Gaziantep city, Turkey : First Impression

It is a brand new feeling. Miles above the ground I am in an aircraft almost wholly surrounded by passengers who are all foreigners to me. The flight from Istanbul to Gaziantep is a short one, a mere 1.5 hours, nothing compared to the 6 hours 45 minutes of the first flight from Mumbai to Istanbul.

As soon as the seat-belt sign goes off in the Turkish Airlines flight, crew members start distributing food. In a neatly packed (unfortunately) plastic wrap,  bread, butter and salt is served. It is followed by another question, “What would you like to drink?” Options are given and I pick cherry-drink, a beverage ubiquitously present in this part of the world. However, almost everyone else is sipping on a white liquid— Ayran—only a few hours and I would learn the significance of Ayran in the heart of the Turks.

Gaziantep city was originally called Antep. Just before the Republic of Turkey was formed, during the independence struggle, the civilians of Antep had put up a brave fight, particularly against the French siege. In honour of them, the title of ‘Gazi’ (which means ‘war hero’) prefixed to Antep and that is how Gaziantep came to being.

Continuously inhabited since 4^th millenium BCE, Gaziantep was home to Hellenistic civilizations who have left their traces in the region. Colonized by pagans, Christians and then Muslims, this region saw some of the most hostile wars inflicted by religion. Now primarily an industrial city with the factory-made carpet industry being the largest, Gaziantep city is known for its lamb kebaps, desserts (Baklava in particular) and rich gastronomic heritage. Securing a place in the list of UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Gastronomy is after all no small feat!

There are barely 8-10 of us foreigners, 5 Indians and the rest Caucasians, in front of the tiny luggage belt dedicated for us. I am travelling in a group and Rahime, our organizer, has already arranged a vehicle to take us to Hotel Tugcan, our abode for two nights. Sehzat Kaya, our local guide welcomes us. Ahmet is at the wheels. Soon the bus starts rolling and huddles of houses perched too close to each other against the backdrop of a hill show their faces. Minarets of mosques are dispersed all around the city. The broad streets are bordered by clean pavements, often lined by trees.

Walk in the old city

In the evening, I set out to walk through the cobbled stoned alleyways in the old city. The Gaziantep Castle is the oldest landmark standing  here. I did not go to the castle but my guide informed me that it was established sometimes during the rule of the Hittite Empire (1600 BC). The Romans modified the building into a castle. Nowadays it houses artefacts from the Turkish war of independence. The castle also provides an excellent bird’s eye view of the city. Photo-sessions follow near the ‘I love Gaziantep’ installation, directly overlooked by the castle. Turkish families are out on a stroll, some are locals and others seem to be domestic tourists. I think we are the only foreigners out here at the moment.

At strategic locations fountains and sculptures have been installed to boost the aesthetics of the place and to provide drinking water to the thirsty. Near a park, benches are placed under the shade of Chinar trees. Like an artist’s palette smudged with colours, spices and nuts blotch the frontsof every shop. “Try the fistik,” says Sehzat pointing to a shop.

Well, I am reluctant at first. In India, the vendors are almost always super-aggressive. I have learnt to keep away unless I am 90% certain that I want to buy something. It is heart-warming to find the shopkeepers in Gaziantep are nothing like that. People are allowed to shuffle and taste the stock. Sehzat grabs a fistful of fistik, as they call pistachios here, and distributes it to all of us. The roadside shops even have a dedicated basket to hold the broken kernels of the nuts tasted by the passers-by!

36% of the total pistachio production in the country is sourced from Gaziantep. Being a pistachio hub, Gaziantep’s cuisine has been incredibly influenced by this nut. Pistachio is the most common flavor and garnishing element in Gaziantep cookery. Baklava, the famous sweet of the region, comes with generous fillings of Pistachio.

As I pass the thin alleys of the old city a familiar musical instrument , the one I stereotypically associate with ‘middle-east’, hits the air at rhythmic intervals. It is the beats of a Darbukha (goblet drum). An entourage of musicians are playing live music at a café. Clarinets and violins also accompany the shrill voice of the singer. In Turkish language, they sing a song on the bath culture of Gaziantep. Sehzat, who can speak Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic and English would have explained me more of the lyrics, but with the call of the azaan, the music stops.

In front of the café, on a makeshift wood and coal-fuelled oven, Turkish coffee gurgles in metal cups. Near it, in shiny jars are an assortment of spices. Locals flock to this stand to taste the  Turkish coffee. According to Sehzat, the modern ovens used in the households nowadays alters the authenticity of a classical Turkish coffee. However, he insists that spices were never a part of the recipe. In 2013, Turkish coffee culture found a place in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Strolling farther down the lane I notice wrinkled vegetable skins tied from threads dangling down from shops, like the flower decorations we put up during Hindu festivals in India. Only these are not mere decorations. In Gaziantep, vegetables skins are sun-dried, then stuffed with rice and boiled—they call it dolma— a stuffed dish popular across the Mediterranean and Middle-east.

We pass through the silent Zincirli Bedesten and Copper bazaar— being Sunday night both are closed. We move through Elmajir Bazaar, a name coined from the word Elma, which is the Turkish word for Apple. As the clock struck 8 we leave for our first dinner in Turkey.

Dinner at Bayazhan restaurant : One of the best places to eat in Gaziantep city

Gaziantep is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world. It was an important stop along the silk route that connected the west to the east. Several inns and caravanserai had developed in this city from the ancient times to provide shelter to the traders and their entourage. The inns are now transformed into restaurants and hotels.

Middle-eastern musical notes welcome me as I enter one such erstwhile inn, now restaurant Bayazhan. In its well-decorated massive courtyard with a capacity of 900 people, guests make merry and waiters dash with serving-trolleys. On the table reserved for us, a smorgasbord of flavours are on play. Stuffed roasted pumpkin skins—dolma— the ones I saw a while ago are now on the platter. Olives and tomatoes rule the salad. Creamy hummus, a dip mainly made with chickpeas, tahini and olive oil entices me. Ayran, the local beverage to wash down the food with, is omnipresent. From an assortment of chicken, beef and lamb kebaps, I choose the chicken ones. But, it is the babaganoush (mashed cooked brinjal with tahini) that I paired with tomato puree which lingered long on my taste buds.

To watch my Gaziantep video on Youtube, please click here.

Have you been to Gaziantep? Have you been to Turkey? Do you plan to visit? Comment below with anything that you would like to know about the place!

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Disclaimer: Tania was hosted by Turkey Tourism Board. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the post are of her own.

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