Explore The Euphrates and Tigris basin
Gaziantep has been successively occupied by the Hittites, Assyrians, Persians, Alexandrines, Romans, Selçuks, Crusaders, Byzantines and Arabs. Its prize asset is the archeological museum on İstasyon Caddesi (Arkeoloji Müzesi). Pick of the exhibits is a superb collection of some 800 square metres of mosaic rescued from the once-luxurious Hellenistic/Roman border-city of Zeugma, now virtually submerged by the Birecik dam on the Euphrates. Particularly impressive are the re-creations of Roman peristyle villas, complete with their original mosaic flooring. The mosaics are complemented by some fine frescoes, salvaged from Zeugma, and a magnificent bronze statue of the god of war, Mars. The original part of the museum also houses a collection of Hittite reliefs from Yesenek, 100km west of Gaziantep.
