Especially interesting are the bird pavilion and the aquarium. Gaziantep Zoo offers a large variety of animals, attractive picnic grounds, and a cafeteria .Zincirli Bedesten is the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. We know from records that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri, however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
Museums in Gaziantep
Gaziantep Museum of ArchaeologyGaziantep Museum of Archaeology
The Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology is an archaeological museum located in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey. It is best known for its collection of mosaics, most of which were excavated from the ancient Roman city site of Zeugma...
hosts ceramic pieces from the Neolithic Age, various objects, figures, seals from Calcolithic and Bronze Age, stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, and glass objects from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Roman and Byzantium periods. The mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s of the ancient city of Zeugma are also displayed at the museum.
Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.
Yesemek Open Air Museum is located in the village known by the same name, close to Islahiye District of Gaziantep. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to Hittites.
The remains of the old city of Belkis (Zeugma) are located in Kavunlu village which is 10 kilometers away from Nizip district of Gaziantep. These remains date back to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times.
Gaziantep Defence Museum
Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the Gaziantep Castle, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Karayılan, Şehitkamil and Şahinbey at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)."
Gaziantep War Museum
This historical Antep house also known as "Nakıpoğlu House" in Gaziantep is expressing 6.317 martyrs and their sprits from defending of Gaziantep as strongly a symbol for our national union and unity and how Antep War was won with voice and chronological panels.
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
lodge is part of the mosque's külliye
Külliye
Külliye, deriving from the Arabic word "kull" is a term which designates a complex of buildings, centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a vakıf , and composed of a medrese, a darüşşifa, kitchens, bakery, hammam, other buildings for various benevolent...
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904, has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Gaziantep Historical Places
Zeugma CityZeugma ancient city is located on the shore of the river Euphrates within the boundaries of Belkıs Village. Zeugma ancient city which was established on a land of about 20 million kilometres, because it is at the shallowest passable part of Euphrates and since it is very strategic region in terms of military and commerce, it protects its importance in each period of history.
Aziz Bedros Church
This church is an old Armenian church. (Built nearly 450 years ago).
Doliche City
Doliche village and its neighbourhood is located 11 kilometres north of Gaziantep have witnessed all major houses of humankind history and have caused their traces to reach up to today. It is almost open-air museum by means of stone tools used by people who had lived 30-40 thousand years ago, of Mithras underground temple, splendid rock graves, stone quarries from which giant rock blocks are produced.
Gaziantep Citadel
Gaziantep Citadel, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is a mystery, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Kendirli Church
The Church was built in 1860 by means of assistance of French missionaries and Napoleon the Third. It is a catholic Armenian Church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel
The "kastel" (fountain) used to be part of a bigger group of buildings, and it is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Rumkale settlement Rumkale is an ancient castle near to Kasaba Village. The castle, which took shape of a peninsula due to the Birecik Dam, may be accessed from Kasaba village and Halfeti by boats. It is located on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat (Euphrates) River and Merziman stream meet. It is believed that settlement on it started since the era of Assyrians due to its strategic position.
Karkamis was an important centre of arts and culture in the past and it's located on the Syrian border. It's the place of the famous Legend of Gilgamesh.
Houses of Gaziantep are worth to visit with rich cultural heritage. They are great samples of traditional architectural featuring Southeastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Syria cultures.
Tahmis Coffee House
The Tahmis Coffee House was built by the Turkmen Ağa and Flag Officer, Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf in 1635-1638, in order to provide an income for the dervish lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
Gaziantep Historical Inns
Anatolia InnThe exact date of the inn's (caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th Century.
Şire Inn
It is possible to obtain information on the building from epitaphs taking place in three fronts of the inn. Its architect was stated as Kirkos. The building, which bears many properties of the classical Ottoman inn architecture, has a rectangular plan. It was built with evenly-cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th Century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th Century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Cuisine
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
empires. The difference is visible in its rice meals, soups, kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
s, meatballs, etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with malhita (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt.
Antep's desserts are a must try for the tourist as well and they include the sweet pastry baklava
Baklava
Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia....
