Zeugma Mosaic Museum

Zeugma Mosaic Museum, the world's largest mosaic museum is a source of pride for Turkey. Four fountains and 20 magnificent colomns from the Roman Empire era are on display alongside the famous Gypsy Girl mosaic at this exclusive museum.

Gaziantep is a unique city with its history and culture. Visitors to the city are deeply impressed with Gaziantep's beauty, history, culture and cuisine. But now, the city's fame has grown even more owing to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum : the number one mosaic museum of the world, with an exhibition area of 30 thousand square meters. Its collection includes 1450 square meters of mosaics, 140 square meters of mural painting, 4 Roman fountains, 20 columns, four limestone sculptures, a bronze statue of Mars, grave steles and sarcophagi. About 1000 square meters of mosaics, currently under restoration, will be added to its collection in the near future.

The most famous piece in the museum is undoubtedly the Gypsy Girl, heralded as the Mona Lisa of antiquity.

She was found, sheltered under a toppled column, in the 300 square meters dining hall floor of a villa in the ancient city of Zeugma.

Nicknamed the Gypsy Girl for her headscraf, tousled hair and hooped earrings, her whimsical brown eyes follow the viewer as they circumvent her room. There are many theories as to her identity; one of the god Dionysus' maenads, the goddess Gaia- goddess of Earth and mother of all mythological gods or perhaps even Alexander the Great himself. Whoever she is, she continues inspire legends, even songs, that only enhance her mystery.

GASTRONOMY

Located southest of the Anatolia Region in Turkey, Gaziantep is well-known for its long gastronomic history which has been at the core of its cultural identity since Iron Age. Nowadays, gastronomy remains the main driving force of the local economy. In a city around 2,000,000 inhabitants, 60% of the active population is employed by the sector, and a significant 49% of the enterprises are mainly dedicated to food, including spices, cereals and dried fruits. Don't miss trying hte incredible variety of baklava - the regional specialty. In Gaziantep, gastronomy is also synonymous with festivity, intercultural dialogue and social cohesion.