Gaziantep Castle

Banner Photo: Mustafa Umut Dulun

The ancient castle has stood guard over Gaziantep for nearly 2000 years and remains the sentinel of the evolving city, renowned as much for its location along the Silk Road as its pistachio orchards and baklava shops today.

Originally built in the second century as a watchtower in Roman times, the Gaziantep castle was later expanded in the sixth century under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, regarded as the “Architect of castles.” The bastion, with an extensive series of underground tunnels that was used to transport water, is included in UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage sites.

The February 6th earthquakes ripped through Gaziantep, destroying parts of the castle and scattering debris from the stronghold onto the city streets below. The panorama gallery at the castle’s entrance requires your immediate donations so that it can once again serve as a site of antiquity and form the backdrop of the city’s recovery.