Things to Do in Nurdağı: 6 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Nurdağı

• 3 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 2 Nature

1 🏛️ Historic

Sakçagözü Mound

Sakçagözü, an important archaeological site from the Late Hittite period, is known for its reliefs and sculptures dating to the 8th century BC. The lion and sphinx reliefs found during excavations are on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara.

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2 🏛️ Historic

Gedikli Mound

The mound in Gedikli village in Nurdağı is one of the important centres of Southeastern Anatolian archaeology, with finds dating to the Early Bronze Age (3000 BC). Gold jewellery and seals found during excavations are of particular interest.

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3 🌳 Nature

Amanos Mountains Passes

Nurdağı is located on the eastern foothills of the Amanos Mountains, on the Amanos passes along the historic Silk Road route. It offers routes suitable for hiking and nature photography.

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i Photo: Zeynel Cebeci (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

4 🌳 Nature

Nurdağı Plateau

The plateaus in the higher parts of the district are favoured in summer for their cool air and green nature, for picnics and camping.

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5 🏛️ Historic

Nurdağı Castle

A castle in Kuru Dere neighbourhood in the district centre. It is not known who built it or when.

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6 🕌 Religious

Hz. Ukkaşe Tomb

The tomb of Hz. Ukkaşe in Durmuşlar village. Ukkaşe is remembered as one of those who were promised Paradise during their lifetime.

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While you are in Nurdağı, you can also see the highlights of Gaziantep province. These places are in other districts; Nurdağı is about 45 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 Nurdağı

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

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

Places to visit

6 places

• 🍖

  Nurdağı Tandır Kebabı (lamb slow-cooked in a clay tandır oven)

  This kebab, made by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven, is known for meat that falls apart in the mouth. It is served in traditional ways in the local restaurants of Nurdağı.

• 🥟

  Yörük Mantısı (Yörük dumplings)

  Small dumplings from the Yörük culture of Nurdağı, served with yoghurt and buttered sauce. Their hand-rolled thin dough and minced-meat filling make them a traditional delicacy.

• 🥣

  Tarhana Çorbası (dried yoghurt and wheat soup)

  Tarhana, made by drying yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and grinding them into powder, is an essential soup of Nurdağı's winter months.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Nurdağı

• ⛺

  Yörük Culture

  Nurdağı is one of the settlement areas of the Aydınlı Yörük tribe. Yörük traditions, traces of a nomadic way of life and handicrafts shape the district's cultural identity.

• 🕊️

  2023 Earthquake Memorial

  The magnitude 7.8 earthquake of 6 February 2023, whose epicentre was near Nurdağı, caused great destruction in the district. The reconstruction process is ongoing, and earthquake monuments and memorial areas are being created.

Local Products

• Nurdağı Olive Oil — Olive oil obtained from the olive groves on the foothills of the Amanos Mountains, the district's most important agricultural product. It is produced by cold pressing.
• Mountain Thyme and Medicinal Herbs — Thyme, sage and bay gathered from the rich vegetation of the Amanos Mountains are natural products traditionally collected by local people.

Economy

The economy of Nurdağı is based on agriculture and livestock farming. Olives, grapes and cereals are the main sources of livelihood. Reconstruction work following the 2023 earthquake is shaping the district's economy. Its position on the Amanos passes also makes the transport and logistics sector important.

How to Get to Nurdağı

Nurdağı is 45 km from Gaziantep city centre. It lies in a strategic position on the Gaziantep–İskenderun (Hatay) road. It is about 65 km from Gaziantep Oğuzeli Airport. It is connected to Gaziantep and nearby provinces by regular bus services.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Gaziantep

Nurdağı: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Nurdağı 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
• Karkamış 5 places Euphrates Riverbank, Karkamış (Kargamış) Ancient City and Historic Euphrates Railway Bridge
• Nizip 7 places Zeugma Ancient City (Belkıs), Rumkale (Hromgla) and Nizip Fevkani Church
• 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