Gaziantep (), previously and still informally
called Aintab or Antep (), is a major city and capital of the
Gaziantep Province
Gaziantep Province ( tr, ) is a province in south-central Turkey. It is located in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Mediterranean Region. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep. It neighbours Ad ...
, in the westernmost part of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
's
Southeastern Anatolia Region
The Southeastern Anatolia Region ( tr, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey. The most populous city in the region is Gaziantep. Other examples of big cities are Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Mardin and Adıyaman.
It is ...
and partially in the
Mediterranean Region
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...
, approximately east of
Adana
Adana (; ; ) is a major city in southern Turkey. It is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The administrative seat of Adana Province, Adana province, it has a population of 2.26 million.
Adana lies in the heart ...
and north of
Aleppo
)), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black".
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, image_map1 =
...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. It is thought to be located on the site of ancient
Antiochia ad Taurum
Antiochia ad Taurum (lit. "Antiochia at Taurus") ( grc, Ἀντιόχεια τοῦ Ταύρου; lit. "Antiochia of Taurus") was a Hellenistic city in ancient Syria east of Mount Amanus of the Taurus mountain range. Later identified as 'ad Taur ...
, and is near ancient
Zeugma.
As of the 31/12/2021 last estimation, the Metropolitan Province was home to 2,130,432 inhabitants, of whom 1,775,904 lived in the metropolitan area made of two (out of three) urban districts of
Şahinbey
Şahinbey is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey named after Şahin Bey (1877-1920), a Turkish National Movement commander. It is part of Gaziantep Metropolitan centers in Turkey, Metropolitan municipality. The population is 730,562 as of 2 ...
and
Şehitkamil
Şehitkamil is a district of Gaziantep Province of Turkey. It is part of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality. It contains the old city, including Gaziantep Castle, as well as the University of Gaziantep. The population is 593,958 as of 2010. On ...
, as
Oğuzeli
Oğuzeli is a district and city of Gaziantep Province of Turkey with a population of 16,534 as of 2010. It is now included within the metropolitan center of the city of Gaziantep
Gaziantep (), previously and still informally called Aintab or Ant ...
is not conurbated. It is the
sixth-most populous city in Turkey.
Name
Due to the city's contact with many ethnic groups and cultures throughout its history, the name of the city has many variants and alternatives, such as:
*''Hantab'', ''Hamtab'', or ''Hatab'' as known by the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
.
*''Antab'' and its variants in vulgar
Turkish and
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
since 17th century the latest,
*''Aīntāb'' () in
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...
,
*''Gazi Ayıntap'' in official Turkish after February 1921, when the
Turkish parliament
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...
honored the city as ''
Ghazi Aīntāb'' to commemorate its resistance to the French
Siege of Aintab
The Siege of Aintab (french: Les Quatres Sièges d'Aïntab; tr, Antep Kuşatması) was a military engagement between the Turkish National Forces and the French Army of the Levant occupying the city of Aintab (present-day Gaziantep) during the T ...
during the
Franco-Turkish War
The Franco–Turkish War, known as the Cilicia Campaign (french: La campagne de Cilicie) in France and as the Southern Front ( tr, Güney Cephesi) of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey, was a series of conflicts fought between France (the ...
,
*''Gaziantep'' in official Turkish after 1928,
*Aīntāb'' () in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
,
*''Êntab'' or ''Dîlok'' in
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish languages
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern Kurdistan
**Eastern Kurdistan
**Northern Kurdistan
**Western Kurdistan
See also
* Kurd (dis ...
,
*''Aïntab'' or ''Verdun turc'' in
French.
The several theories for the origin of the current name include:
* ''Aïntap'' may be derived from ''khantap'', meaning "king's land" in the
Hittite language
Hittite (natively / "the language of Neša", or ''nešumnili'' / "the language of the people of Neša"), also known as Nesite (''Nešite'' / Neshite, Nessite), is an extinct Indo-European language that was spoken by the Hittites, a people ...
.
* ''Aïn'', an Arabic and
Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
word meaning "spring", and ''tab'' as a word of praise.
* ''Antep'' could be a corruption of the Arabic aīn ṭayyib'' meaning "good spring".
However, the Arabic name for the city is spelled with t (ت), not ṭ (ط).
* ''Ayin dab'' or ''Ayin debo'' in Aramaic, meaning "spring of the wolf"
History
Neolithic period
The
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
of ''
Tell Tülük'', which gives its name to the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
Dulicien culture, is situated a few kilometers to the north of the city center.
Early Bronze Age
Traces of settlement go back to the fourth millennium BC.
Hellenistic period
Gaziantep is the probable site of the
Hellenistic
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
city of
Antiochia ad Taurum
Antiochia ad Taurum (lit. "Antiochia at Taurus") ( grc, Ἀντιόχεια τοῦ Ταύρου; lit. "Antiochia of Taurus") was a Hellenistic city in ancient Syria east of Mount Amanus of the Taurus mountain range. Later identified as 'ad Taur ...
("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains").
Byzantine period
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep fortress and the citadel, which were restored by the
Byzantines in the sixth century.
Armenian period
Although it was controlled by the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (Middle Armenian: , '), also known as Cilician Armenia ( hy, Կիլիկեան Հայաստան, '), Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia ( hy, ...
only between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206, for most of the last two millennia, Gaziantep hosted a large Armenian community. Armenians played a significant role in the city's history, culture, welfare, and prosperity. These communities no longer exist in the city due to the
Hamidian massacres
The Hamidian massacres also called the Armenian massacres, were massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the mid-1890s. Estimated casualties ranged from 100,000 to 300,000, Akçam, Taner (2006) '' A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide an ...
in 1895 and the
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
in 1915.
Gaziantep served a significant trade route within the Ottoman Empire. Armenians were active in manufacturing, agriculture production, and most notably, trade, and became the wealthiest ethnic group in the city, until their wealth was confiscated during the Armenian genocide.
