Middle East - Anthony Ham [516]
Anadolu Evleri ( 220 9525, 0533-558 7996; www.anadoluevleri.com; Köroğlu Sokak; s/d TL105/135, 1-/2-person ste TL135/170; ) A tastefully restored old stone house in a lovely position, this oasis celebrates local tradition: a beguiling courtyard, beamed or painted ceilings, mosaic floors, secret passageways, and antique furniture and artefacts. It’s spitting distance from the bustling bazaar, yet it feels quiet and restful.
Eating & Drinking
This fast-paced and epicurean city is reckoned to harbour more than 180 pastry shops and to produce the best fıstık (pistachio) baklavas you can gobble down in Turkey, if not in the world.
Çavuşoğlu ( 231 3069; Eski Saray Caddesi; mains TL4-8) This sprightly outfit rustles up dishes that will fill your tummy without emptying your wallet. Portions are copious, the meat is perfectly slivered and the salads are fresh.
İmam Çağdaş ( 231 2678; Kale Civarı Uzun Çarşı; mains TL4-10) This talismanic pastry shop and restaurant is run by Imam Çağdaş, our culinary guru, who concocts wicked pistachio baklavas that are delivered daily to customers throughout Turkey. And if there was a kebap Oscar awarded, this place would also be a serious contender.
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantasi ( 231 0241; Kalender Sokak; mains TL5-10; 11.30am-10pm Mon-Sat) Just surrender helplessly to your inner carnivore at this Gaziantep institution. The yummy kebaps are the way to go, but grilled chicken also puts in menu appearances. Don’t be discouraged by the unremarkable entrance.
Çınarlı ( 221 2155; Çınarlı Sokak; mains TL4-11) The Çınarlı has long enjoyed a great reputation for its yöresel yemeks (traditional dishes). Choose between three small rooms, decorated with rugs, weapons and other collectibles, and a bigger dining room, where you can enjoy live music in the afternoon.
Mado Café ( 221 1500; Atatürk Bulvarı) The super-slick Mado is the place to meet Gaziantep’s movers and shakers in a smart setting. You can nosh on snacks (mains TL7 to TL9) and sip fruity cocktails, but the pastries and ice creams make the place tick.
Getting There & Away
Turkish Airlines has daily flights to/from Ankara and İstanbul. Onur Air and Pegasus also serve İstanbul, Sun Express serves İzmir and Cyprus Turkish Airlines has a weekly flight to London Stansted.
From the otogar you can reach many destinations, including Şanlıurfa (TL15, 2½ hours) and Antakya (TL18, four hours).
There’s no direct bus to Syria; you’ll have to go to Kilis first, then taxi to the border or to Aleppo. Minibuses to Kilis (TL6, 65km) leave every 20 minutes or so from a separate garaj (minibus terminal) on İnönü Caddesi.
To get to Aleppo and Damascus by train, you’ll need to go to İslahiye to catch the twice-weekly train to Syria.
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TURKEY DIRECTORY
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ACCOMMODATION
Camping
Camping facilities are dotted about Turkey, although sometimes not as frequently as you might hope. Some hotels and pensions will also let you camp in their grounds for a small fee, and they sometimes have facilities especially for campers.
Hostels
Given that pensions are so cheap, Turkey has no real hostel network. The best place to find hostels are backpacker hangouts such as Göreme, where many pensions offer dormitories and hostel-style facilities.
Pensions & Hotels
Most tourist resorts offer simple, family-run pensions where you can get a good, clean single room from around TL20 a night (and a dorm bed from around TL10). Pensions are often cosy and represent better value than full-blown hotels. These places usually offer a choice of simple meals (including breakfast), laundry services, international TV services and so on, and it’s these facilities that really distinguish them from traditional small, cheap hotels. Many pensions also have staff who speak English.
In most cities there is a variety of old and new hotels, which range from the depressingly basic to full-on luxury. The cheapest nonresort hotels (around TL30 a night per person) are mostly used by working Turkish men travelling on business