Things to Do in Dulkadiroğlu: 6 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Dulkadiroğlu

• 4 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 1 Nature

i Photo: Elelicht (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source

1 🏛️ Historic

Kahramanmaraş Castle

Built in the 2nd millennium BC during the Hittite period, the castle was later used in the Roman, Byzantine, Dulkadiroğulları and Ottoman periods. There are panoramic views of the city from the castle hill.

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i Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · Source

2 🏛️ Historic

Kahramanmaraş Archaeology Museum

The museum displays works from the Hittite, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, documenting the region's rich history. Hittite reliefs and Late Roman mosaics are among the most striking exhibits.

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3 🏛️ Historic

Taş Medrese (Hatuniye Madrasa)

Built in 1443 during the Dulkadiroğulları Beylik period by Hatun Sultan, mother of Alaüddevle Bey. It is notable for its stonework, influenced by Seljuk architecture.

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4 🕌 Religious

Grand Mosque

Built in 1501 during the Dulkadiroğulları period, the Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) is one of the largest and oldest mosques in Kahramanmaraş.

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5 🏛️ Historic

Taş Medrese

A small complex next to the Grand Mosque, consisting of a madrasa, a masjid and a tomb.

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6 🌳 Nature

Menzelet Picnic Area

A dam lake and its surroundings, about 20 km from the city centre; promoted as a natural beauty spot and recreation area.

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While you are in Dulkadiroğlu, you can also see the highlights of Kahramanmaraş province. These places are in other districts.

• Maraş Ice Cream — Ice cream made with goat's milk, salep and sugar and given its texture by pounding with iron paddles; it is firm enough to be cut with a knife.
• Grand Mosque and Stone Madrasa — The Grand Mosque, thought to have been built in 1496 by Alaüddevle Bey according to its inscription, and the Stone Madrasa beside it date from the Dulkadirid period.
• Ashab-ı Kehf Complex — 7 km north-west of Afşin, this place is regarded as the cave in which the story of the Seven Sleepers is set; from the 13th century a complex of a mosque, ribat and caravanserai was built in place of a church dating from 466. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2015.
• Germanicia Ancient City — A Roman and Byzantine city lying beneath the present-day city; it is known for its villa mosaics with hunting scenes and geometric patterns, uncovered in excavations in the Dulkadiroğlu district.
• Kapıçam Nature Park — A nature park about 10 km from the city centre on the Gaziantep road, known for its botanical garden with 425 rare and endemic plants and for its ponds.
• Başkonuş Plateau — A highland pasture in Onikişubat on Mount Başkonuş, covered with cedar and black pine forests; in the summer heat it is where the people of the city go to cool off.

Practical Information for Visiting Dulkadiroğlu

Suggested time

1-2 days

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

6 places

• 🍦

  Maraş Dondurması

  Made with goat's milk and salep, Maraş dondurması (Maraş ice cream) is world-famous for its stretchy texture and its consistency, which is cut with a knife. This protected local speciality is served in the historic ice cream parlours of Dulkadiroğlu.

• 🌶️

  Maraş Biberi

  Kahramanmaraş's protected red pepper, dried in the sun and turned into pul biber (flaked chilli). It is an indispensable spice in Turkish cuisine.

• 🍖

  Kağıt Kebabı (paper kebab)

  Prepared by wrapping lamb with vegetables in greaseproof paper and baking it in the oven. It is one of Kahramanmaraş's distinctive dishes.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Dulkadiroğlu

• 🏛️

  Dulkadiroğulları Beylik Heritage

  The Dulkadiroğulları Beylik (1337–1522) was a Turkmen principality centred on Kahramanmaraş. The district takes its name from this beylik. Madrasas, mosques and inns keep the legacy of this period alive.

• ⚔️

  Maraş Defence

  The Maraş Defence of 1920 against the French occupation earned the city the title "Hero". 12 February is celebrated every year as a day of liberation.

Local Products

• Maraş Dondurması — Made with goat's milk and salep, Maraş dondurması has been put forward for inclusion on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
• Maraş Pul Biberi — Pul biber (flaked chilli) made by grinding sun-dried red peppers in hand mills. It is a protected geographical indication product of Kahramanmaraş.

Economy

Dulkadiroğlu is one of the two central districts of Kahramanmaraş. Trade, services and small-scale industry are the main economic activities. Ice cream production and pepper processing are important traditional sectors.

How to Get to Dulkadiroğlu

Dulkadiroğlu is the central district of Kahramanmaraş. Kahramanmaraş Airport is 8 km away. The intercity bus terminal is within the district boundaries.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Kahramanmaraş

Dulkadiroğlu: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Dulkadiroğlu Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Kahramanmaraş The province's 10 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Kahramanmaraş

• Afşin 5 places Eşref Bitlis (Eshab-ı Kehf) Cave, Pir Ali Mosque and Dedebaba Mausoleum
• Andırın 3 places Andırın Forests, Altınboğa Plateau and Boncuk Hill
• Çağlayancerit 4 places Çağlayancerit Waterfall, Çağlayancerit Castle and Çağlayancerit Plateaus
• Ekinözü 4 places Ekinözü Plateau, Ekinözü Castle and Ceyhan River Valley
• Elbistan 11 places Karahöyük (Elbistan Höyük), Elbistan Castle and Source of the Ceyhan River
• Göksun 9 places Binboğa Mountains, Kapıçam Nature Park and Göksun Castle
• Nurhak 3 places Nurhak Mountains, Nurhak Castle and Nurhak Plateaus
• Onikişubat 9 places Kapıçam Nature Park, Başkonuş Plateau and Kahramanmaraş Botanical Garden
• Pazarcık 5 places Domuztepe Mound, Pazarcık Castle and Aksu River Valley
• Türkoğlu 5 places Türkoğlu Castle, Foothills of the Amanos Mountains and Türkoğlu Martyrs' Memorial