Gaziantep is Turkey's undisputed food capital — a city where baklava shops stack trays of pistachio-filled pastry in windows that glow with butter and syrup, where kıbrısiye and katmer are morning rituals, and where more than 400 distinct dishes are documented in the regional cuisine. Its UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation is well-earned.
The Zeugma Mosaic Museum holds the world's largest collection of Roman floor mosaics in situ — extraordinary figurative scenes rescued from the flooded ancient city of Zeugma before the Birecik Dam reservoir submerged it in 2000. The Gypsy Girl mosaic is Turkey's most famous ancient artwork.
Known for: Gaziantep baklava · Zeugma Mosaic Museum · Pistachios (antep fıstığı) · UNESCO Gastronomy City · Gaziantep Castle
- Region
- Southeastern Anatolia
- Famous for
- Baklava & Zeugma mosaics
- Best seasons
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- UNESCO
- Creative City of Gastronomy
Gaziantep on the live map
Explore Gaziantep and all of Turkey on the live intelligence map — tap a city node to fly in.
What Gaziantep is known for
The Zeugma Mosaic Museum is unmissable — 10,000 square metres of Roman mosaics, the most dramatic being the haunting Gypsy Girl from the 1st–2nd century CE. The historic bazaar district around the Ottoman castle has copper workshops, spice markets and baklava shops. The castle museum covers the city's history from the Hittites onward.
- Zeugma Mosaic Museum — world's largest Roman mosaic collection.
- Gaziantep baklava — pistachio layers, 60+ varieties.
- Antep fıstığı — the world's finest pistachios.
- Gaziantep Castle and copper bazaar district.
Getting around
Gaziantep has an international airport. The city is compact and the bazaar, castle and Zeugma Museum are all reachable by taxi or city bus. Şanlıurfa is 2 hours east, Adana 3 hours west.
On the platform
Gaziantep is joining Türkiye Gez as we expand into a Turkey-wide city intelligence platform. This guide is the launch foundation — live transport data, an interactive map and deeper neighborhood content roll out city by city, on the same architecture that powers Istanbul today.
Frequently asked questions
About Gaziantep
2Baklava, the UNESCO gastronomy designation, the Zeugma Mosaic Museum with the famous Gypsy Girl mosaic, and antep fıstığı pistachios.
A 1st–2nd century CE Roman mosaic portrait of a young woman — the most famous item in the Zeugma Museum and one of the most iconic ancient artworks in Turkey.