Photo: Verity Cridland (CC BY 2.0) · Source Osmaniye is a young province in the east of the Çukurova plain, at the foot of the Amanos Mountains. Highlights include Karatepe-Aslantaş, whose Phoenician and Luwian bilingual inscriptions made it possible to decipher Hittite hieroglyphs, the Roman city of Kastabala (Hierapolis), the castles of Toprakkale and Hemite, Zorkun, one of the oldest highland pastures of Çukurova, and Aslantaş Dam Lake. It is the centre of peanut production in Türkiye, and Osmaniye peanuts are a registered product.
Last updated:
7 places worth seeing in Osmaniye, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Verity Cridland (CC BY 2.0) · Source A fortress city founded in the 8th century BC by the Late Hittite ruler Azatiwada, in the village of Kızyusuflu in Kadirli; it is famous for the lion and sphinx statues at its gates, its reliefs and the Phoenician–Luwian bilingual inscriptions that made it possible to decipher Hittite hieroglyphs. The site lies within Karatepe-Aslantaş National Park.
View on map
Photo: Klaus-Peter Simon (CC BY 3.0) · Source A Roman city on the bank of the Ceyhan River, near the village of Kırmıtlı in the central district of Osmaniye; it is known for its colonnaded street, theatre, bath and the medieval castle on the hilltop.
View on map
Photo: Klaus-Peter Simon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A medieval castle at Toprakkale overlooking the Ceyhan plain and the roads linking Anatolia with Syria.
View on mapA castle at Düziçi that rose to importance under the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and in the 13th century was the headquarters of the Teutonic Knights in the region.
View on map
Photo: Csenaturkoglu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source One of the three oldest highland pastures of Çukurova, in the Amanos Mountains south-east of Osmaniye; with its pine forests and cool air, it is a summer refuge for city dwellers.
View on mapA reservoir on the Ceyhan River, stretching along the foot of Karatepe; its surroundings are suitable for picnics and nature walks.
View on mapA museum displaying Late Hittite, Roman and Byzantine finds from excavations in the province.
View on mapOsmaniye lies in the east of the Mediterranean Region, where the Çukurova plain meets the Amanos (Nur) Mountains. In antiquity the province lay in the eastern part of Cilicia, on the roads linking Anatolia with Syria and Mesopotamia. Karatepe-Aslantaş, near Kadirli, is the fortress city founded in the 8th century BC by the Late Hittite ruler Azatiwada; the Phoenician and Luwian bilingual inscriptions here played a key role in deciphering Hittite hieroglyphs.
In Roman times Kastabala (Hierapolis), on the bank of the Ceyhan River, was one of the region’s important cities, with its colonnaded street and its castle on the hilltop. In the Middle Ages, under the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Crusaders, castles such as Toprakkale, Hemite (Amouda) and Bahçe controlled the strategic passes. Osmaniye, which became the centre of the Cebel-i Bereket sanjak in the 19th century, became Türkiye’s 80th province in 1996.
Today Osmaniye is the centre of Türkiye’s peanut production, and peanut fields cover the Ceyhan plain. Zorkun, in the Amanos Mountains, is one of the oldest highland pastures of Çukurova.
Osmaniye has a Mediterranean climate: summers are hot and humid, and winters are mild and rainy. Averages for 1986–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.8 °C | 3.7 °C | 104 mm | 9 |
| February | 16.2 °C | 4.7 °C | 91 mm | 9 |
| March | 19.2 °C | 7.4 °C | 116 mm | 10 |
| April | 23.8 °C | 11.1 °C | 80 mm | 9 |
| May | 27.9 °C | 15.0 °C | 75 mm | 7 |
| June | 31.4 °C | 19.1 °C | 39 mm | 3 |
| July | 33.7 °C | 22.6 °C | 18 mm | 1 |
| August | 34.4 °C | 23.3 °C | 10 mm | 1 |
| September | 32.3 °C | 19.6 °C | 34 mm | 3 |
| October | 28.3 °C | 14.5 °C | 65 mm | 6 |
| November | 21.9 °C | 8.5 °C | 86 mm | 7 |
| December | 16.5 °C | 5.2 °C | 90 mm | 9 |
March to May and October to November are ideal for the ancient cities, and June to September for Zorkun Plateau. Summers on the plain are hot and humid; this is when the people of Çukurova go up to the highland pastures. The peanut harvest takes place in September–October.
By air: There is no airport in the province; the nearest airports are Çukurova International Airport (Tarsus) and Gaziantep Airport.
By train and road: Osmaniye lies on the Adana–Gaziantep motorway and the Adana–Fevzipaşa railway; it is about 90 km from Adana and about 125 km from Gaziantep.
Day 1 – Osmaniye city centre and Toprakkale: The colonnaded street and castle of Kastabala, Toprakkale Castle; in the evening, local kömbe and tava in Osmaniye.
Day 2 – Karatepe: The bilingual inscriptions at Karatepe-Aslantaş and the gates with lion and sphinx statues; in the afternoon, the shore of Aslantaş Dam Lake and sucuk ekmek in Kadirli.
Day 3 – Zorkun: In summer, cool air and nature walks on Zorkun Plateau.
Osmaniye cuisine combines the products of Çukurova and the Taurus highland pastures. The registered delicacies with geographical indications are Osmaniye Zorkun tava (Zorkun pan dish), Osmaniye bayram kömbesi (festival kömbe), Osmaniye yoğurtlu kömbesi (yoghurt kömbe) and Kadirli sucuk ekmek (sucuk in bread). The products are Osmaniye yer fıstığı (Osmaniye peanuts), the most heavily produced peanut in Türkiye, Osmaniye zeytinyağı (Osmaniye olive oil) and Kadirli turpu (Kadirli radish). In the local cuisine, şırdan (stuffed tripe), tırşik soup and hummus are also common.
The Karatepe kilim (Karatepe kilimi) and the Kadirli andız prayer beads (Kadirli andız tespihi), made from andız (juniper) wood, are registered handicrafts with geographical indications.
Osmaniye province has 7 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
A pan dish with a registered geographical indication.
Bread with sucuk, with a registered geographical indication.
Kömbe with a registered geographical indication.
Kömbe with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are Karatepe-Aslantaş Open-Air Museum, the ancient city of Kastabala, Toprakkale Castle, Hemite Castle, Zorkun Plateau and Aslantaş Dam Lake.
The Phoenician–Luwian bilingual inscriptions here played a key role in deciphering Hittite hieroglyphs.
Peanuts, Zorkun tava, Kadirli sucuk ekmek and kömbe.
It became Türkiye's 80th province in 1996.
March to May and October to November; June to September is suitable for the highland pastures.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 8 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.