Museums and Historical Places

1. Gaziantep Archeological Museum

The Gaziantep archeological museum opened in Nuri Mehmet Pasha Mosque 1944 and moved to its present building in 1969. It exhibits Neolithic Period ceramics; goods, figures and seals, from the Urartu, Hittite, Persian, Hellenistic, roma and Byzantine periods and different tools from the chalcolithic and Bronze periods.

The Bronze age goods which were collected by diggins and buying, include particles, ceramics, coins glass works and a mammoth, are among the things which are exhibited.

Again the mosaic taken from the Belkis (Zeugma) ruins site and other statues and tombstones are exhibited in the Belkis ruin site and other statues and tombstones are exhibited in the Belkis Saloon.

Other interesting corners in the Gaziantep Archeological Museum are, the Technology section and the nostalgic shop windows. Here are old photographs and photographic devices that tell us about the development of the camera as well as old radios, gramaphones, type writers, old sewing machines, very old watches, and old postcards about Gaziantep. The photographic section is the only one of its kind in our country. The antique medical instruments exhibition and the cartoon picture exhibition that shows "A city's salvation in Romantimes" are unique examples of Turkish museums.

In the two great frames, in the big saloon of the museum there are  maps showing the country's ancient regions and important archeological centers in Gaziantep and Kilis.

2.  Etnography Museum  

The building was constructed at the beginning of this century. The building consists of three floors which are cut out of bedrock. It has tree entrances, to of open to the main street and the other opens to the road. The Courrtyard is covered by colored stones. There is a living room on the apstairs floor in the south west corner. There is a separate twofloor house on the ground floor with a hearth and a toilet. On the basement floor which was cat out of bedrock in the shape of a cave, there are earthenware jars to keep grape juice  and olive oil, and small rooms to store goods and there is a well.Two of the rooms which are on the second floor are arranged as Harem. On the third floor there is a room with glass panes and a "pigeon house". In this pegion house part a quite corner has been set off from the rest of the floor.

On a special stage in the building there are guns other weapons and documentaries, which were used in the Antep Defence and the photographs of brave martyrs are on display. Other parts in the building have been arranged according to the functions in daily life, and decorated with regional artifacts. Models are added to create a life-like impression of years past.

3. Gaziantep Castle

Gaziantep Castle is one of the most beautiful examples of castles which are still safe and sound in Turkey. It draws the attention of everybody with its real magnificence and grandeur and also with its mysterious history.

Altough there is no information about when and who constructed the castle, the first part was built as an observation tower during the Roman period and it was enlarged in time. It took its present appearance during Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century A.D.

The castle plan was like a circle and the length is 1200 meter. The walls, which were constructed with big stones, were supported by 12 towers. Around the castle there was a ditch with a length of 30 meters and depth of 10 meters. Crossing to the castle was possible only by bridge. It is rumoured that one of the north tower of the castle beloged to the Romans. the ones on the west were constructed during the Mamluk period according to inscriptions. As learned from the inscription, the two toers on each side of, the bridge were constructed during Sulthan Suleyman the Magnificent.

On the castle there are remains of mosques, a cirtern and things like this. On the basement floor there are big rooms, galeries and corridors in order to support the upstairs parts. There is a water source under the main building. The restoration works have been continuing on the castle.

4. Duluk (Doliche)    

Duluk village is located ten kilometers north of Gaziantep. This village has been located at a cross roads from the earliest eras. In the first era it was in the middle of Germanapolis (Kahramanmaras), Samosata (Samsat), Nicopolis (Islahiye), East Cilicia (Cukurova), Zeugma (Belkis) and Kyrhos (Kilis). Due to its geographical situation, its importance continued during the Ottoman Empire. As a result of its important location approximately 6000 years age due to the source of high-quality flintstone, people moved from the Firat Valley to here and stayed in a big cave (Sarli Cave). This valley in Duluk is one of the oldest known human habitations in Anatolia. The industry and export of stone tools must have been the birth of industry in Gaziantep.

Due to the importance of this place, during the powerful kingdoms it continued to be dwelled. Most possibly as it was the intersection point of the roads it became the most important dwelling during the reign of Hittite God Tesup made this area as a religion center.The city protected its importance during Persians and Helenistic period, during Kommagene Kingdomit was one of the four important cities. During the classical periods its name was Dolichenus, Duluk name comes from this. It was an important city during Roman period, Tesup who was one of the great gods, changed his character and renew it as Duluk Jupiter which was best loved by the soldiers of Roman Armies.

Durin Byzantine Empire it became the provience centerwith the name Telukh and at the end of the Empire the importance of it began  to decrease. Its importance was taken by Zeugma as administrative and religious characteristics, then to Ayintap and gradually lost from the history stage.

Today, the remains of Doliche, which was a big city once, are on Keber hill on the east side of the railway in Duluk Village. However it is possible to see the remains which are among the grape vineyards and pistachio trees. On the west side of this hill are a cave, where there were people during old stone age, and a church, which was used as an underground temple. A lots of  graves were carved under the earth. Visiting these grave rooms, seeing the flintstone area where on old workshop located and thinking on the past, by watching the view, enables you to have a good time in exotic view.

