Zeugma Belkis Ancient City

Zeugma Belkıs ancient city has a very important value for Gaziantep tourism. The ancient city is located in Nizip district and is situated on top of hills. Under the leadership of I.Seleucid Nikator, a large city was established in 300 BC. For this city, a phrase is used as ‘the Silifke of the Euphrates’. He builds a new city called ‘Apama’ just across the city. Nikator gives this name to the city because of his wife. He also builds a bridge to connect the two cities. The name of the city of Apama is changed over time to ‘Zeugma’. The word Zeugma is used in the meaning of Gate-Bridge at that time. Especially in Roman times, this place has its brightest days. In 256 BC, Zeugma was captured and destroyed. Zeugma, after that invasion, unfortunately, will never reach its former glory. The city of Zeugma makes great progress in the artistic line during Rome's reign. They are especially prominent with mosaic examples adorning luxurious architectural works. These mosaics are often found in the excavations carried out in the region today. Zeugma is already referred as the ’mosaic city'. The mosaics unearthed during the Zeugma excavations give Gaziantep a record. Seal prints called ‘Bulla’ also have an important place in the same excavations. The ancient city of Zeugma Belkis is located on a giant area of 20 thousand acres. The city is almost adjacent to the Euphrates River. It is located in a very strategic position, both in military and commercial terms. In this way, a great importance is attributed to this place at every stage of history. The ancient city of Zeugma reaches a population of around 80 thousand during its heyday. You can use the public transportation options to go to the ancient city of Zeugma, which is located in the Belkis quarter of Nizip.