(originally native to this city and famous throughout the former Ottoman lands), burmalı, künefe, kadayıf, etc. Antep is also famous for its slender and delicious type of pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
s (which are among the most valuable and fresh-tasted types in the global market.)
Its kebab varieties include the kıyma (minced meat) kebab, kuşbaşı (meat cut in goulash
Goulash
Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
-type cubes) kebab, simit kebab, patlıcan (aubergine) kebab, ciğer (liver) kebab and soğan (onion) kebab. Other than these, make sure you at least taste the lahmacun
Lahmacun
Lahmacun or lahmajoun , from , , "meat with dough", is an item of prepared food originating in the early Syrian cuisine of the Levant, consisting of a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat...
(thin-crusted Armenian pizza
Armenian cuisine
Armenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people, the Armenian diaspora and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as incorporating outside influences...
with spicy minced meat, mostly found in Cilicia, in those areas close to Syria and Lebanon), yuvarlama (mas soup) and karışık (mixed) dolama (a preparation made of different types of vegetables, yoğurtlu patates (potato with yogurt), beyran, etc.)
Climate
Gaziantep has a continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with influences of a semi-arid climate with very hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.
Education
Gaziantep Anatolian High School (founded in 1976) is a public school focusing on English language education.Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University
Metu
Metu is a market town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region along the Sor River, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an altitude of 1605 meters...
.
The Zirve University
Zirve University
The Zirve University is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.-Faculties:*Faculty of Communication*Faculty of Engineering...
(Turkish Zirve Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2009 located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Currently, the university has five faculties.
Popular culture
Gaziantep was made famous in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
by the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
TV series Yabancı Damat
Yabanci Damat
Yabancı Damat , is a popular Turkish TV series distributed by Erler Film with 106 episodes in...
(literally The Foreign Groom), known in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
as Брак с чужденец (Marriage with a Foreigner), a love story between a Turk and a Greek. In Greece, the popular TV series is known as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love). It is a love story between two youngsters, Nikos, a Greek boy, son of a wealthy Athenian ship owner; and Nazlı, daughter of a Gaziantep baklava maker. Due to the historic rivalry and hatred between the Greeks and Turks, a love affair between these two youngsters is received badly by both families. The dislike between the two families increases as the episodes pass, with the Turkish family being more strict towards their daughter. The main culprits, however, are the two grandparents (Nikos' grandmother and Nazlı's grandfather), who reach extreme points in order to stop the youngsters' wedding. The TV series was launched in 2004 and was well known in both countries.
Sports
| Club | Sport | Established | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaziantepspor Gaziantepspor Gaziantepspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969, Gaziantepspor are nicknamed the Şahinler . The club colours are black and red, and they play their home matches at Kamil Ocak Stadyumu.... |
Football | 1969 | Spor Toto Super League (Turkish Premier Division) | Gaziantep Kamil Ocak Stadium |
| Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyüksehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The club was founded in 1998 after Sankospor became defunct.-Current squad:... |
Football | 1998 | Bank Asya 1. Lig (TFF First League) | Gaziantep Kamil Ocak Stadium |
| Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyüksehir Belediyespor Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The club was founded in 1998 after Sankospor became defunct.-Current squad:... |
Basketball | 2000 | Turkish Basketball League 2 | Kamil Ocak Sports Hall |
Images from Gaziantep
Twin towns - Sister cities
Gaziantep is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Duisburg Duisburg - History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... (since 2005) Florence Florence Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... Aleppo Aleppo Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant... , Syria Syria Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.... Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... Kermanshah Kermanshah Kermanshah is a city in and the capital of Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 784,602, in 198,117 families.The overwhelming majority of Kermanshahi people are Shi'a Muslims... , Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... |
Nijmegen, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... Karlstad Karlstad Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... Cetinje Cetinje Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro... , Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the... Kuwait City Kuwait City -Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:... , Kuwait Kuwait The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the... Irbid Irbid Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of... , Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... |
Notable people from Gaziantep
- Abdullah AtalarAbdullah AtalarAbdullah Atalar is a Turkish scientist and academic. Atalar is the Rector of Bilkent University, and a professor at Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering...
