Gaziantep Castle

Gaziantep is one of the most attractive tourist cities not only in the Southeast, but also in the whole of Turkey, with its history, unique rich food culture and places to visit. Gaziantep Castle, which is one of the symbol places of the city, has survived to the present day. With its magnificent structure, the historical castle, which admires the beholders, keeps all the secrets of the city in its saddlebags. The fort is located in the immediate south section of Alleben Creek. The height of Gaziantep Castle is about 25 meters. Since it is located in a hill, it can be easily selected from many points in the city center. There is no definite information about who built the castle and when. Despite this, the history of the castle is estimated to date back 6 thousand years. It is also mentioned that there was a small town called ‘Theban’ in the vicinity of the castle when it was founded. The castle is built in the Roman period as a kind of watchtower. In later years, it was gradually expanded and reached its present state. The castle regains its present state during the reign of Justinyanus. Justinyanus, one of the Byzantine emperors, is known as the ’architect of castles'. The castle again underwent extensive repairs during the same period. There are 12 separate towers in total in the hull of the castle. However, Evliya Çelebi mentions 36 towers in his work. The other bastions are located on the outer walls and cannot reach the present day. There is a moat around Gaziantep Castle and a bridge is supported for the passage to the castle. Before coming to the gate of the castle, there is a sign known by the local people as ‘Imam Al-Ghazali's Maqam’. The castle was repaired during the Mamluks and Ottomans. After each repair, an inscription is added to the castle. The bridges standing next to the main bridge were added in 1557, during the Kanuni period. Numerous legends about the construction process of the castle are quoted.