Medieval history
Following the
Muslim conquest of the Levant
The Muslim conquest of the Levant ( ar, فَتْحُ الشَّام, translit=Feth eş-Şâm), also known as the Rashidun conquest of Syria, occurred in the first half of the 7th century, shortly after the rise of Islam."Syria." Encyclopædia Br ...
, the city passed to the
Umayyads Umayyads may refer to:
*Umayyad dynasty, a Muslim ruling family of the Caliphate (661–750) and in Spain (756–1031)
*Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)
:*Emirate of Córdoba (756–929)
:*Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خ ...
in 661 AD and the
Abbasids
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
in 750.
It was ravaged several times during the
Arab–Byzantine wars
The Arab–Byzantine wars were a series of wars between a number of Muslim Arab dynasties and the Byzantine Empire between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. Conflict started during the initial Muslim conquests, under the expansionist Rashidun an ...
. After the disintegration of the Abbasid dynasty, the city was ruled successively by the
Tulunids
The Tulunids (), were a Mamluk dynasty of Turkic origin who were the first independent dynasty to rule Egypt, as well as much of Syria, since the Ptolemaic dynasty. They were independent from 868, when they broke away from the central authority ...
, the
Ikhshidids
The Ikhshidid dynasty (, ) was a Turkic mamluk dynasty who ruled Egypt and the Levant from 935 to 969. Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, a Turkic mamluk soldier, was appointed governor by the Abbasid Caliph al-Radi. The dynasty carried the Arabic t ...
, and the
Hamdanids
The Hamdanid dynasty ( ar, الحمدانيون, al-Ḥamdāniyyūn) was a Twelver Shia Arab dynasty of Northern Mesopotamia and Syria (890–1004). They descended from the ancient Banu Taghlib Christian tribe of Mesopotamia and Eastern A ...
.
In 962, it was recaptured by the Byzantines.
The
Anatolian Seljuks
fa, سلجوقیان روم ()
, status =
, government_type = Hereditary monarchyTriarchy (1249–1254) Diarchy (1257–1262)
, year_start = 1077
, year_end = 1308
, p1 = B ...
took Aintab in 1067. They gave way to the Syrian Seljuks in 1086.
Tutush I
Abu Sa'id Taj al-Dawla Tutush (; died 25 February 1095) or Tutush I, was the Seljuk emir of Damascus from 1078 to 1092, and sultan of Damascus from 1092 to 1094.
Years under Malik Shah
Tutush was a brother of the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I. In 1 ...
appointed
Thoros of Edessa Thoros, alternative transliteration T'oros, is the Armenian variant of the Greek name Theodoros (Theodore). It may refer to:
Historical figures
Chronologically:
*Thoros of Edessa (died 1098)
*Thoros of Marash, aka Thatoul (late 11th – early 12th ...
as governor of the region.
It was captured by the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
and united to the Maras Seigneurship in the
County of Edessa
The County of Edessa (Latin: ''Comitatus Edessanus'') was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century. Ferdinandi, Sergio (2017). La Contea Franca di Edessa. Fondazione e Profilo Storico del Primo Principato Crociato nel Levante (1098-115 ...
in 1098.
It reverted to the
Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
fa, سلجوقیان روم ()
, status =
, government_type = Hereditary monarchyTriarchy (1249–1254)Diarchy (1257–1262)
, year_start = 1077
, year_end = 1308
, p1 = By ...
in 1150, was controlled by the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (Middle Armenian: , '), also known as Cilician Armenia ( hy, Կիլիկեան Հայաստան, '), Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia ( hy, ...
between 1155–1157 and 1204–1206 and captured by the Zengids in 1172 and the
Ayyubids
The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, Saladin ...
in 1181. It was retaken by the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1218. It was ruled by the
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...
between 1260 and 1261, 1271–1272, 1280–1281 and 1299–1317 and by the
Mamluks
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') i ...
between 1261 and 1271, 1272–1280, 1281–1299, 1317–1341, 1353–1378, 1381–1389 and 1395–1516. It was also governed by the
Dulkadirids
The Anatolian beylik of Dulkadir (Modern Turkish: ''Dulkadiroğulları Beyliği''), was one of the frontier principalities established by the Turkoman clans Bayat, Afshar and Begdili after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm.
Capitals
...
, which was a Turkish
vassal state
A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...
of the Mamluks.
Ottoman period
The
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
captured Gaziantep after the
Battle of Marj Dabiq
The Battle of Marj Dābiq ( ar, مرج دابق, meaning "the meadow of Dābiq"; tr, Mercidabık Muharebesi), a decisive military engagement in Middle Eastern history, was fought on 24 August 1516, near the town of Dabiq, 44 km north of ...
in 1516, under the reign of Sultan
Selim I
Selim I ( ota, سليم الأول; tr, I. Selim; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute ( tr, links=no, Yavuz Sultan Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite last ...
. In the Ottoman period, Aintab was a ''
sanjak
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian language, Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησι ...
''centered initially in the
Dulkadir Eyalet (1516–1818), and later in the
Aleppo vilayet (1908–1918). It was also a ''
kaza
A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough')
* bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза
* el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also ()
* lad, kaza
, ...
'' in the Aleppo
vilayet
A vilayet ( ota, , "province"), also known by #Names, various other names, was a first-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire. It was introduced in the Vilayet Law of 21 January 1867, part of the Tanzimat reform movement init ...
(1818–1908). The city established itself as a centre for commerce due to its location straddling trade routes.
The 17th-century Turkish traveler
Evliya Çelebi
Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...
noted it had 3,900 shops and two ''
bedesten
A bedesten (variants: bezistan, bezisten, bedestan) is a type of covered market or market hall which was historically found in the cities of the Ottoman Empire. It was typically the central building of the commercial district of an Ottoman town or ...
