Gaziantep

The south-eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep is renowned for its diverse and traditional cuisine. It is no surprise that UNESCO has designated it a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy.’ A particular speciality is baklava, which is made with the region's bright green pistachios and is considered the best in the world. But it's not just the cuisine that's promising: as one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, it offers a fascinating mix of Ottoman architecture and exciting museums such as the Zeugma Mosaic Museum and the Panorama Museum in the old fortress. A stroll through the oriental alleys, past old mosques and fragrant bazaars, feels like a journey back in time. You are greeted warmly everywhere you go: Gaziantep – or Antep for short – is not only a feast for the senses, but also a place where hospitality is lived and breathed.

A varied landscape stretches around Gaziantep, with fertile plains where pistachios thrive. Near the city lie the ancient ruins of Zeugma, directly on the biblical Euphrates River. Another highlight on the Euphrates is the picturesque village of Halfeti, which was partially flooded by the construction of a dam. Southeastern Anatolia is considered the cradle of civilisation, with places deeply rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of the region. Some of the oldest settlements in human history are located here, including the 12,000-year-old Göbekli Tepe sanctuary. Mount Nemrut impresses with monumental stone figures and royal tombs from ancient times. The ‘Mountain of the Gods’ unfolds its mystical atmosphere especially at sunrise. To the east lies Şanlıurfa, the ‘City of Prophets’. It is considered the birthplace of Abraham and is an important place of pilgrimage.

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