Gaziantep Travel Guide - Best Places to Eat, Drink and Travel

Gaziantep, one of the most developed cities of the Southeastern Anatolia Region, is one of the cities worth seeing with its history, culture, natural beauties and friendly people. It is also the sixth largest city in our country.
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Gaziantep has a deeply rooted history. It has hosted many different civilizations and religions throughout its history. Up to the present day, it has managed to preserve its history and culture as it is. Today, people from all cultures and beliefs live together in Gaziantep.

In recent years, Gaziantep has also managed to attract the attention of the entire world. This is because the remains of the ancient city of Zeugma have been unearthed in recent excavations. The city is located approximately 10 kilometers from the Nizip district of Gaziantep, right on the banks of the Euphrates River. The unearthed remains and mosaics are exhibited at the Zeugma Open Air Museum, which is the world's largest open-air museum and mosaic museum.

In addition to its historical and cultural significance, Gaziantep has also become an important destination for tourism due to its mosaic artifacts and ancient city ruins. Especially in recent years, many domestic and foreign tourists have been visiting the city. With the increasing tourism potential, the number of accommodation facilities and tourist attractions has also increased.

When you visit Gaziantep, you can find many different accommodation facilities in the city center or in the surrounding districts. There are city hotels as well as boutique and small hotels available. You can stay at the Gaziantep hotel that best suits your taste and needs. The prices of hotels in Gaziantep are generally arranged to cater to every budget, so you can easily plan a trip to Gaziantep.

Gaziantep has a very ancient history. It is one of the regions where settlement began in Anatolia. There have been settlements even in the Chalcolithic and Paleolithic ages in these lands. It is known that the Hittites lived here around 1500 BC. Later on, it hosted ancient cultures and civilizations such as the Persians, Assyrians, Romans, and Byzantines. Being included in the Ottoman territories, the city gained prominence with its successes and defense during the War of Independence, and it was given the title of 'Gazi' in 1921.

Geographically, Gaziantep has been established at a crossroads where many trade routes intersect since ancient times. It is quite close to Mesopotamia, the Euphrates, and the Tigris. In this sense, it is strategically located.

If you're coming to Gaziantep, just a day or two won't be enough. If possible, you should plan a week-long vacation. The most suitable seasons, in my opinion, are winter and spring. Because the summers are quite hot in these lands. The climate is predominantly continental and Mediterranean. Therefore, summers are dry and very hot. However, I can say that spring and winter are perfect times for extensive exploration.

Regardless of where your hotel is located, you can easily reach anywhere you want. When in Gaziantep city center, you should start your sightseeing from the historic bazaar. You can visit the covered bazaar and the bazaars where handicraft products are sold, and you can even take photos of the craftsmen who weave carpets and kilims with their unique motifs.

You can also visit the Gaziantep Castle located in the city center. There are many historical inns, baths, and fountains in the city center. Especially, you can visit the baths and experience the Turkish bath tradition. In the area known as Bey Mahallesi, you can see the historic Gaziantep houses. While wandering around the streets, you can also capture beautiful photos of the houses.

Gaziantep Archaeology Museum, Şahinbey War Museum, Medusa Glass Museum, Emine Göğüş Kitchen Museum, and of course, the Zeugma Open Air Museum are places you must absolutely see.

Gaziantep's culinary culture is also very rich and diverse. Especially, kebabs and meat dishes are very famous. You can try delicacies such as Ezmeli kebab, eggplant kebab, garlic kebab. You can take a break for a tiredness coffee in a nice tea garden.

Speaking of Gaziantep cuisine, there are some regional dishes that I recommend you try. First of all, you must try the world-famous Gaziantep baklava and buy it to let your loved ones taste it as well. It has a soft and magnificent taste as if it were made entirely of cream. In addition to that, you should also taste the delicious flavors such as plum stew, Arabic meatballs, beyti, börk soup, küşneme, and simit kebab.

Where to Eat in Gaziantep? 

