History of Gaziantep

Hüseyin KILIÇ Written 14 years ago

The Gaziantep province and its environs are the lands on which the civilizations were born and developed. The region is located between the lands of Mesopotamia and Mediterranean and had been frequently chosen to be the settlement and transition point of mankind.
As the city is on the course of the Historical Silk Road and is at the intersection point of the roads connecting various directions, it had preserved its vigor and importance throughout the history.
The old city known as Ayıntap had been founded 12 km northwest of today's Gaziantep at the location of today's Dülük Village. The city had witnessed the periods of Hittite, Asurian, Median, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Mongol, Dulkadiroğulları, Memlük and Ottoman civilizations.
After the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071 a Turkish government was set up which was under the Seljuk Empir. The town, which was demaged by Mongols in 1270, was latter conquered by the Dulkadirogullari (1389), and the Memluklular (1471). After the Mercidabik (near Kilis) war against The Memluks by Yavuz Sutan Selim in 1516, Gaziantep and its surroundings were conquered by Ottoman Empire. During the Ottoman period lots of mosques, religious schools, small mosques, khans, and baths were constructed. The town made improvements on production, trade and handicrafts. Evliya Celebi, who visited this region in 1641 and 1671, says that there were 22 streets, 8 thousand houses, about 100 mosques, religious schools, khans, baths and covered bazaars.
After the end of the First World War, Gaziantep was occupied first by the English then by the French. The GAziantep Defence in our National Independence War history showed braveness, hero and devotion. The Gaziantep Defence with its unique braveness aroused the people and saved itself and southeast Anatolia from the occupation forces. It has taken its place in history with the national unity and individuals braveness.