Is Gaziantep Worth Visiting in 2024?

Gaziantep doesn’t get a lot of press and it’s not that well-known as a tourist destination.

When it does get in the news, it’s for a bad thing – for example the devastating earthquake that decimated the region in February 2023. Many historic buildings were destroyed and heritage was erased.

But Gaziantep has a lot of intangible treasures as well! It’s the culinary powerhouse of Turkey, a country already famous for its delicious food. The Turkish Hammam traditions are kept alive and well in the city with multiple authentic baths open to locals and visitors alike.

The Drawn Thread Embroidery style called “Antep İşi” is likely to be included in the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2025 too.

So is Gaziantep worth visiting? A destroyed but rebuilding city with a strong spirit and rich soul. A resounding YES!

What is Gaziantep famous for?

Gaziantep is frequently dubbed Turkey’s kitchen. It has many of Turkey’s favorite foods and some unique ones to top it all off.

Antep Fıstık

Turkey is the homeland of the pistachio nut! But did you know that pistachios in Turkey are called “Antep Fıstık”, named after the town of Antep because together with Sanliurfa they produce well over 80% of Turkey’s entire pistachio output?

The pistachio is so famous in Gaziantep! You can see it on top of the desserts baklava, kunefe, katmer, and Turkish delight, packaged roasted or raw, sweet or savory.

There’s even a whole statue of a pistachio nut in Gaziantep!

Desserts

Pistachio and sugar are best friends – desserts should be on your radar when you visit Gaziantep.

Consider this:

• Gaziantep’s baklava is probably the best in Turkey
• Its katmer is soft and creamy
• The kunefe in Gaziantep is heavily influenced by nearby Syria (and the Arabs make better kunefe than the Turks)
• Gazziantep’s Burmali Kadayif is unlike any other in all of Turkey!

Head to Gaziler Street where you will find a vast array of small dessert shops serving all of the above and more.

I am a huge fan of katmer, so I sat down at one of the still open street shops (note that most shops in the Çarşı, aka the market, close at sunset) and had an absolutely mouthwatering one.

Gastronomy

Gaziantep is a World Gastronomy City – a recognition by UNESCO for cities with a vibrant culinary scene.

You literally cannot make a mistake by eating in Gaziantep – there are good restaurants and there are amazing restaurants – no bad ones.

You must try the local kebab variation called Alinazik kebab. It’s your recognizable Turkish kebab over a plateau of mashed smoked eggplant. Simply delicious.

Gaziantep also has particularly outstanding Lahmacun – the so-called Turkish Pizza. Even though you can find this meal anywhere across Turkey, the flavor and taste of lahmacun in Gaziantep is uniquely amazing.

Hospitality

A lot of cities around the world claim to be very hospitable. Some are, some not so much.

Gaziantep is of the former. Its fame as a friendly and welcoming place is known far and wide and it is indeed true!

People are always willing to accommodate you on a small chair in front of their store and chat with you. Any Aintaban will help you and everybody is polite and open.

A popular vlogger – Drew Binsky – had a hard time even paying in Gaziantep as the locals gave him everything for free! Here, take a look at his video about the city:

Copper, silver, and gold

Many civilizations have ruled over and influenced Gaziantep throughout the centuries, each leaving a little of its achievements in the city’s crafts.

You can catch a hint of that in the eclectic bazaars that sell anything and everything, but always in typical Turkish style – opulent displays of the finest and shops full to the brim with goods inside.

What Gaziantep is most known for is the copperware. Copperworking is an art here and you can find works displayed in any bazaar in the city.

The more luxurious gold and silver are not too far behind as the traditional workshops still operate to this day.

Notable places in Gaziantep

Gaziantep is not a large city and you can easily walk to most of the attractions. They are packed in the city center. You need 1 day to visit Gaziantep, but you will have things to do even if you stay 2 or 3 days.

Gaziantep Castle

For over 2000 years, the castle in the middle of Gaziantep greeted travelers, merchants, and enemies alike. Its towering presence was unmatched by anything else in the city.

