Although I like to write in general, I am more eager to write some places.. I’m sitting at the computer one more excited. Places to visit around Gaziantep give me the same feeling when I travel and see them, just as it gives me the same feeling when I write.
I hope you will share my feelings while reading and you will feel the same excitement.. Come on, take your tea, bring your coffee. Listen to this beautiful Antep song below and get in the mood. Then touch history, experience and nature with me.
The beautiful city of Gaziantep! You impressed me a lot with your history, nature, culture, cuisine and people.. Our reunion was late, but it was not difficult, thank goodness. it was nice. While I was writing my Gaziantep center places to visit>, I relived those moments in my mind, I walked on the streets, inhaled the smell of spices, I heard the ringing sound of the coppersmiths’ bazaar.. I’m full of longing again.
Now it’s time to revisit every beauty on our Places to visit around Gaziantep list in my mind.. I am trying to touch the little-known things of this geography, which impressed me a lot, and to get to know its hidden treasures closely.. Come join me, let’s enjoy this discovery together.
Places to visit around Gaziantep
Places to visit around Gaziantep, I numbered the places that are close to each other in order.. While writing the places one by one, I will talk about details such as how we divided the days into days, in what order we visited.. You can view it by zooming in on the map.
Places to Visit around Gaziantep
When someone asks where to visit in Gaziantep, the names of historical places and museums in the center are usually listed.. However, without Places to visit in Antep, what you see and visit will remain in the air, and you will leave this city incomplete.
In this article, you will find places to visit in and around Gaziantep and the feelings it creates in me. When I tell you, I’m sure you’ll want to go and see it even if it’s not in your plan.. Now, I am taking you on a journey from the first known sculpture workshop in history to the little-known sunken villages overshadowed by Halfeti, to Rumkale, which is located on a hill covered with high rocks, where the Euphrates River and Merzimen Stream meet.. Sit back and enjoy what you see.
Yesemek Open Air Museum
Places to visit around Antep is divided into regions. Since we could start sightseeing in the afternoon on our first day in Gaziantep, we set out to complete the sights in Islahiye in half a day.. Our first stop was Yesemek Open Air Museum. Many people come here and leave Gaziantep without seeing them, they don’t know what a great loss they are.. Let me tell you at the beginning what I will say at the end, I think you should definitely visit the Yesemek Open Air Museum.
Yesemek was the largest quarry and sculpture workshop of the Near East in its period.. B.C. After the region came under Hittite domination in the second half of the 2000s, this quarry was put into operation or revived with the Hittites when it existed before.
Hurrian masters and craftsmen from the local people also worked here together with the Hittite masters.. During the Late Hittite Kingdoms, the work intensified again in the workshop, which had weakened for a while.. In this second period, especially Hittite, Syrian, Aramaic and Assyrian artistic elements gained weight.. BC by the Sam’al (Zincirli) Kingdom.. Operated between 1375-1335. Kingdom of Sam’al (Zincirli) BC. With the destruction by the Assyrians at the end of the 8th century, the Stone Quarry and Sculpture Workshop were closed, and the working people left the region.. In the workshop, everything remained as it was and time was frozen until 1890.. In the Open Air Museum, more than 300 sketches of statues unearthed are exhibited.
Yesemek was discovered for the first time in 1890 by Felix Von LUSCHAN, who was excavating in Zincirli (Sam’al) on behalf of the German Oriental Studies Institute. and introduced to the scientific world. Research and excavations here were carried out in 1957-1961 by Prof.. Nearly 200 sculptures were drafted by the team headed by Bahadır ALKIM.
In the archaeological excavations carried out by Archaeologist İlhan TEMİZSOY in the past years, 300 sculptures and stone slabs were found; the area in question has been transformed into an Open Air Museum by the Gaziantep Museum Directorate after landscaping.
- There is no entrance fee to the Yesemek Open Air Museum.. You can visit it for free.
- Yesemek Open Air Museum location is here.
Tilmen Höyük
We continue our list of places to visit in Gaziantep and its surroundings with Tilmen Höyük in İslahiye region. Tilmen was one of the most magnificent Hittite cities after the Hattusa City of Anatolia.. As a result of the excavations carried out since 2003, Tilmen Höyük has been turned into an Archeopark.
The finds belonging to the mound show the bond and mutual relationship between ancient Mesopotamian and Syrian cultures and ancient Anatolian cultures.. As a result of the excavations, the history of the BC. It started in 4000 BC and. It was understood that it was a big city in the last period of the millennium..
The ruins have not survived to the present day.. As you can see from the photos, I cannot say that a perfect ancient city awaits you.. But if you have time to go to Yesemek Open Air Museum, this place can also be seen.. There is no entrance fee for Tilmen Höyük.
- Click here for directions to Tilmen Höyük.
Zincirli Höyük
To our list of places to visit around Gaziantep Zincirli Höyük We continue with. This place is located in the west of Gaziantep city center, 10 km north of İslahiye district.. In fact, Zincirli is the modern name of the 40-hectare mound where the ruins of the old city of Sam’al are found.
Old Sam’al means “north” in Semitic languages.. Sam’al is known as one of the leading metropolises and a royal center of the Late Hittite Period..
If I were to briefly talk about the history of Zincirli Höyük, the city was founded in the 2nd BC.. At the beginning of the millennium B.C., the capital was Halab (today’s Aleppo) Amori Yamhad Kingdom.. It was included in the territory of the Hittite Empire in the same millennium.
After the collapse of the Hittite Empire, it served as the capital of the Sam’al Kingdom, one of the Late Hittite States.. The city came under the rule of the Arameans in 920 BC.. Although there are certain excavation sites here, unfortunately, there are no ruins that I can say that you should go and see.. You can go if you have time.
