Gaziantep: The Food Capital of Turkey
What would you do in a city known for its food, shoes, and stolen art? I hope you would say “Experience it all!” because that is exactly what we did!
We arrived in Gaziantep late at night, and as we made our way through the quiet streets we found ourselves at our quaint inn which would be home for a couple of days. Our welcome to Gaziantep was pleasant and set up the rest of our time there perfectly, as the days brought brightness, warm colors, and precious memories.
Our first meal in Gaziantep was at the stylish Beyazhan restaurant where had a wonderful time enjoying each other’s company and many delicious dishes. Beyazhan is located in a “han,” which was used as a hotel of sorts for people and animals traveling the famed Silk Road. The next morning we went to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum where we learned much about the historical artwork from the first to third centuries A.D. I was thrilled to see some symbols, mosaic motives, and other aspects from my recent archeology class move from the text book to “real life.” Some of the mosaics were only partially intact because during their excavation people had stolen the art! In the most famous work only the upper half of a young woman’s face remained, and the “Gypsy Girl,” as she is now called, has become the “face” of the city. In a happy turn of events one mosaic was missing its main figurines, and through international networking, they were recovered and returned to their rightful place.
Next, we briefly toured the Gaziantep Mutfak Sanatları Merkezi (the Gaziantep Culinary Arts Center), where we learned various preparation methods for dishes there. Gaziantep is well known for its wealth of food culture and was designated in 2015 by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
The colorful tour made us hungry, so we went to a famous restaurant in the historical district of the city, İmam Çağdaş. There we partook of some hearty lamb dishes that made me wish we had ordered twice as much because the excellently seasoned meat melted in my mouth with each bite. My friend Hannah lost a game we played at the table and had to eat a spicy pepper. She was a good sport and it didn’t seem to bother her as much as it would have me. For dessert we requested what is known around the city and across the country as the best baklava. We ordered both walnut and pistachio, although the latter is the most well-known flavor.
Afterwards we took time to tour though the local shops, exploring the many narrow streets filled with delightful trinkets. I had difficulty choosing what souvenirs to take home. Many craftsmen sat outside the doors of their shops awaiting patrons and ready to help them procure just what they were looking for. Several times one shopkeeper would go with us to help us find what we were looking for at a neighboring shop.
On a personal note, it is incredibly hard for me to buy shoes in the States that fit because my long, narrow feet have even narrower heels. Gaziantep is renowned for their handmade leather shoes and when I saw some hanging in a store I deeply desired to obtain a pair for myself. After much searching we stopped at a shop where Brad Pitt got his shoes for Troy, and I was introduced to the tastefully designed leather shoes that were made for my feet.
Our time in Gaziantep was brought to a close with the purchase of unique dishes we had been served on at a previous restaurant. Purchasing the special items was exciting to me because I couldn’t wait to use them to share local dishes with my friends when I returned to the States.
TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE WEST, KEEP LOOKING EAST!
Written By: Serena Swords
Photography By: Hannah Greer, Serena Swords, and Leslie Connors
Serena Swords
A self-proclaimed “Calitexoman” (hailing from California, Texas, and Oklahoma), Serena is an eclectic mix of all of the places she has called home. Her most recent domicile is Norman, Oklahoma where she is a student at The University of Oklahoma studying International Relations and Administration. In laymen’s terms that means “event planner of the world,” as she hopes to connect businesses cross-culturally. Serena loves traveling, exploring new places, and most of all making new friends. While her impressive 5’10” frame makes the opposing volleyball team shake like a leaf, those of us that know her well love her affable demeanor and profoundly positive perspective on life. After you have explored all of her work on West2East and Explore Adana, you can find her personal work here.