The best kebab addresses in the city are Halil Usta, Haydar Usta, and İmam Çağdaş, located across from Camlı Kahve (Glass Coffee).

One Special Recommendation: You can't leave here without trying gourmet delights like baklava, küşleme, and beyran soup. Along with these, don't miss out on tasting sweet katmer, dried eggplant stuffed with meat, lamb liver kebab (known locally as cağırtlak), and yuvalama soup. For these wonderful flavors, we recommend the restaurant called Aşina Gaziantep Cuisine.

The best baklava addresses in the city are İmam Çağdaş and Koçak Baklavacısı in Uzunçarşı. Apart from kebabs, you should try unique flavors like "Chickpea Wrap" and "Katmer" at Habeş Usta or visit Zekeriya Usta for Katmer. Other restaurants you should visit include Üçler Kebap, Metanet Esnaf Lokantası, and Evirgeç Mantı.

For a coffee break, head to ‘Tahmis Kahvesi’. This coffee shop has a history dating back to the 1650s, and its building still preserves its old texture. The atmosphere is delightful, with 500-year-old lamps inside. There are even old photographs from past eras.

Lastly, I recommend trying the kebab restaurants under the Castle; you can also visit Çulcuoğlu or ask for directions to Karakabir :)

Blogger Oğuz Yeni Hayat has suggested the following route for dining:

A summary of Gaziantep in 12 hours: beyran soup, katmer, börek, baklava, küşleme, lahmacun, şöbiyet, onion kebab, and 16,000 steps! And most importantly, we didn't spend more than 200 liras per person all day! This time, I have a different recommendation for those going to Antep. It's possible to explore the city on foot. Without taking a taxi or renting a car, you can visit and dine at a minimum of 7-8 places. For those who want to start their day with beyran soup and katmer, I recommend Metanet. Two shops facing each other. If you say, "These are too heavy for me," you can start with a delicious börek at Elmacıpazarı Güllüoğlu just a few steps away. It's only a matter of time before you succumb to the baklavas coming from the workshop. A couple of cream-filled baklava böreks go well together, trust me. A few steps from Güllüoğlu, you can enjoy tea/coffee at Tahmis Kahvesi and make a nice move by walking about 25 minutes to Kebapçı Halil Usta before dinner. After enjoying terbiyeli küşleme and küşleme cubes, you can walk to Hışvahan. After a nice meal, you can pamper yourself and relax with a nice digestive. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Hışvahan to Zeki İnal. After a little treat of şöbiyet, head to Elmacıpazarı. Those who want to have tea/coffee/soda or do kitchen shopping can split here. The flight time is approaching, and for those wondering what to eat for dinner, I say, "Harun Ustaaa," I mean; Dukat beyran/kebab. It's also close to Halil Usta, and a nice evening walk feels incredibly good. Start with onion-walnut lahmacun and continue with one of the best onion kebabs of the season.

There are also various activities to do in Antep. You can even plan a horseback nature walk. You can go on nature walks towards plateaus and wooded areas in high altitudes. Depending on the weather, you can have picnics, camp in recreation areas, plateaus, or near the Euphrates River. You can fish in some nearby ponds. If you're a hunting enthusiast, you can go hunting by the banks of the Euphrates River.

Antep is rich in handicrafts. Products like embroidered and mother-of-pearl-inlaid bowls, items called yemeni which are a type of shoe without heels, are sold everywhere, especially in the historic bazaar. You can buy them for your loved ones or yourself. You can find souvenirs that remind you of Antep houses. You can purchase handwoven carpets and rugs with original designs. You can obtain unique examples of silver craftsmanship. Also, don't forget to buy baklava, sweet sucuk, fruit leather, red pepper, local spices, and Antep pistachios.

If you want to come to Antep, you can easily reach it by both road and air. This year, especially in the upcoming spring months, could be a great opportunity to visit and explore Antep. I suggest you start planning now. Have a great vacation.

Accommodation Recommendations in Gaziantep: Click here for Gaziantep Hotels.