- scientist - Ahmet ÜmitAhmet ÜmitAhmet Ümit is an Turkish author and poet best known for his work in thrillers.-Biography:Born in Gaziantep in 1960. Finished his Primary, Middle and High School there...
- writer, poet - Arik Erkin - actor
- Kadri PashaKadri PashaKadri Pasha or Mehmet Kadri Pasha was an Ottoman statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 9 June 1880 to 12 September 1880.Born 1832 in Antep as El Lakits was the son of Abd el Birr and Zarka....
- Ottoman Grand Vizier 1880 - Doğu PerinçekDogu PerinçekDoğu Perinçek is a Turkish politician, leader of the Workers' Party , a scientific socialist organization, and former chairman of the Workers' Party . His first name Doğu means "East" in Turkish.-Personal life:...
- leader of Workers' Party (Turkey)Workers' Party (Turkey)Workers' Party is political party in Turkey led by Doğu Perinçek. İP has its roots in the Revolutionary Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey , Workers and Peasants Party of Turkey and Socialist Party... - Edip Akbayram - singer
- Gizem MemiçGizem MemiçGizem Memiç is a Turkish beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Miss Turkey 2010 on Thursday 1 April 2010. Gizem Memiç accepted the crown from Ebru Şam, Miss Turkey 2009...
- Miss Turkey 2010 - Hazal KayaHazal Kaya-Biography:Hazal Kaya was born in Gaziantep on October 1, 1990. Kaya attended Italian High School in Istanbul, and graduated in 2009. She currently continues her studies in Istanbul Bilgi University . Her parents divorced when she was 7 years old...
- actress - Kemal AslanKemal AslanKemal Aslan is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Adanaspor in the TFF First League.- External links :**...
- footballer - Kenan Doğulu - singer
- Murat CeylanMurat CeylanMurat Ceylan is a Turkish footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Gaziantepspor in the Süper Lig. Ceylan is also a youth international, having been capped at the U-17, U-19, and U-21 levels.-Life and career:...
- footballer - Necdet YaşarNecdet YasarNecdet Yaşar or Necdet Yasar in the West , is a Turkish tanbur lute player and teacher. A founding member of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble, he performed throughout the world as a cultural ambassador for Turkey and taught twice at the University of Washington...
- musician - Nedim GürselNedim GürselNedim Gürsel is a Turkish writer. In the late 1960s, he published novellas and essays in Turkish magazines. After graduating from Galatasaray High School in 1970, he studied at the Sorbonne. In 1974, he graduated from the Sorbonne's Department of Modern French Literature...
- writer - Onat Kutlar - writer, poet
- Ozan Doğulu - musician
- Ömer Asım Aksoy - one of the Turkey's important linguists
- Seza Kutlar AksoySeza Kutlar AksoySeza Kutlar Aksoy is an award-winning Turkish children's author residing in Istanbul, Turkey. She is the younger sister of writer Onat Kutlar.-Biography:Seza Kutlar Aksoy was born in Gaziantep, Turkey....
- children's literature writer - Sinan TuzcuSinan Tuzcu-Biography:After doing a course on Tourism and Hotel Management at Bilkent University, he graduated in Theatre from Mimar Sinan University's State Conservatory in 2003...
- actor - Tiran NersoyanTiran NersoyanTiran Nersoyan was Patriarch-elect of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem very briefly in 1957-1958 but never received his position as Patriarch....
- Armenian archbishop and deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem - Ugurol BarlasUgurol BarlasUgurol Barlas ,Turkish Sociologist and author, published 37 books and 95 declarations and articles at national and international Conferences and Symposiums.- The Published Books by Ugurol Barlas :*1.Honey Rock 1958...
- writer,sociologist - Ülkü Tamer - writer, poet
- Yağmur Atacan - actor
- Metehan Eroğlu - student
- Faruk Hekim - ambassador of Turkey on Planet Earth (May 26, 1986)
External links