''.
By the end of the 19th century, Aintab had a population of about 45,000, two-thirds of whom were Muslim—largely Turkish, but also partially Arab. A large community of Christians lived in the
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
community. In the 19th century, considerable American Protestant Christian missionary activity occurred in Aintab. In particular,
Central Turkey College :''There was also a Central Turkey College in Maraş.''
Central Turkey College (sometimes called Aintab College) was a Christian high school founded between 1874 and 1876 by the American Mission Board in Aintab, Ottoman Empire (now Gaziantep, T ...
was founded in 1874 by the
American Mission Board
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...
and largely served the Armenian community. The Armenians were systemically slaughtered during the Hamidian massacres in 1895 and later the Armenian genocide in 1915. Consequently, the Central Turkey College was transferred to
Aleppo
)), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black".
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, image_map1 =
...
in 1916.
Turkish period
After the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
Armistice of Mudros
Concluded on 30 October 1918 and taking effect at noon the next day, the Armistice of Mudros ( tr, Mondros Mütarekesi) ended hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I. It was signed by th ...
, Gaziantep was occupied by
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
on 17 December 1918, and it was transferred to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 5 November 1919.
French Armenian Legion was also involved in occupation. In April 1920 irregular Turkish troops known as
Kuva-yi Milliye
The Kuva-yi Milliye ( ota, قواى مليه; 'National Forces' or 'Nationalist Forces') were irregular Turkish militia forces active in the early period of the Turkish War of Independence. These irregular forces emerged after the occupation of ...
sieged the city, but the 10 month long battle resulted in French victory. Around 6,000 Turkish civilians were murdered in progress. On 25 December 1921,
Treaty of Ankara was signed and as a result French evacuated the city.
The French made the last attempt to revive the Armenian community in the city during the
Siege of Aintab
The Siege of Aintab (french: Les Quatres Sièges d'Aïntab; tr, Antep Kuşatması) was a military engagement between the Turkish National Forces and the French Army of the Levant occupying the city of Aintab (present-day Gaziantep) during the T ...
, where the Armenians who fled the genocide were promised their homes back in their native lands. However, on 25 December 1921, the
Treaty of Ankara was signed, and as a result, the French evacuated the city.
According to Ümit Kurt, born in modern-day Gaziantep and an academic at Harvard's Center for Middle East Studies, "The famous battle of Aintab against the French … seems to have been as much the organized struggle of a group of genocide profiteers seeking to hold onto their loot as it was a fight against an occupying force. The resistance … sought to make it impossible for the Armenian repatriates to remain in their native towns, terrorizing them
gain
Gain or GAIN may refer to:
Science and technology
* Gain (electronics), an electronics and signal processing term
* Antenna gain
* Gain (laser), the amplification involved in laser emission
* Gain (projection screens)
* Information gain in de ...
to make them flee. In short, not only did the local … landowners, industrialists, and civil-military bureaucratic elites lead to the resistance movement, but they also financed it to cleanse Aintab of Armenians." The same Turkish families who made their wealth through the expropriation of Armenians in 1915 and 1921/1922 continued to dominate the city's politics through the
one-party period of the Republic of Turkey
The one-party period of the Republic of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye'de tek partili dönem) began with the formal establishment of the country in 1923. The Republican People's Party (CHP) was the only party between 1923 and 1945, when the National De ...
.
In 2013, Turkey, a member state of
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
, requested deployment of
MIM-104 Patriot
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar compon ...
missiles to Gaziantep to be able to respond faster in a case of military operation against Turkish soil in the
Syrian Civil War, which was accepted.
Politics
The current
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Gaziantep is
Fatma Şahin
Fatma Şahin (born 20 June 1966) is a Turkish chemical engineer and politician. On 6 July 2011 she was appointed as the Minister of Family and Social Policies in the third cabinet of Erdoğan.
She was born on 20 June 1966 in Gaziantep to Mus ...
, who had previously served as the Minister of Family and Social Policies in the third cabinet of Erdoğan.
Mayors
Economy
![Hospital in Gaziantep 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Hospital_in_Gaziantep_2008.jpg)
Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialities: Copperware and "Yemeni" sandals, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economic center for
Southeastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
and
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
Turkey. The number of large industrial businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of Turkish industry in general, while small industries comprise six percent. Also, Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position in exports and imports. The city is centre of the Green olive oil-based Nizip Soap industry.
Traditionally, commerce in Gaziantep was centre in covered markets known as 'Bedesten' or 'Hans', the best known of which are the Zincirli Bedesten, Hüseyin Pasha Bedesten and Kemikli Bedesten.
Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist-friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately US$700 million of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
With its extensive olive groves, vineyards, and
pistachio
The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food.
''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...
orchards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
Gaziantep is the center of pistachio cultivation in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, producing in 2007, and lends its name to the Turkish word for
pistachio
The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food.
''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...
, ''Antep fıstığı'', meaning "Antep nut".
Gaziantep is the main center for pistachio processing in Turkey, with some 80% of the country's pistachio processing (such as shelling, packaging, exporting, and storage) being done in the city.
"Antep fıstığı" is a protected
geographical indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
in Turkey; it was registered under this status in 2000.
In 2009, the largest enclosed shopping center in the city and region,
Sanko Park
Sanko Park is an enclosed shopping mall located in Gaziantep, Turkey. The largest enclosed mall in the region, construction of the US$160 million project began in 2007, , opened, and began drawing a significant number of shoppers from
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
.
[Syrians' New Ardor for a Turkey Looking Eastward](_blank)
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, July 24, 2010
Ties between Turkey and Syria have severely deteriorated since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Demographics
Ethnicity
In early 14th century, Arab geographer
Al-Dimashqi The Arabic '' nisbah'' (attributive title) Al-Dimashqi ( ar, الدمشقي) denotes an origin from Damascus, Syria.
