Gazi Antep is in the southern border of Turkey and renowned for its excellent pistachios. Located on a wide and fertile plain it has extensive olive groves and vineyards. Industry and other agricultural products contribute to the local economy. The 36 towers of the city’s fortress were originally constructed in the Justinian era and later restored by the Sejluk Turks.

The Archaeology Museum has important items from Neolithic, Hittite and Roman times. The Hasan Suzer House houses the Ethnographical museum. The artisans of Gazi Antep specialise in in copperware and furniture inlaid with mother of pearl. Their restaurants produce some of the best food in Turkey – Iahmacun, a delicious pizza topped with spicy meat and herbs, and baklava, a flaky honey and nut pastry. 

The Duluk Forest makes a good day’s outing and there is a good campsite if you want to stay overnight. A Hittite sculpting school was centered in Yesemek and now displays over 200 works of art reminiscent of the period. Next to the Syrian border, on the banks of the Firat River, Kargamis is another important archaeological site. The site’s finds including huge bas-reliefs, have been shifted to the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara.  

For more detailed country and visitor information, see Turkey