From Cappadocia we headed further east into Turkey to the city of Gaziantep. This city initially intrigued us because of its reputation throughout Turkey for its cuisine, baklava in particular (fabled to be the best in Turkey). What we found when we got there was a city of delicious food, friendly and curious people, an interesting history, and a fabulous archaeological museum.
Gaziantep’s reputation for its cuisine is deserved. There seemed to be baklava shops on every corner (and we tried as many as we could in our short stay, but there are supposedly more than 180), but the city also has several wonderful restaurants showcasing regional cuisine. At one wonderful lokanta the waiter took pity on us (and our total naivety about the menu) and brought us small plates so we could try a little of everything. At a kebab and baklava restaurant – what more could we ask for – we discovered what might have been our favorite type of kebab, ali nazik: grilled ground lamb served over pureed eggplant and yogurt.
In between visits to baklava shops we found some time to visit the city’s archaeological museum devoted to mosaics from the nearby Roman city of Zeugma. Excavations started at the city in 1987 and uncovered a large number of beautiful mosaics, but there was little action at the site until 1999, when archaeologists rushed to excavate and preserve the mosaics before the newly built Birecik Dam flooded the city in 2000. The museum has an amazing collection of mosaics saved from the ruins just before the flooding, and while about 800 square meters of mosaics are displayed in the museum, many were lost forever as a result of the flooding and, sadly, still others were looted by collectors after the discovery of the site but before they could be moved to the museum. The most famous piece in the collection, “Gypsy Girl,” is a fraction of one of these looted mosaics. The fact that only part of this girl’s image remains – her bangle earrings, head scarf, and severe stare – make the work even more intriguing.
Finally, at another city museum, we found that Gaziantep played a memorable role in Turkey’s eventual reunification. After WWI the Ottoman Empire was divided among European powers, with the French, Italians, Greeks, and Russians all laying some claim. When French soldiers attempted to siege Gaziantep (then known only as “Antep”) in 1920, the citizens resisted. The French cut off all supplies, essentially starving the city into submission; some 6,000 Gaziantep citizens died before the city surrendered 10 months later. Though they lost the battle, the city’s courageous stand was made an example of the need for Turkish solidarity and independence and held up as an example by General Kemal Mustafa (eventual founder and first president of modern Turkey). Just as this General would take the name “Ataturk,” meaning “Father of Turkey,” Antep would take the prefix “Gazi,” meaning “war hero."
Click on the photo below to view our Gaziantep photo album.
Gaziantep’s reputation for its cuisine is deserved. There seemed to be baklava shops on every corner (and we tried as many as we could in our short stay, but there are supposedly more than 180), but the city also has several wonderful restaurants showcasing regional cuisine. At one wonderful lokanta the waiter took pity on us (and our total naivety about the menu) and brought us small plates so we could try a little of everything. At a kebab and baklava restaurant – what more could we ask for – we discovered what might have been our favorite type of kebab, ali nazik: grilled ground lamb served over pureed eggplant and yogurt.
In between visits to baklava shops we found some time to visit the city’s archaeological museum devoted to mosaics from the nearby Roman city of Zeugma. Excavations started at the city in 1987 and uncovered a large number of beautiful mosaics, but there was little action at the site until 1999, when archaeologists rushed to excavate and preserve the mosaics before the newly built Birecik Dam flooded the city in 2000. The museum has an amazing collection of mosaics saved from the ruins just before the flooding, and while about 800 square meters of mosaics are displayed in the museum, many were lost forever as a result of the flooding and, sadly, still others were looted by collectors after the discovery of the site but before they could be moved to the museum. The most famous piece in the collection, “Gypsy Girl,” is a fraction of one of these looted mosaics. The fact that only part of this girl’s image remains – her bangle earrings, head scarf, and severe stare – make the work even more intriguing.
Finally, at another city museum, we found that Gaziantep played a memorable role in Turkey’s eventual reunification. After WWI the Ottoman Empire was divided among European powers, with the French, Italians, Greeks, and Russians all laying some claim. When French soldiers attempted to siege Gaziantep (then known only as “Antep”) in 1920, the citizens resisted. The French cut off all supplies, essentially starving the city into submission; some 6,000 Gaziantep citizens died before the city surrendered 10 months later. Though they lost the battle, the city’s courageous stand was made an example of the need for Turkish solidarity and independence and held up as an example by General Kemal Mustafa (eventual founder and first president of modern Turkey). Just as this General would take the name “Ataturk,” meaning “Father of Turkey,” Antep would take the prefix “Gazi,” meaning “war hero."
Click on the photo below to view our Gaziantep photo album.
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