Al-Dimashqi may refer to:
* Al-Dimashqi (geographer): a medieval Arab geographer.
* Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi: 12th- ...
stated that the people of Aintab were Turkomans.
In the 1787 version of his ''Erdbeschreibung'',
Anton Friedrich Büsching
Anton Friedrich Büsching (27 September 172428 May 1793) was a German geographer, historian, educator and theologian. His ''Erdbeschreibung'' ("Earth description") was the first geographical work of any scientific merit. He also did significant wo ...
wrote that most Christians of the region were Armenian and the region of Aintab was inhabited by Turkoman tribes, citing
Carsten Niebuhr
Carsten Niebuhr, or Karsten Niebuhr (17 March 1733 Lüdingworth – 26 April 1815 Meldorf, Dithmarschen), was a German mathematician, cartographer, and explorer in the service of Denmark. He is renowned for his participation in the Royal Danish ...
's earlier visit in the region in 1766.
Pierre Martin Rémi Aucher-Éloy Pierre Martin Rémi Aucher-Éloy (2 October 1792 – 6 October 1838) was a French pharmacist and botanist who was a native of Blois.
He received his education at Orléans and later Paris. Beginning in 1817, he operated a bookstore in Blois, and ...
visited Aintab on May 27 1834, noting a population of 12 thousand people composed of Turks and Armenians. According to
James Lewis Farley
James Lewis Farley (9 September 1823 – 12 November 1885), was an Irish banker, diplomat and writer on Eastern affairs.
Early life
Farley was the only son of Thomas Farley of Meiltran, County Cavan, was born at Dublin on 9 September 1823. He was ...
, who visited the town in 1862, there were 18 thousand Turks, forming the wealthy portion of the Muslims and the nearby rural population, 8.5 thousand Armenians, and 500 Jews in Aintab, most of whom were involved in trading and manufacturing.
August Ferdinand Mehren
August Ferdinand Michael van Mehren (6 April 1822 – 14 November 1907 ) was a Danish Orientalist and philologist.
Early life and education
Mehren was born in Helsingør, the son of merchant Johann Friedrich van Mehren (1789-1853) and Claudine ...
and
Élisée Reclus
Jacques Élisée Reclus (; 15 March 18304 July 1905) was a French geographer, writer and anarchist. He produced his 19-volume masterwork, ''La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes'' ("Universal Geography"), over a period of ...
mentioned that Aintab was chiefly inhabited by Turkomans in 1874 and 1895 respectively.
When an American missionary hospital, Azariah Smith Memorial Hospital, was formed in the city, the ethnic background of the patients, who were mostly from the city but also from nearby villages and towns like
Urfa
Urfa, officially known as Şanlıurfa () and in ancient times as Edessa, is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. Urfa is situated on a plain about 80 km east of the Euphrates River. Its climate features e ...
, were recorded. During the years 1898 - 1900, 1908, and 1911 - 1914, a total of 629 Turks, 1049 Armenians, 152 Kurds, 46 Greeks, 43 Jews, 6 Turkmens, 6 Assyrians, 22 Arabs, 10 Circassians, 2 Germans, 1 Maltese, 1 Italian, 3 Alawites, 2 Iranians, and 4 Americans were treated, all of which indicates the Turkish-Armenian-dominated but still cosmopolitan background of the city. However, the outskirts of the city were largely Muslim and Turkish, since Shepard Riggs, one of the doctors in the hospital, had reported that 2000 villages were served between 1882 and 1888, most of which were Muslim and Turkish.
In
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. So ...
from 1911 and also in newer editions, the Muslim inhabitants of the town were noted to be mainly of Turkoman origin.
Maurice Abadie, the French commander in the Siege of Aintab, reported that the vast majority of the inhabitants of
Aintab Sanjak
The Aintab Sanjak ( ar, سنجق عنتاب) was a prefecture (sanjak) of the Ottoman Empire, located in modern-day Turkey. The city of Aintab (now Gaziantep) was the Sanjak's capital. It had a population of 187,899 in 1914.
History
Initially, A ...
were Turkish, and the rest was made up of Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, and Jews.
According to the Union of the Armenians of Aintab, in 1914, the city had a population of 80 thousand people, which included 30 thousand Armenians, 2 thousand Kurds, several hundreds of Circassians, while the remainder consisted of Turks, who formed the majority.
After the eradication of the Armenian community, the city became overwhelmingly Turkish.
Ethnic groups
*Armenians:
![Armenians from Aintab](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Armenians_from_Aintab.jpg)
Although the Armenian population in the city increased under the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (Middle Armenian: , '), also known as Cilician Armenia ( hy, Կիլիկեան Հայաստան, '), Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia ( hy, ...
and early stages of the Ottoman rule, Armenians existed in the region by at least early 10th century with 300 Armenian villages around Aintab. A portion of this population gradually got Islamized and Turkified.
*Turks:
The bulk of the Turkish population comes from tribal origins that became urbanized in the last millennium. The presence of
Bayat,
Afshar, and
Begdili tribes around Aleppo and Aintab have been attested in sources from the 14th century. The region became Turkmen-dominated by the 16th century.
The region continued to receive Turkmen migration in later centuries with the arrival of
Elbegli
Elbegli ( tr, Elbeyli or ) is a Turkoman tribe mainly residing in Kilis, Gaziantep, and Sivas provinces in Turkey.
History
The tribe was mainly found around Sivas and Kemah before the Ottoman authorities resettled them near Sajur River during t ...
and
Barak
Barak ( or ; he, בָּרָק; Tiberian Hebrew: '' Bārāq''; ar, البُراق ''al-Burāq'' "lightning") was a ruler of Ancient Israel. As military commander in the biblical Book of Judges, Barak, with Deborah, from the Tribe of Ephrai ...
tribes.
