Gaziantep Province

Gaziantep
Province number:	27
Counties
Basic data
Coordinates:	37 ° 2 ' N , 37 ° 18' E Coordinates: 37 ° 2 ' N , 37 ° 18' E
Provincial capital:	Gaziantep
Region:	Southeast Anatolia
Surface:	7,194 km²
Population:	1,974,244 (2016)
Population density:	274 inhabitants / km²
Political
Governor:	Ali Yerlikaya
Seats in Parliament:	12
Structural
Telephone code:	0342
Features :	27
Website
	www.gaziantep.gov.tr (Turkish)

Gaziantep ( Arabic غازي عينتاب, Kurdish دیلۆک Dîlok ) is a province in southeastern Turkey. In common parlance, both the province and the capital of the same name still use the former name Antep without the later given prefix Gazi (Turkish for veteran) .

location

In the north it borders on Kahramanmaraş , in the northeast on Adıyaman , in the east on Şanlıurfa , in the south on the province of Kilis and Syria , in the southwest on Hatay and in the west on Osmaniye .

The province of Gaziantep is located at altitudes between 250 and 1250 meters above sea level. The provincial capital is at an altitude of 850 meters.

population

The province has 1,974,244 inhabitants (as of 2016) and covers 7,194 km². The provincial capital of the same name of Gaziantep is the largest city with around 1.1 million inhabitants.

In the early twenties, thousands of Kurds fled the region to northern Syria , to the Afrin area .

Economy and education

The province has always been an important trading center and is now one of the most important industrial areas in Turkey . The growth rates are above the national average. Gaziantep is a leader in Turkey in many areas of the textile, food and chemical sectors.

The province exports products to 40 countries. While the agriculture especially (Antep) - pistachios produced and (Antep) chili, the city next has cement plants , silks and - cotton weaving numerous artisanal small businesses for the processing of wood and metal and for the production of leather shoes, tent fabrics made of goat hair, soap from Olive oil and sweets made from grapes .

The educational situation in the province is considered problematic and inadequate. That is why it is one of the greatest challenges facing the province alongside unemployment. There are approximately 350,000 students out of a population of over 1,400,000. A class size of more than 50 students is not uncommon. The educational institutions are insufficiently equipped and overwhelmed because of the city's rapid growth. The level of education is far below that of other Anatolian cities such as Kayseri or Denizli . Even some economically backward eastern provinces have seen slightly better educational results.

A university with the name Gaziantep Üniversitesi, GAZÜ for short, exists as an important educational institution .

administration

Gaziantep has been a major city (Büyükşehir belediyesi) since 1986. After an administrative reform in 2014, all districts are directly subordinate to the Lord Mayor of Gaziantep. The former mayors of the municipalities ( Belediye ) were downgraded to the rank of Muhtar . Therefore, the nine counties are also urban districts:

history

In antiquity , the area was ruled first by the Hittites and then by the Assyrians , and later by the Persians , Romans , Byzantines , Abbasids and Seljuks . It saw many battles during the Crusades , Sultan Saladin won a decisive battle here in 1183 . With the rise of the Ottoman Empire , the rise of the city went hand in hand, and numerous mosques , inns, bathhouses and madrasas were built.

After the First World War and the collapse of Ottoman rule, the province was occupied by France . During the Turkish War of Independence , the population was mobilized against the occupying power. But the resistance was put down by the French troops. On February 6, 1921, the Turkish Grand National Assembly decided to rename the city. The word Gazi was added to the original name Ayıntap . Gazi is a name for former soldiers or combatants in the war. With this renaming the bravery of the townspeople was to be honored. In 1928 it was renamed Gaziantep .

One of the most important ancient settlements in Gaziantep Province is Doliche . This place, today Dülük, is about ten kilometers from the city of Gaziantep and is the origin of the cult of Jupiter Dolichenus .

Attractions

Located in Gaziantep Province

about 60 km west of the capital is the Hittite sculpture workshop of Yesemek

near Belkis is the ancient city of Zeugma , which is partially submerged in the Birecik reservoir

in the provincial capital the Archaeological Museum and the Zeugma Mosaic Museum

near the capital, the ancient city of Doliche with the sanctuary of Jupiter Dolichenus on the Dülük Baba Tepesi

in a junction of the Euphrates the medieval fortress Rum Kalesi

nearby are the monumental graves in Elif, Hisar and Hasanoğlu

in the district of Araban the late Hittite rock relief on Karasu

Food culture

Gaziantep is known for its rich food culture. There are many local culinary specialties such as B. (Antep) - Lahmacun (Turkish pizza) , (Antep) paprika , (Antep) - Baklava and the (Antep) pistachios .

Other special dishes include fistik ezmesi (pistachio puree) , Çiğ kofte (raw meatballs) , Cíger Kavurma (liver roast meat) , Kelle Paca (trotters soup) , Içli kofte (meat-stuffed Weizenklößchen) , karnıyarık (stuffed eggplant) , Yoğurt Kebabı (Yogurt skewer) , kusbaşı kebab (diced pieces of meat) and patlıcan kebap (eggplant skewer) and many more.

The antep pistachio

A particular specialty of Gaziantep is the antep pistachio , (tr: Antep Fıstığı). The pistachio is a symbol of the Antep cuisine. In Turkey the antep pistachios are known and sought after. The antep pistachios are part of the antep baklava filling.

The antep peppers

The antep paprika (tr: Antep biberi) is also very popular because of its taste. Preferably, it is mainly in the ground state or as peppers Mark called Antep peppers Mark (tr: Antep salçası). Only the ground Antep-Paprika and the Antep-Paprika pulp make the kitchen specialties Gazianteps something special, be it Antep-Lahmacun or any of the other specialties mentioned above.

The Antep Sucuk

For this specialty, walnut kernels are threaded on a string and dipped several times in a mixture of grape syrup, starch and sugar, which then dries and hardens to form a rubbery mass. The Antep-Sucuk (tr: Antep sucuğu, also known as cevizli sucuk in other parts of Turkey) is often made during Lent. It is unclear whether the Antep-Sucuk really comes from Antep, Georgia and Armenia also claim the dessert for themselves .

Personalities

Aşık Ali Nurşani , singer
Celal Doğan , politician and football official
Edip Akbayram , composer and singer
Kadir Sözen , journalist and author

Web links

Gaziantep Photos

Individual evidence

↑ Turkish Institute for Statistics , accessed December 24, 2017