Introducing Gaziantep (Antep)
Believe us: if one day there’s a Barcelona-like movida (a hedonistic and cultural revolution) in eastern Turkey, it will happen in Gaziantep. A fast-paced and forward-looking city, Antep vibrantly accommodates its traditional Mesopotamian culture with the buzz of thriving industry. One of the most desirable places to live in eastern Anatolia, Antep’s beguiling résumé includes clusters of old stone houses sprinkled around the city centre, an imposing fortress, a row of vibrant bazaars, a burgeoning café culture, the biggest city park in eastern Turkey, active pedestrianised streets and taste-bud-tingling cuisine. The old and the new combine to form an attractive, civilised and welcoming confection.
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And if all you want is to please your palate, Antep could prove to be your Shangri-la: it is reckoned to harbour more than 180 pastry shops and to produce the best fıstıklı (pistachio) baklavas you can gobble down in Turkey, if not in the world.
If you start your eastern Turkey trip in Gaziantep, be sure to make the most of its epicurean potential. Further east it’s much more limited.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Re: Help with 26 days in Turkey
by sarikanarya 14 September 2011
Hooo,this is stil a pretty full itinery but anyway,you know your travel style best.You seem to be doing a big zig zag towards the end…
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Re: Help with 26 days in Turkey
by travelingcook 14 September 2011
Hello everyone! So, I'd like to post my revised itinerary and get your feedback :) 10/23 - Arrive Istanbul 17:15 10/24 - Istanbul…
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Re: North Turkey
by jhattam 12 September 2011
Why not go south or southeast, especially given the time of year you'll be here? It doesn't sound like you've seen much (or any) of the…
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