Turkmen tribes continued dwelling in the region through 19th century.
Due to historical and cultural ties, the Turks of Gaziantep are closely related to
Syrian Turkmen
Syrian Turkmen, also referred to as Syrian Turkomans, Turkish Syrians, or simply Syrian Turks or Turks of Syria, ( ar, تركمان سوريا; tr, Suriye Türkmenleri or ) are Syrian citizens of Turkish people, Turkish origin who mainly trace ...
.
*Arabs:
Before the
Syrian refugee crisis, the Arab community of Aintab was a small minority group, of urban trader families of Aleppine origin and migrant families from Urfa, Siirt, and Mardin, although Arabs were dominant in the region before Turkic migration. Currently, most Arabs residing in Gaziantep are from a Syrian refugee background. There were 463,387 registered Syrian refugees in the province on May 26, 2022, the vast majority of which lives in the city. Despite a significant non-Arab Syrian refugee minority of Turkmens and Kurds, the majority of these refugees are ethnic Arabs.
*Kurds:
Unlike most Southeastern Anatolian cities, the city of Gaziantep didn't have a significant Kurdish minority until the 20th century, when it saw an increase in its Kurdish population through economically-motivated
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
from
Turkish Kurdistan
Turkish Kurdistan or Northern Kurdistan () refers to the southeastern part of Turkey, where Kurds form the predominant ethnic group. The Kurdish Institute of Paris estimates that there are 20 million Kurds living in Turkey, the majority of the ...
. Up until the late 2010s, the Kurdish population increased to a quarter of the city and the province with 400 thousand to 450 thousand Kurds.
*Jews:
![Gaziantep Former Synagogue 0915](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Gaziantep_Former_Synagogue_0915.jpg)
The city also used to house an influential Jewish community predominantly of Sephardic origin.
Language
The Armenians of Aintab were linguistically Turkified as early as the 16th century.
Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765)''Notes and Queries'', p. 129. was an English-born churchman, inveterate traveller and travel writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church ...
observed that the Armenians of Aintab were Turcophones like most villagers between Aleppo and Aintab in his visit by 1745. In his work ''Erdbeschreibung'' from 1768,
Anton Friedrich Büsching
Anton Friedrich Büsching (27 September 172428 May 1793) was a German geographer, historian, educator and theologian. His ''Erdbeschreibung'' ("Earth description") was the first geographical work of any scientific merit. He also did significant wo ...
states that almost in every town and village between Aintab and Aleppo, Turkish is spoken, while Armenians of Aintab also spoke Turkish.
During his travels in the late 18th century,
Jean-François de La Harpe
Jean-François de La Harpe (20 November 173911 February 1803) was a French playwright, writer and literary critic.
Life
La Harpe was born in Paris of poor parents. His father, who signed himself Delharpe, was a descendant of a noble family orig ...
mentioned the prevalence of the Turkish language in the town. In 1822,
Conrad Malte-Brun
Conrad Malte-Brun (12 August 177514 December 1826), born Malthe Conrad Bruun, and sometimes referred to simply as Malte-Brun, was a Dano-French geographer and journalist. His second son, Victor Adolphe Malte-Brun, was also a geographer. Today he ...
noted that Turkish was the only language spoken.
James Lewis Farley
James Lewis Farley (9 September 1823 – 12 November 1885), was an Irish banker, diplomat and writer on Eastern affairs.
Early life
Farley was the only son of Thomas Farley of Meiltran, County Cavan, was born at Dublin on 9 September 1823. He was ...
observed that Turkish was the universal language in the city during his visit in 1862.
The use of Armenian in Aintab increased after 1850.
Places of interest
Museums in Gaziantep
![The Oceanus and Tethys Mosaic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/The_Oceanus_and_Tethys_Mosaic.jpg)
The
Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology
The Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology ( tr, Gaziantep Arkeoloji Müzesi) is an archaeological museum located in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey. It housed for some years a collection of mosaics, most of which were excavated from the ancient Roman ci ...
has collections of ceramic pieces from the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
Age; various objects, figures and seals from the
Chalcolithic
The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...
and
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
s; stone and bronze objects, jewellery, ceramics, coins, glass objects, mosaics and statues from the
Hittite,
Urartu
Urartu (; Assyrian: ',Eberhard Schrader, ''The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament'' (1885), p. 65. Babylonian: ''Urashtu'', he, אֲרָרָט ''Ararat'') is a geographical region and Iron Age kingdom also known as the Kingdom of Va ...
, Greek
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
,
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
,
Commagene
Commagene ( grc-gre, Κομμαγηνή) was an ancient Greco-Iranian kingdom ruled by a Hellenized branch of the Iranian Orontid dynasty that had ruled over Armenia. The kingdom was located in and around the ancient city of Samosata, which ser ...
, and
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
periods.
The
Zeugma Mosaic Museum
Zeugma Mosaic Museum, in the town of Gaziantep, Turkey, is the biggest mosaic museum in the world, containing 1700 m2 of mosaics. It opened to the public on 9 September 2011. The museum features of mosaic and replaces the Bardo National Mu ...
houses mosaics from
Zeugma and other mosaics, a total of . It opened to the public on 9 September 2011.
The Hasan Süzer Ethnography Museum, a restored late-Ottoman stone building, has the old life style decoration and collections of various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes. It was originally built in 1906 as the home of Garouj Karamanoukian.
Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (also called ''
Belkıs'' in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of
Nizip
Nizip ( gkm, Nisibis or Nisibina; ota, نزيب) is a town and district of Gaziantep Province of southeastern Turkey.
As of 2010, the population of the city is 96,229. It is located 45 km from the city of Gaziantep, 95 km from Şanlıu ...
and slightly more to the north,
Rumkale.
Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop
Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop is an open-air museum and archaeological site in Gaziantep Province, Turkey. The site was a quarry in Hittite times and occupies a 100000 m2 area, making it the largest known stonemasonry workshop from the an ...
is an
open-air museum
An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum.
