Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa

Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa are the two main cities of south-eastern Turkey, 146 km apart, between the Euphrates and the Syrian border. The first holds the mosaics of the ancient city of Zeugma; the second is the gateway to Göbekli Tepe, one of the oldest sanctuaries known. Several European foreign ministries advise against travel to this region, to varying degrees. This page presents it for information: Sabaro offers no trip ideas here while that advice remains in force.

What the foreign ministries say

The advice differs from one country to another. Some ministries advise against the whole of Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa provinces unless travel is essential, and in that case recommend an escort arranged with the local authorities. Others target a strip along the Syrian border, 10 km or 30 km wide depending on the country, and ask for particular caution elsewhere. Several ministries also point out that Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Adıyaman were severely hit by the earthquakes of 6 February 2023.

The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice for your country, with the date each ministry last updated it.

Gaziantep, city of mosaics

Gaziantep is a Silk Road city, where Mesopotamia meets the Mediterranean. In old Antep, the old houses lean against one another and keep the streets in shade through the summer. The city is known across Turkey for its food: breakfast here means beyran, liver kebab or katmer, a filled flaky pastry.

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum opened in 2011 on the site of the former tobacco factory. It displays 3,000 m² of mosaics, 140 m² of frescoes, Roman fountains and the bronze statue of the god Mars, found in 2000 in the cellar of a villa. It is open daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm, local time; from 1 April 2027, admission is €13, audio guide included.

The Gaziantep Archaeological Museum shows 1,752 objects from the province, including the Katumuwa stele; it is closed on Mondays. The ancient site of Zeugma itself lies at Nizip, on the Euphrates: the city, founded by Seleucus I, one of Alexander the Great's generals, reached its height in the 2nd century under the Roman Empire. The site is open daily from 8 am to 7 pm, local time, for €6 from April 2027.

Şanlıurfa and Göbekli Tepe

Şanlıurfa has been the centre of many beliefs, from polytheistic religions to the monotheisms. The old town holds the sacred pool of Balıklıgöl, the Great Mosque, the Reji Church, the Fırfırlı Mosque and the so-called Cave of Job.

The Archaeological Museum and the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum form the largest museum complex in the country. The second shelters mosaics left where they were found, including those of the Villa of the Amazons, under a dome 82 m across. A combined ticket will cost €11 from 1 April 2027.

Göbekli Tepe lies 15 km north-east of the city, on a height overlooking the Harran plain. The site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018, consists of enclosures of T-shaped pillars. Some are 5 m tall and carry snakes, foxes, boars and birds carved in relief. It is open daily from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, local time. The ticket, €22 from April 2027 with the audio guide, also covers Karahantepe, a nearby site of the same period, closed when we checked in October 2026.

Harran, by the border

Harran is 44 km south of Şanlıurfa, in the middle of the plain that bears its name. Home in turn to Assyrians, Hittites, Romans and Abbasids, it was destroyed by the Mongols in 1272. The archaeological site is free under the 2027 price list. It lies some twenty kilometres from the Syrian border, inside the strip that some ministries advise against all travel to.

Mount Nemrut, to the north

Mount Nemrut is in neighbouring Adıyaman province, which no European foreign ministry lists among the areas advised against. At 2,150 m, King Antiochus I of Commagene had a burial mound raised for himself, surrounded by terraces of colossal statues and stelae. The lion relief bears the date 7 July 62 BC. The site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open from 9 am to 6 pm, local time, with hours that follow sunrise and sunset; admission will be €11 from April 2027. Below it, Arsameia was the kingdom's summer capital, with reliefs of gods and kings shaking hands.

From Gaziantep it takes 2 h 20 to Kahta, then 1 h 20 to the summit car park. Adıyaman airport, linked to Istanbul, is closer and avoids Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa provinces.

Getting there

Gaziantep airport has flights from Istanbul and direct flights from several German cities, London-Stansted and Zurich; Gaziantep is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. Şanlıurfa has its own airport, linked to Istanbul. By road, Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa are 1 h 40 apart, and Göbekli Tepe is 45 minutes from Şanlıurfa.

Climate

Summers are very hot: in Gaziantep, average highs exceed 36 °C in July and August, and approach 40 °C in Şanlıurfa. There is almost no rain from June to September. Winters are cool, around 8 °C in the afternoon in January. April, May and October are the mildest months, between 20 and 26 °C in Gaziantep.

Hotels in the Sabaro selection in Gaziantep

Two hotels in the Sabaro selection are in Gaziantep:

• Divan Gaziantep, a 5-star city hotel of the Divan brand, with an indoor pool, spa and hammam, a few minutes from the Zeugma museum; found at about €155 a night for two in June 2027, without breakfast;
• Asude Konak, an 1891 mansion at the foot of the citadel, now a small five-room hotel where the owner cooks Antep dishes; price on request.