Routes

It is a tour that can be done along the Euphrates river outside the city center of Gaziantep, after the city route on the first day. Karkamis, the historical site having the same name for thousands of years, is an important Hittite city. Since it is located right on the Syrian border, on the west side of the point where the Euphrates River crosses into Syria, it would be better to check whether it is open to visitors and set off accordingly. Another destination of the route is Zeugma, which is located on the west side of the Euphrates and where the mosaics exhibited in the Zeugma Archaeological Museum were unearthed. It is possible to see Roman villas, floor mosaics and wall paintings in Zeugma, some of which are now under the waters of the Birecik Dam. This was one of the most important trade centers of antiquity and it controlled the trade and crossings on the Euphrates. It was one of the most important cities of the Seleucid Kingdom and Rome. The next stop of the route, this time, is Birecik on the east side of the Euphrates. This city, located on the side of the Euphrates, is reached by the first bridge built over the Euphrates in 1956. Birecik is famous for its Euphrates observation terraces, delicious food and desserts. If you come in the morning, you should definitely eat chickpea wrap, if you come in the afternoon and it is summer, you should definitely eat eggplant kebab. Another very well made thing in Birecik is knafeh. Your next destination in Birecik is the Bald Ibis Production Station, where you can see the last 200 remaining bald ibis birds in the world. Here you can get detailed information about bald ibis and Birecik wildlife from Mr. Mustafa. Right in front of the station, you can drink tea, yoghurt drink, soft drinks, eat ice cream and cool off on hot Birecik days. You can also find many souvenirs here. The last destination of the route is Old Halfeti, which was mostly submerged by the Birecik Dam in 1998. You can eat by the dam lake, take a walk, cross the suspension bridge and go to see Rumkale by taking boat tours. It is recommended to bargain with the boaters as there is no standard boat tour price.

Category:
City
Duration:
2 Days
Destinations:
-Gaziantep City Center
-Karkamis Archaeological Site
-Zeugma Archaeological Site
-Birecik
-Halfeti
-Rumkale
What to eat and drink?
-Chickpea Wrap at Birecik (only in the mornings)
-Knafeh at Birecik
-Eggplant kebab at Birecik -Shabout fish at Halfeti
What to buy?
-Pistachio
-Bald ibis t-shirts, mugs and keyrings
Must Do
-Eat eggplant kebab
-See black rose at Halfeti
-Take a boat tour at Rumkale
-Cross the drawbridge at Halfeti
-See the last bald ibises in the world at Birecik