Definition
Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere ...
located in the village known by the same name, south of the town of
Islahiye. It is the largest open-air sculpture workshop in the Near East and the ruins in the area date back to the
Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-centra ...
.
The Gaziantep Defence Museum: Before you enter the Panorama Museum located within the
Gaziantep Castle
Gaziantep Castle is a castle first built by the Hittite Empire as an observation point and later built into a main castle by the Roman Empire on top of a hill at the center of Gaziantep, Turkey, in 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. It underwent further e ...
, you encounter the statues of three local heroes Molla Mehmet Karayılan, Şehit Mehmet Kâmil and
Şahin Bey
Mehmed Said (1877, Gaziantep, Aleppo Vilayet – 28 March 1920), better known as Şahin Bey, was the commander of the Turkish revolutionaries that were stationed in the city of Gaziantep during the Turkish War of Independence. Şahin Bey‘s Fa ...
at the entrance. As you enter the museum, you hear the echoes: "I am from Antep. I am a hawk (Şahin)." The Gaziantep War Museum, in a historic Antep house (also known as the ''Nakıpoğlu House'') is dedicated to the memory of the 6,317 who died defending the city, becoming symbols of Turkey's national unity and resolve for
maintaining independence. The story of how the
Battle of Antep is narrated with audio devices and chronological panels.
File:Gaziantep Gaziantep War Museum 1762.jpg, Gaziantep War Museum Courtyard
File:Gaziantep Gaziantep War Museum 1758.jpg, Gaziantep War Museum Arms display
File:Gaziantep Gaziantep War Museum 1780.jpg, Gaziantep War Museum Strategy
File:Gaziantep Gaziantep War Museum 1766.jpg, Gaziantep War Museum Smithy
File:Gaziantep Gaziantep War Museum 1779.jpg, Gaziantep War Museum Mining
File:Gaziantep Gaziantep War Museum 1782.jpg, Gaziantep War Museum Children at war
Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Foundation Museum
The
dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
lodge is part of the mosque's
külliye
A külliye ( ota, كلية) is a complex of buildings associated with Turkish architecture centered on a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a waqf (charitable foundation) and composed of a madrasa, a Dar al-Shifa ("c ...
(Islamic-Ottoman social complex centered around a mosque). It was built in the 17th century. The
Mevlevi Lodge Monastery is entered via a courtyard which opens off the courtyard of the mosque.
File:Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum 1819.jpg, Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum Study group
File:Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum 1820.jpg, Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum Whirling
File:Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum 1823.jpg, Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum Musicians
File:Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum 7150.jpg, Gaziantep Mevlevi Museum Graves
Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum
Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture. A historical stone house built in 1904 has been restored and turned into the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum. The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep's liberation from French occupation.
Gaziantep Historical Places
Zeugma is an ancient city which was established at the shallowest passable part of the river
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
, within the boundaries of the present-day Belkıs village in Gaziantep Province. Due to the strategic character of the region in terms of military and commerce since antiquity (Zeugma was the headquarters of an important
Roman legion
The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period of ...
, the ''
Legio IV Scythica
Legio was a Roman military camp south of Tel Megiddo in the Roman province of Galilee.
History
Following the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-136CE), Legio VI Ferrata was stationed at Legio near Caparcotna. The approximate location of the camp of the Le ...
'', near the border with
Parthia
Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...
) the city has maintained its importance for centuries, also during the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
period.
Gaziantep Castle
Gaziantep Castle is a castle first built by the Hittite Empire as an observation point and later built into a main castle by the Roman Empire on top of a hill at the center of Gaziantep, Turkey, in 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. It underwent further e ...
, also known as the Kale, located in the centre of the city displays the historic past and architectural style of the city. Although the history of castle is incomplete, as a result of the excavations conducted there, Bronze Age settlement layers are thought to exist under the section existing on the surface of the soil.
Liberation Mosque
Liberation Mosque ( tr, Kurtuluş Camii), formerly the St. Mary's Cathedral or Holy Mother of God Church ( hy, Սուրբ Աստուածածին Եկեղեցի, Romanized as ), is located in the Tepebaşı district of Gaziantep in Turkey. It was bu ...
, the former Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God (Surp Asdvadzadzin), was converted into a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
after the liberation of the city from the occupying French forces following the
Franco-Turkish War
The Franco–Turkish War, known as the Cilicia Campaign (french: La campagne de Cilicie) in France and as the Southern Front ( tr, Güney Cephesi) of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey, was a series of conflicts fought between France (the ...
(1918–1921). The French forces which occupied the city between 1918 and 1921 included the
French Armenian Legion.
Boyacı Mosque, a historic mosque in the Şahinbey district, was built by Kadı Kemalettin in 1211 and completed in 1357. It has one of the world's oldest wooden
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
s which is elaborately adorned with Koranic verses, stars and geometric patterns. Its minaret is considered one of the symbols of the city.
Şirvani Mosque (Şirvani Mehmet Efendi Mosque), also called ''İki Şerefeli Cami'', is one of the oldest mosques of Gaziantep, located in the Seferpaşa district. It was built by Şirvani Mehmet Efendi.
Ömeriye Mosque, a mosque in the Düğmeci district. Tradition states that it was first built during the period of the Islamic Caliphate under the second
Caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
,
Omar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...
(hence its name), which would make it the oldest known mosque in Gaziantep. The modern mosque was restored at the site in 1850. It is known for its black and red marble
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
.
Şeyh Fethullah Mosque, a historic mosque built in 1563 and located in Kepenek. It has adjoining Turkish baths and a medrese.
![Gaziantep 1250705](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Gaziantep_1250705.jpg)
Nuri Mehmet Pasha Mosque, a mosque in Çukur built in 1786 by nobleman Nuri Mehmet Pasha. Between 1958 and 1968, it was changed into museum but was reinstated as a mosque after an extensive restoration.
