Gaziantep Castle

After a good night’s rest, a beautiful blue-sky morning invited us to begin our day with a walk into downtown Gaziantep. Our destination: the castle that sits atop a rocky mound that dates back to 3600 BC.

The castle was originally built by the Romans in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD as a watchtower. It was expanded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian during the 6th century. It took on its current shape during the Mameluke Period in the 13th century … and further expanded by the Ottomans during the 16th century. As one might expect, the fortress saw heavy action during the Turkish War of Independence.

Mui and I first visited the castle in 2018. The docent who accompanied us on that visit was a little long-winded and we ran out of time to see the upper reaches of the castle since our friends had made lunch reservations for us at a popular restaurant. As Deniz had not been to the castle, it made sense to go there once again to finish what we began three years ago.

Today, the fortress also serves as the original museum where the story of the city’s defense during the War of Independence is told. In fact, if you ask to be directed to the Panorama Museum, it’s more than likely you’ll be given directions to the castle. Unlike at the new museum, the pictorials here consist of a series of bronze bas-relief panels that line the long tunnel that takes visitors to the top of the castle.Read more