A day in Gaziantep: Zeugma Mosaic Museum, castle and bazaars

Gaziantep is in south-eastern Türkiye. Most visitors come for two things: the Roman mosaics from Zeugma and the old centre around the castle. Both fit into one day. The museum and the castle are about 1 km apart, and the bazaars lie just below the castle hill.

Getting there

Gaziantep Airport is in the Oğuzeli district, about 20 km from the city. There are direct flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and İzmir. Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul Airport, while AJet and Pegasus use Sabiha Gökçen. From the airport, plan on a taxi or transfer into town.

Morning: the Zeugma Mosaic Museum

Zeugma was a city on the Euphrates, founded around 300 BC by Seleucus I Nicator. In 2000 much of it was flooded by the reservoir of the Birecik Dam. Rescue excavations saved many floor mosaics before the water rose. They are now in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in the Şehitkamil district, on Hacı Sani Konukoğlu Bulvarı.

The museum opened on 9 September 2011. It shows more than 2,000 square metres of Roman and late antique mosaics, as well as wall paintings, fountains and a bronze statue of Mars. One large floor shows Poseidon with the sea gods Oceanus and Tethys. It may have been the floor of a pool or a dining room.

The best-known piece is the Gypsy Girl, found during excavations in 1998. Excavation workers named it after the figure's braided hair and high cheekbones. Who she represents is unknown. It is displayed in a dark room of its own.

Afternoon: the castle and the bazaars

From the museum it is about 1 km south to the castle hill. The castle has 12 towers and was heavily rebuilt under the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the 6th century. Inside is the Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panorama Museum. The castle was damaged in the February 2023 earthquakes and has since been restored.

Below the hill is the coppersmiths' bazaar. Masters there still hammer pots, trays and other copperware by hand. A few hundred metres to the south-east stands the Zincirli Bedesten, an 18th-century covered market built by Darendeli Hüseyin Pasha. Today its shops sell local goods, textiles and copper. The area is also a good place for a meal. Gaziantep's cooking earned it a place in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for gastronomy in 2015.

Practical notes

Opening hours change between summer and winter, so check them on the official museum page before you go. Do the same for the castle, which was damaged in the February 2023 earthquakes and restored.