Gaziantep: Turkey's mosaic and pistachio capital

Custodian of one of the world's richest collections of Roman mosaics, Gaziantep is also considered the gastronomic capital of southeastern Turkey.

The centre, famous for Roman mosaics from Zeugma and pistachio production, is easily explored on foot.

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum, the world's largest mosaic museum, displays works recovered from the ancient Roman city of Zeugma before it was submerged by a dam.

A short walk away, the Gaziantep Castle, a fortress of Byzantine origin rebuilt by the Ottomans, houses a museum dedicated to the city's defense during the Turkish War of Independence.

Continuing, one walks through the historic bazaar, where hand-worked copper shops coexist with bakeries of baklava, a sweet for which the city is famous throughout Turkey.

In the evening, a traditional restaurant serves local kebab accompanied by pistachios grown in the surrounding region, among the country's most productive.

The most celebrated mosaic in the museum, known as 'The Gypsy Girl of Zeugma', was only partially recovered before the rest of the archaeological site was submerged by the waters of a hydroelectric dam in the two-thousands.

Gaziantep produces a significant share of Turkish pistachios, a base ingredient both in local savory cooking and in baklava, the pastry for which the city is famous throughout the country.