Gaziantep walking tour & city guide

Türkiye's food capital, with copper bazaars and a castle on the hill.

6 videos · uploaded 2021–2024

Walking Tour of Gaziantep

Video by Gezeyenti · May 2021 · All rights belong to the creator · More from Gezeyenti →

All rights belong to the creator.

Watch next

More Gaziantep walks

Go deeper

Explore Gaziantep

City guide

Gaziantep on foot

Gaziantep, in southeastern Türkiye, is famous across the country for its food, especially its pistachios and baklava, and it is listed as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Beyond the kitchens, it has a lively old town of covered bazaars, stone inns and craft workshops gathered beneath a hilltop castle.

The old town and bazaars

The historic center lies around Gaziantep Castle, rebuilt many times since Roman days and still crowning its mound. Below it, the Coppersmiths' Bazaar rings with the sound of hammering as craftsmen shape trays and pots, and the neighboring Zincirli Bedesten and Almacı bazaars sell spices, dried peppers, soaps and pistachios.

Old stone caravanserais such as Tahmis Coffee House, Kemikli Han and Tütün Han have been restored as cafés, shops and hotels. The lanes of the Bey district, to the west, are lined with old stone mansions, some now house museums.

Zeugma and museums

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum is one of the largest mosaic museums in the world, holding floors rescued from the Roman city of Zeugma on the Euphrates before it was partly flooded by a dam. Its most famous piece, the Gypsy Girl, has her own darkened room.

The Gaziantep Defense and Heroism Panorama Museum, inside the castle, tells the story of the city's siege during the War of Independence, which earned it the title Gazi. The city also has a museum devoted to its cuisine.

A classic walk: castle to the bazaars

Start at the castle, then descend to the Coppersmiths' Bazaar and wander through the Zincirli Bedesten and the spice lanes. Stop for coffee at a restored han, then continue west through the Bey quarter's stone streets. The walk is about three kilometers, and the best time is the morning, when the bazaars are busiest and the bakeries pull fresh baklava from the ovens.

Gaziantep was badly affected by the earthquake of February 2023, including damage to the castle; restoration has been ongoing, so some sights may be partly closed.

Don't miss

Top sights in Gaziantep

1
Zeugma Mosaic Museum
Roman mosaics from Zeugma, including the famous Gypsy Girl.
2
Gaziantep Castle
A hilltop fortress at the center of the old town.
3
Coppersmiths' Bazaar
Workshops where craftsmen hammer copper by hand.
4
Zincirli Bedesten
A historic covered market of spices and goods.
5
Tahmis Coffee House
A centuries-old coffee house in a stone building.
6
Bey Quarter
Lanes of old stone mansions west of the center.

Eat

Food markets & where to eat in Gaziantep

Almacı Bazaar
Spice and food stalls selling dried peppers, pistachios and pastes.
Coppersmiths' Bazaar area
Traditional kebab and breakfast places among the workshops.
Bakeries of the old town
Baklava shops serving trays straight from the oven.
Bey Quarter
Restored stone houses turned into cafés and eateries.

Taste

Food to try in Gaziantep

Baklava
Thin layers of pastry filled with Antep pistachios and syrup.
Katmer
A flaky breakfast pastry with clotted cream and pistachio.
Beyran
A spicy lamb and rice soup eaten for breakfast.
Ali Nazik
Grilled lamb on smoky eggplant puree with yogurt.

Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.

Enjoyed the walk?

Plan your trip to Gaziantep

Here is everything you need to see Gaziantep for real.

Some links may be affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Keep watching

More Gaziantep on Walking Atlas

Keep walking

More cities in Southeastern Anatolia

Mardin walking tour

▶ 6A walk throughMardinA honey-colored stone city overlooking the plains of Mesopotamia.6 videosExplore →