Ahmet Çelebi Mosque, a mosque in Ulucanlar that was built by Hacı Osman, in 1672. It is noted for its elaborate wooden interior.
Tahtani Mosque, a wooden mosque located in Şahinbey, that was built in 1557. The mosque has a unique red marble mihrab.
Alaüddevle Mosque (Ali Dola Mosque), built by Dulkadir bey Alaüddevle Bozkurt. Its construction started in 1479 and was completed in 1515. It has been restored recently with the addition of a new entrance.
Ali Nacar Mosque, a mosque in Yaprak, Şehitkamil, is one of the biggest mosques in Gaziantep, originally built by Ali Nacar. It was enlarged in 1816.
Eyüpoğlu Mosque, a mosque built by the local Islamic saint Eyüboğlu Ahmet during the 14th century. There has been a major restoration, so much so that the present structure hardly resembles the original building.
Kendirli Church, a church that was built in 1860 by means of the assistance of French missionaries and
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
. It is a Catholic Armenian church. It has a rectangular plan and was built through white cut stones on a foundation of black cut stone within a large garden.
Pişirici Kastel, a "kastel" (fountain) which used to be a part of a bigger group of buildings, is thought to have been built in 1282. "Kastels" are water fountains built below ground, and they are structures peculiar to Gaziantep. They are places for ablution, prayer, washing and relaxation.
Old houses of Gaziantep, the traditional houses that are located in the old city: Eyüboğlu, Türktepe, Tepebaşı, Bostancı, Kozluca, Şehreküstü and Kale. They are made of locally found keymik rock and have an inner courtyard called the ''hayat'', which is the focal point of the house.
Tahmis Coffee House, a
coffee house
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non- ...
that was built by Mustafa Ağa Bin Yusuf, a
Turkmen ağa
Ağa is a Turkish surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Mustapha Aga, Ottoman Empire ambassador to the Swedish Court
*Osman Aga of Temesvar, Ottoman army officer
* Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, Ottoman architect of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
*Su ...
and
flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countr ...
, in 1635–1638, in order to provide an income for the
dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
lodge. The building suffered two big fires in 1901 and 1903.
Gaziantep Zoo
Gaziantep Zoo
Gaziantep Zoo is a zoo in Gaziantep, Turkey
Location
The zoo is located in Şahinbey secondary municipality to the west of the city at . It is next to the Gaziantep University. Its distance to city center is Its total area is
History
The zoo ...
is one of the largest zoos in Turkey. Especially interesting are the bird pavilion and the aquarium. Gaziantep Zoo offers a large variety of animals, attractive picnic grounds, and a cafeteria. The facility is established on field. There are 264 species and 6,814 animals.
File:Gaziantep Zoo 2207.jpg, Gaziantep Zoo White deer
File:Macropus_rufogriseus_in_Gaziantep_Zoo_1260045_Nevit.jpg, Red-necked wallaby
File:Gaziantep Zoo 2238.jpg, Gaziantep Zoo Eagles
Gaziantep Historical Bazaars
Zincirli Bedesten is the
Ottoman-era
covered bazaar of Gaziantep and was built in 1781 by Hüseyin Pasha of Darende. From records, it is known that there was formerly an epigraph on the south gate written by Kusuri; however, this inscription is not in place today. This bazaar was used as a wholesale market hall for meat, fruit and vegetables.
Bakırcılar çarşısi is the coppersmith bazaar of Gaziantep. This trade has existed in the region for over 500 years. The bazaar is part of the official culture route designed to help visitors discover traditions and culture of the city.
Gaziantep Historical Inns
Anatolia Inn
The exact date of the inn's (
caravanserai
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
) construction is unknown, but it is estimated to have been built in the early 19th century. It is a two-storey building with two courtyards. It is said to have been built by Muhsinzade Hadji Mehmet Bey in 1892. The inn was repaired in 1985 and parts of the top floor were rebuilt.
Kürkçü Inn Classic Ottoman Inn in Boyacı built in 1890.
Old Wheat Inn
The original building was constructed by Mustafa Ağa in 1640 to provide an income for the dervish lodge, but was completely destroyed in a fire. The exact construction date of the present building is unknown; however the architectural style suggests the 19th century.
Şire Inn
The building is built on rectangular plan and contains many motifs of classical Ottoman inn architecture. It was built with evenly cut stones and the pitched roof is covered by tiles.
Tobacco Inn
This inn has no epigraph showing the dates of construction or renovation, but according to historical data, the estimated date of construction is the late 17th century. Ownership was passed to Hüseyin Ağa, son of Nur Ali Ağa, in the early 19th century.
Yüzükçü Inn
The construction date of this inn is unknown. The epigraph on the main gate of the inn is dated 1800, but the building apparently had been built earlier and was repaired at this date. The first owners of the inn were Asiye, the daughter of Battal Bey and Emine Hatun, the daughter of Hadji Osman Bey.
Culture
Cuisine
![Baklava_and_Pistachios_for_Sale_-_Gaziantep](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Baklava_and_Pistachios_for_Sale_-_Gaziantep.jpg)
Gaziantep is largely regarded as the city with the richest cuisine in Turkey. It was the first city in Turkey to be designated as a
City of Gastronomy by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in 2015. In 2013, Gaziantep baklava became the first Turkish product with a European protected designation of origin and geographical indication.
Local Turkish dialect
The local Turkish dialect of Gaziantep is classified as a part of the Western Turkish dialects based on phonetic and grammatical similarities. The dialect carries influences mainly from Armenian and Arabic. The local Turkish dialect of Gaziantep is an integral part of the native identity of the city and is being preserved through often humorous plays by
theatrical troupe
Theatrical troupe (French: ''troupe''), sometimes referred to as an acting company, is a group of theatrical performers working together. They may work in repertory other types of theatres, and may take performances on tour. They are not the same ...
s, such as ''Çeled Uşaglar'' ( naughty children).