5. Yesemek Open Air Museum

Yesemek OPen Air Museum, which is working with Gaziantep Museum Management, is located southeast of Islahiye district  on a hill on the southeast of Yesemek Village. This hill is also known as "Karatepe Sirti", a southern arm of Kurt Maountain. It is 23 km. from Islahiye and 113 km to Gaziantep. It is called the "Yesemek Stone Quarry and Statue Workshop" in publications. The land consists of violet gray and dolarite basalt stones. Bazalt stones are very tough, fine meshed an of good quality. 

Yesemek was first discovered by Felix Von LUSCHAN who was doing excavation at Zincirli in 1980. About 300 statue models were taken out during recent years. Research has shown that this placa was under the reign of the Hittites, during Emperor Suppiuma 1, between 1375 and 1335, was opened run by people of this region known as Hurs. Hittite Empire began to decrease due to the cities being occupied by sea tribes, then went back to southeast Anatolia and became feudal kingdoms. This period is called the late Hittite period. Samal (Chain Kingdom) was one of these kingdoms and 9th century B. C. that governed the place where Yesemek is located. On the statues which were produced in this period, the influence of Asur, Hittite and Syria characteristics are seen. Armies who came to this region later on left their signs on the statues. 

It is very easy to see how the Yesemek Stone Quarry and the Statue Workshop were run, what kinds of techniques and materials were used there.

6. Belkis/Zeugma

Belkis/Zeugma is located on a 20.000 metersquare of site in a village bearing the same name the river Euphrates, 10 km east of Country Nizip of Province gaziantep.

Seleukekia Nikador, one of the Generals of the Alexander the Great, founded the city Selevkeya Euphrates in 300 B. C. the first recidence of Belkis/Zeugma was included in the Roman Empires borders in 64 B. C. and its name was amended as Zeugma, meaning passage or bridge. Sapur, a Sasanian King, conquared Zeugma and destroyed the city in 256 A. D. and after this date, Zeugma could not pull itself together and could not reach its magnificance during the Roman Era. Belkis was then ruled over the late Roman domination in 4 th century A. D. During 5 th and 6 th centuries, however, it was ruled over by Early Bizantine domination. As a result of the Arab raids, Belkis was abandoned. Later on, during the 10 th and 12 th centuries a small Abbassid recidence settled in here and the Balki village was founded here in the 17 th century. 

Belki/Zeugma is one the four important cities og the Kingdom of Commagene. The city which was called as Seleukeia of Euphrates during Helenistic era, was an antic city having a quay on the River Euphrates and an important commercial potential because of the fact that the silk road streching from Antioch to China going through Zeugma . During Roman Era, a military unir consisting of Anatolian soldiers called, "Sikitia Legion" was positioned here. This unit then acquired a Roman character and carried out duty under the name of "Fourth Legion" and caused a trend of necropolis sculpture to be launced, in which the military character is dominated. In this respect, samples in various forms such as steles, rock releives, statues and altars made the newly-formed Zeugma character felt. Zeugma became considerably rich , thanks to the liveliness caused by the fact of being a legion center during Roman Era. There was a wooden bridge connecting Belkis with the city Apemeia on the other side of Euphrates, constructed on wooden rafts made of, most possibly, logs. Besides, it has been determined that there was a big customs here as well as a border trade in a substential level. Because as a result of the excavations performed on the hill called "Iskele Ustu" today, 65.000 stamp printings were found in an archive room called "Bulla". These stamp printings used in sealing papyrus, parchment, money bags and customs bales show that there were a powerful communication network as well as a trade in a considerable extend.

In the Roman Village dating back  to 2 th century B. C. thought in to the open in the excavations made in 1992, the main room having a plan with Atrium as well as mosaics of very high artistic value in the galery in front thereof were found. What described on the mosaic floor in the dimensions of 7.5 m x3.7 m is the wedding ceremony of Dionysos, the god of wine and his wife Adriane. 13 colors with tones were used in such mosaics ornamented by stones of Euphrates. By taking measures to safequard and exhibit such mosaics of very high artistic value in their place and they are opened to visitors. Upon on stealth of this unique mosaic showing the wedding ceremony of Dionysos, rest of the mosaics were taken out of their places where they were built and used and brought to Gaziantep Museum.

7. Rumkale/Hromgla     

Rumkale is located in Yavuzeli District on a hill covered by steep and high rocks where the Firat River and Merziman stream meet, on the west side of the Firat. It is 62 km from Gaziantep and 25 km from Yavuzeli District. Although there is not any exact information about Rumkale Castle it had a starategic importance as it is located along the Firat. It is estimated that it was constructed during the Hittite period in the middle of the 9 th century B. C., and was dominated by Asurians, Medes, Persians, Romans and Arabs. Its name during the ancient period was Hromgla, it is just like a monastery, Johannes who was one of the disciple of Yohenna made Rumkale a center during the Roman period and tried to spread Christianity around Rumkale. Besides Yohenna hid copies in a carved rock and later on Johannes said that his Gospel was kidnapped to Beurit. It is known that Yohenna's grave was in the castle but it is not beleived that this place is sacred for christians. 

Rumkale was one of the main castle of an Urfa Crusades. Count that they set up in Urfa in 1908 during the crusades. Later on when crusades were defeated and left the region, in 1292 Rumkale and its surrounding area was occupied by the Muslims. There are a lot of artifacts in the castle and in this region which was occupied by the Muslims during the Turkish-Islamic period. Turkish-Islamic arts can be seen at the castle, there is also a little mosque which can not be used and was destroyed.