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GAZIANTEP
Gaziantep especially known throughout Turkey for its
excellent pistachios. Industry also contributes to the
local economy. The 36 towers of the city's fortress
were originally constructed in the Justinian era and
were later rebuilt by the Seljuks. The Archaeology
Museum has important items from Neolithic, Hittite and
Roman times. The Hasan Sözer House, from the turn of
the century, has been beautifully restored and houses
the Ethnographical Museum. The artisans of Gaziantep
specialize in copperware and furniture inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. The kitchens produce some of the best
lahmacun, a delicious pizza topped with spicy meat and
herbs, and baklava, a honey and nut pastry.
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AROUND
GAZIANTEP
West
of Gaziantep, the Dülük forest makes a good day's outing, or you can
stay overnight in the campsite. In the woods, stroll through the
Dülük archaeological site, which dates back to prehistoric times. A
Hittite sculpting school was centered in Yesemek, where the 200
works of art on view reveal the beauty of Hittite art. Next to the
Syrian border, on the banks of the Firat River, Kargamis, once a
late Hittite capital, is another important archaeological site. The
site's finds, including immense bas-reliefs, have been moved to the
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The ruins of Belkis (Zeugma)
are on the borders of Nizip. It has a Mound, which has been turned
into a citadel. The mosaics from the Roman period are well worth
seeing.
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