GAZIANTEP
Gaziantep somehow manages to mix the modernity of western Turkey with the Middle Eastern taste of the East. Not long ago it was an ordinary regional city exporting car parts and pistachios, but local authorities have put a tremendous effort into developing tourism by improving the old quarter and pointing off the tasty food experience as well as the ancient mosaics excavated from nearby Zeugma. You can wander the narrow-laned old town, with its beautiful stone houses, and venture through the bustling bazaar satisfied with the sound of hammering coppersmiths. Many old houses and their large interior courtyards survive; some have become museums, hotels, cafés, and inns.
A melting pot of many culinary traditions, Gaziantep is also one of Turkey’s most famous food capitals, and a selection of restaurants and baklava bakeries recognized among the best in the country. In one day you can see the sites, but you could easily spend two days traveling and eating.