Transportation
The city is served by
Oğuzeli Airport
Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport ( tr, Gaziantep Oğuzeli Uluslararası Havalimanı) is a public airport in Gaziantep, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), i ...
, which has commercial flights to domestic and regional international destinations. The city is served by
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları), abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible with the ownership and maintenance of railway infrastructure in Turkey ...
which operates the
Gaziantep Railway Station
Gaziantep Railway Station is a station in Gaziantep, Turkey. The station was built in 1953 to provide Turkish State Railways service to the city of Gaziantep.
The station will serve as the terminus of the Mersin to Gaziantep High Speed Rail Pro ...
in the City Center.
Gaziantep has a three line light rail system called the
Gaziantep Tram
The Gaziantep Tram is a tram system located in Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep's first tram line opened on March 1, 2011. The system is long with three lines and has 46 stations. The tram system carries 75,000 daily riders. The tram system connects ...
. The
Gaziantep Tram
The Gaziantep Tram is a tram system located in Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep's first tram line opened on March 1, 2011. The system is long with three lines and has 46 stations. The tram system carries 75,000 daily riders. The tram system connects ...
consists of three lines, is 35 km long and carries 75,000 daily passengers. The system opened in 2011 and was extended in 2012 and 2014.
Climate
Gaziantep has a hot-summer
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Csa'',
Trewartha: ''Cs''), with hot, dry summers and cool, wet and often snowy winters.
Education
![Gaziantep_University_Congress_and_Art_Center](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Gaziantep_University_Congress_and_Art_Center.jpg)
Gaziantep Anatolian High School (founded in 1976) is a public school focusing on English language education.
Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish.
There are also variety of high schools consisting of both private and public schools, including
Gaziantep Fen Lisesi
Vehbi Dinçerler Science High School ( tr, Vehbi Dinçerler Fen Lisesi, abbreviated as VDFL) is a high school in Gaziantep, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a t ...
. Gaziantep College Foundation is one of the oldest colleges in Gaziantep. Gaziantep College Foundation's (abbv. GKV) science high school is the most successful high school in Gaziantep.
Sanko College is younger but also successful school in Gaziantep. Its facility is one of the most qualified school facilities in Turkey. Sanko's newest science and technology high school is also a very good school.
The main campus of
Gaziantep University
Gaziantep University ( tr, Gaziantep Üniversitesi) is a public university in Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep University has 10 faculties, containing a total of 22 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological resear ...
is located away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the
Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University (commonly referred to as METU; in Turkish language, Turkish, ''Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi'', ODTÜ) is a public university, public Institute of technology, technical university located in Ankara, Turkey. The ...
. It is one of the largest universities in Turkey, boasting 27,000 students.
Hasan Kalyoncu University (Hasan Kalyoncu Üniversitesi) is a private university established in 2008. Currently, the university has five faculties, three institutes and three vocational schools.
Zirve University
The Zirve University ( Turkish ''Zirve Üniversitesi'') was a private university established in 2009, located in Gaziantep, southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. The university had eight faculties. It was a mix-oriented (research and education) institut ...
(Zirve Üniversitesi) was a private university established in 2009. As of 2016, the university had five faculties. The university was closed by the government in 2016 and its facilities transferred to Gaziantep University.
The youngest university in Gaziantep is
Sanko University
Sanko University is a private university located in Şehitkâmil, Gaziantep, Turkey. Established on June 18, 2013, Sanko University was the first thematic university in Turkey to offer education in the fields of medicine and health sciences.
Adm ...
(Sanko Üniversitesi). Established in 2013, Sanko University is the first "thematic university" in Turkey.
Sports
Beslenspor has played in the
Turkish Basketball League
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
between 1986 and 1992 and presented Gaziantep at basketball once.
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Gaziantep is
twinned with:
*
Aleppo
)), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black".
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, image_map1 =
...
, Syria
*
Aryanah
Ariana ( ar, أريانة ') is a coastal city in north-eastern Tunisia, part the agglomeration of Tunis, also called "Grand Tunis". It is located at the north of Tunis city center, around . It is the capital of Ariana Governorate and the country' ...
, Tunisia
*
Cetinje
Cetinje (, ) is a town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital (''prijestonica'' / приjестоница) of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the president of Montenegro ...
, Montenegro
*
Duisburg
Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
, Germany
*
Irbid
Irbid ( ar, إِربِد), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in ...
, Jordan
*
Karlstad
Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 65,856 inhabitants in 2020 with 95,167 inhabitants ...
, Sweden
*
Kermanshah
Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,68 ...
, Iran
*
Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.[Kuwait City
Kuwait City ( ar, مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economical centre of the emirate, ...]
, Kuwait
*
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
*
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
, Cyprus
*
Ostrava
Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...
, Czech Republic
*
Sabaragamuwa
The Sabaragamuwa Province ( si, සබරගමුව පළාත ''Sabaragamuwa Paḷāta'', ta, சபரகமுவ மாகாணம் ''Sabaragamuwa Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrati ...
, Sri Lanka
*
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, Lebanon
Notable people from Gaziantep
* See
People from Gaziantep
See also
*
Franco-Turkish War (Cilicia War)
*
Barak Turkmens
Barak, also known as Barak Turkmens ( tr, Barak Türkmenleri), is a Turkoman tribe that mainly originates in the Barak Plain ( tr, Barak Ovası) in the southeastern portion of the province of Gaziantep in south-central Turkey.
Etymology
The r ...
*
Cevizli, Şahinbey
*
Rumkale
*
Zeugma
References
{{Authority control
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey
Cities in Turkey
Populated places established in the 2nd millennium BC
Populated places in Gaziantep Province
Roman sites in Turkey
Aleppo vilayet