Until 2023, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake all but leveled it to the ground. Its ruble remains on top of a hill but it is a sad sight.

There was a museum on top with plenty of information about the Castle’s long history. The vista from above was the best in Gaziantep, allowing you a 360-view of the whole city.

Restoration works are in progress and I’m sure that soon, the castle will be back to its former glory. Gaziantep is currently temporarily closed until fully restored and safe.

Panorama Aralik 25 Museum

I strongly recommend the new, detailed, and elaborate Panorama Aralik 25 Museum (Aralik is the Turkish word for December, the date of eventual liberation in 1921) located very near the city center.

It’s exceptionally well organized and only costs 20 TL / 0.75$, which is a big bargain.

In the museum, you will learn everything about the war against the French and British in the years after WWI.

Since you cannot visit Gaziantep Castle now (closed for restoration) and that’s where some of the fighting took place, the Panorama Museum has become the must-visit place in Gaziantep to learn about the recent history of the city.

And to understand why the city Antep got given the prefix Gazi (glorious).

Zeugma Mosaics Museum

A 15-minute walk from the Castle is the Zeugma Mosaics Museum.

The entrance fee is on the expensive site when it comes to museums in Gaziantep but the mosaics are well-preserved and very worth it if you are into that sort of stuff. It’s the largest mosaics museum in the world after all!

The most renowned mosaic is The Gypsy Girl.

Hammam Museum

The Hammam Museum is my favorite place in Gaziantep.

It’s housed inside an actual hammam built in 1577 where you can learn about the specifics of Ottoman baths all across Anatolia.

For 15 TL (0.5$) it’s well worth the 30-minute visit. Note that you can only pay by contactless card, cash is not accepted!

You can’t experience bathing in the museum, but there is a nearby authentic hammam called Tarihi Naip Hamamı that is extremely affordable (unlike most of the tourist traps in Istanbul around Hagia Sophia).

Kapalı Çarşı Gaziantep

The Grand Bazaar is not only in Istanbul! Gaziantep has its own Kapalı Çarşı and to be completely honest, it’s so much better.

It’s much more authentic and the vendors are way less prone to try to rob you with exorbitant prices. It has a more Middle Eastern vibe too – the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul has become increasingly Westernized and looks more and more like a mall every new year.

Gaziantep’s Kapalı Çarşı is the best place to buy some Turkish souvenirs to bring back home with you!

Almaci Pazari

The Grand Bazaar is not the only market in Gaziantep. On the contrary – Gaziantep, the city of food and merchants, is famous for its many markets.

Almaci Pazari specializes in dried fruits, herbs, spices, pistachios of course, as well as copperware and fabrics.

Where is Gaziantep and how to get there?

Gaziantep is in Southeastern Turkey. The distance from popular destinations in Turkey are as follows:

• Istanbul (16-hour bus ride or 1-hour flight);
• Izmir (15 hours by bus);
• Antalya (14 hours by bus);
• Cappadocia (8 hours bus from Nevsehir).

As you can see, it takes a while to get there. I suggest pairing it up with other destinations in Southeast Turkey like Sanliurfa (where you can also visit Gobekli Tepe, the world’s oldest temple) Diyarbakir, Mount Nemrut, Mardin, and Midyat.

The story of the name: Why not just Antep?

Let’s learn something about the city even before stepping foot in it!

A hundred years ago the city was just Antep. But today it’s Gaziantep. Why?

The prefix “Gazi”, is a title that the great Turkish hero Mustafa Kemal also has. Gazi means something along the lines of “veteran” in Turkish.

The Veteran Antep. Why though?

The prefix was given to the city by the Grand National Assembly of the nascent Turkish Republic after the retreat of the French occupying forces in 1921. This was a war of great importance for Turkey and its people and the brave resistance of multiple cities guaranteed the victory.

Two other cities also earned recognition through prefixes. Urfa became Şanlıurfa and Maraş became Kahramanmaraş.