Things to Do in Karkamış: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Karkamış

• 2 Historic
• 2 Nature
• 1 Attraction

While you are in Karkamış, you can also see the highlights of Gaziantep province. These places are in other districts; Karkamış is about 60 km from the provincial centre.

• Zeugma Mosaic Museum — Opened in 2011 and displaying about 1,700 m² of mosaics, this is one of the largest mosaic museums in the world.
• Zeugma Ancient City — A bridgehead city on the Euphrates at Nizip, founded by Seleucus I, a general of Alexander the Great, and estimated to have reached a population of 70,000–80,000 in the Roman period.
• Gaziantep Castle — A castle with 12 towers and a circumference of 1,200 metres on a hill in the middle of the city; it is thought to have served as a lookout since the Hittite period and to have taken its present form through Byzantine, Ayyubid and Mamluk repairs.
• Rumkale — A castle on sheer rocks at the confluence of the Euphrates and the Merzimen Stream, turned into a peninsula by the reservoir; with the Church of St Nerses, the Barsauma Monastery and its cisterns, it bears traces of the Late Roman and medieval periods.
• Yesemek Open-Air Museum — At İslahiye, used in the Hittite and Late Hittite periods, this is the largest known quarry and sculpture workshop of the ancient Near East, covering about 100,000 m²; unfinished lion, sphinx and mountain-god sculptures stand on the slopes.
• Zincirli Höyük (Sam'al) — North of İslahiye, this was the capital of the Late Hittite kingdom whose Aramaic name was Sam'al; the lion sculptures and orthostats excavated in the 19th century are now in the museums of Berlin and Istanbul.

Practical Information for Visiting Karkamış

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn (April-May, September-October)

Places to visit

5 places

• 🍖

  Barak Kebabı (Barak-style lamb kebab)

  The traditional kebab of Karkamış's Barak Turkmen population, made by preparing lamb with special spices and cooking it over charcoal.

• 🫓

  Lahmacun

  Thin dough spread with a mixture of minced meat and vegetables and baked in a stone oven. Lahmacun is one of the staple everyday dishes of Karkamış.

• 🧀

  Künefelik Peynirli Tatlılar (künefe-cheese desserts)

  Fresh künefelik cheese produced in the region is used to make desserts such as künefe and kadayıf. Künefe, served hot, is the district's favourite dessert.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Karkamış

• 🎭

  Barak Turkmen Culture

  Karkamış is a district where the Barak Turkmen tribe lives in large numbers. Barak folk songs, traditional wedding customs and oral heritage define the district's folk identity.

• 🏛️

  Hittite Civilisation Heritage

  After the collapse of the Hittite Empire, Karkamış Ancient City became the most important centre of the Neo-Hittite kingdoms. Archaeological work carried out since 2011 by a joint Italian–Turkish excavation team continues to uncover new finds.

Local Products

• Antep Fıstığı (Antep pistachio) — Antep pistachios, grown in the gardens around Karkamış, are the district's most valuable agricultural product.
• Pamuk ve Tahıl (cotton and cereals) — Cotton and wheat grown on the fertile plains along the Euphrates form the basis of the district's agriculture.

Economy

Karkamış is one of the smallest districts of Gaziantep. Its economy is based on agriculture and border trade. Pistachio, cotton and cereal production are the main sources of income. The customs gate on the Syrian border is important for trade. Karkamış Dam generates energy.

How to Get to Karkamış

Karkamış is about 60 km from Gaziantep city centre. It is reached by road via Nizip. A border crossing to Cerablus in Syria is located in the district. Gaziantep Oğuzeli Airport is about 80 km away.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Gaziantep

Karkamış: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Karkamış Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Gaziantep The province's 14 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Gaziantep

• Araban 13 places Euphrates River Valley, Araban Castle and Araban Historic Bazaar
• İslahiye 11 places Zincirli Mound (Sam'al), Yesemek Open-Air Museum and Amanos Mountains
• Nizip 7 places Zeugma Ancient City (Belkıs), Rumkale (Hromgla) and Nizip Fevkani Church
• Nurdağı 6 places Sakçagözü Mound, Gedikli Mound and Amanos Mountains Passes
• Oğuzeli 3 places Gaziantep Oğuzeli Airport Area, Barak Plain and Oğuzeli Mounds
• Şahinbey 7 places Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Historic Gümrük Han and Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panorama Museum
• Şehitkamil 5 places Gaziantep Castle, Dülük Ancient City (Doliche) and Gaziantep University Campus
• Yavuzeli 5 places Rumkale (Hromgla), Halfeti Sunken Town View and Kasaba Village