- Zincirli Höyük location is here.
Hz. Ukkaşe Tomb
Companion kissing the seal of prophethood of our Prophet Hz. Ukkaşe served the religion of Islam throughout his life and fought tirelessly.. He had the honor of being one of the Companions that our Prophet (pbuh) prayed to be from the people of Paradise and was given the good news of Paradise while he was alive.. It was under renovation when we went.. The landscaping, finished with a picnic area for visitors, looked like it would be great.. I definitely recommend you to visit the tomb, which is located 17 km inland on the Islahiye road, on the way out or on the way back.
- Hz.. Click here for directions to Ukkaşe Tomb.
Zeugma Antique City
Yeveet, we finished İslahiye region. Now we turn the route to a completely different place. There are those exquisite mosaics you see in the Zeugma Museum, here we go to the Zeugma Ancient City, where many of them were unearthed, and I said you should definitely go and see it..
One of the generals of Alexander the Great I. Seleukos Nikator founded a city called Selevkeia Euphrates in 300 BC, at the place where Alexander the Great crossed the Euphrates River.. He established a second city in front of this city, named after his wife Apama, and connected these two cities with a bridge..
The city was connected to Rome as of 31 BC and its name was changed to “Zeugma” meaning gateway-bridge.. Zeugma Ancient City lived its golden age in Roman Period. In 256 AD Sassanid King Shapur I captured Zeugma and destroyed it, and after this date Zeugma could not reach its former glory. floors have become competitive with world examples.. The mosaics unearthed during the excavations carried out in only a part of the region reveal that Zeugma is a city of mosaics.
Visit the Zeugma Museum already, but know that it will be incomplete without seeing the Ancient City of Zeugma.. Now I was very excited to think whether the gypsy girl mosaic was removed from here.. I think you will be impressed too.
- Zeugma Ancient City entrance fee is 10 TL. Museum card is valid.
- Click here for directions to Zeugma Ancient City.
Erenkoy
Here are the places that impress me the most in Places to visit in Gaziantep. The sunken villages of Erenköy, Gümüşgün and Kamışlı. We all know Halfeti, but have you ever heard of Erenköy, which is overshadowed by Halfeti but much more beautiful than it? What can I say, I didn’t know about these places until I went to Gaziantep..
As someone who has gone and seen, I can say that if I had left without seeing these places and had been informed in some way after I returned from Antep, I would have been very sad.. We learned about these hidden beauties thanks to their guidance during our meeting with our municipality.. You couldn’t finish praising Buju, I can hear you say, give me some information..
These sunken villages share the same fate as Halfeti. With the opening of the Birecik Dam, most of the villages were flooded.. What makes Erenköy interesting is the fact that the minaret of the mosque with 3 balconies is submerged in water, but most of it is standing on the water.. There are still people living in the upper parts of the village that are above water.. On the top of the village, there is the Shrine of Shih Mahmut..
Well, how do we go to Buju, if you ask Erenköy, there is transportation by road.. Another option is to visit these sunken cities by joining the touristic boat tours departing from Nizip pier.. We proceeded by seeing on the water with the special speed ferry allocated by our municipality.. When we go to Gaziantep again, I want to go there by road and walk on the streets of the village.
- The location of Erenköy is here.
Gümüşgün
Gümüşgün is another beauty like Erenköy. This is an Armenian Village, formerly known as Ehneş.. After the Armenians, Turks from Thessaloniki were settled here with the exchange.. After the village was flooded, it became abandoned.. Let’s say goodbye to Gümüşgün, whose beauty I am enchanted by again, and continue towards Kamışlı.
- Click here for directions to Gümüşgün (Ehneş) Village.
Kamışlı
From Erenköy, Gümüşgün and Kamışlı trio This is the place that impressed me the most.. Kamışlı village is actually within the borders of Rumkale village, which most of us know.. There are many archaeological remains in the region, which has been a settlement since the Roman Period..
The old Kamışlı Village was completely abandoned and the people of the village established a new settlement higher up and moved there.. It made me feel as if I was looking at a painting with its abandoned view, stairs, houses and empty streets.. I will say it again, I will go again and walk this village.
- Click here for directions to Kamışlı Village.
Rumkale
And here we are in Rumkale, one of the most crucial places in Gaziantep’s list of places to visit. It was one of the places I wanted to see the most in our country.. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to see Halfeti on a boat tour in Urfa.. I could not enter the castle because it is under renovation.. But of course, I did not neglect to take beautiful photos from the most beautiful view point..
Let me give some brief information about Gaziantep Rumkale.. The castle is located on a hill covered with high rocks, where the Euphrates River and Merzimen Stream meet.. Rumkale has been named by many names such as Şitamrat, Kal-a Rhomayta, Hromklay, Ranculat from ancient times to the present.
The structures that can be seen in the castle today include the Church of St. Nerses, the Barşavma Monastery, many building remains, water cisterns, a well and there is a ditch. In the Roman Period, Hz.. This settlement plays an important role in the history of Christianity, as Yohannes, one of the apostles of Jesus, came and settled in Rumkale and spread the Christianity religion there.. It is said that Yohannes kept the copy of the Bible in a cave in Rumkale, and then the copies were taken from here and taken to Beirut.
How to get to Gaziantep Rumkale, it is on a peninsula and the peninsula is connected to the trench. Since it has been cut off, transportation can be done by boats from the Town Village, which is 25 kilometers away from the Yavuzeli district of Gaziantep, or the Halfeti district of Şanlıurfa.
- The distance between Gaziantep and Rumkale is 69 km.
- Rumkale location here.
We traveled around Gaziantep and saw it together. It was an incredible pleasure to tell you about this geography that impressed me a lot.. See you on different routes and articles.
