Gaziantep aims for 1 million tourists

Gaziantep, the largest city in Turkey's southeastern Anatolia region with a rich history and culture, is expected to become a magnet for foreign tourists. Gaziantep Mayor Süleyman Kamçı says the goal is to bring one million tourists to the city annually.

ISTANBUL - TDN with wire dispatches


The southeastern city of Gaziantep, the region's center for industry and trade, is on its way to becoming a magnet for tourism.

The city, which has a rich history and culture, aims to attract one million tourists annually, an attainable goal, said Mayor Süleyman Kamçı.

Gaziantep has been unable to attract its share of tourists, despite being the biggest city in the southeastern region, Kamçı said. “We have opened a Mosaic Museum and displayed mosaic pieces from the ancient city of Zeugma. We have also restored Dayı Ahmet Ağa Mansion, one of the historic structures in the city, and it is now a small hotel,” said Kamçı.

“Now we are planning to establish a larger, 45,000 square meter mosaic museum. The Culture and Tourism Ministry has approved the investment. When the museum is finished, more mosaics will be on display. Also, a private company operates a boat on the river of Birecik Dam. There are many beauties in the region that must be seen,” he added.



Karkamış ancient city

Opening the ancient city of Karkamış to tourism is another of the city's priorities, Kamçı said. The ancient city, declared a protected area in 1989, will be cleared of mines to become a tourism destination, he said, adding, “archaeological excavations will be carried out in the ancient city. It is said that ancient Karkamış has great archaeological importance and will contribute to the development of tourism in Gaziantep.”



1 million tourists

Gaziantep's tourism potential owes not only to its history and cultural heritage, said Kamçı, adding, “our goal is to bring 1 million tourists to the city every year. This is an attainable goal. We are in a very good position for health tourism. We can host guests from Syria for health tourism. Some 13 fairs will also be held in the city in 2008. We have two five-star hotels and new ones are under construction. People invest here because they know they will make a profit.”

Gaziantep Greater Municipality's zoo attracted great interest from local tourists. “500-600,000 people, most of whom are students, visit the zoo annually. Most of these visitors come from nearby towns,” Kamçı said.

“2.5 million people visit the mosaic museum in Tunisia. But the mosaics in our museum are said to be more beautiful. If we establish one more museum, 500,000 tourists may visit the museum every year,” said Kamçı.

Gaziantep, Turkey's sixth largest city

Gaziantep is Turkey's sixth largest city. It is one of the most developed provinces of the region and also one of the oldest with a history reaching as far back as the Hittites. Being the center of pistachio nut cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of Turkey's important agricultural and industrial hubs. In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as the reminders of past. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. Gaziantep is the center of economy in southeastern and eastern Turkey. The city has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and also has a developing tourist industry.