History of Gaziantep

Location has had great importance in the history of the settlement of Gaziantep. Our region is located between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, where the first civilisations were born and it is at the intersection of the roads coming from the South and from the Mediterranean going to the East, the North and the West. Therefore Gaziantep gives direction to history and to the present Gaziantep has been the living area and meeting place beginning from pre-historic eras. The historical Silk Road passed through Gaziantep, which helped prolong our cities importance and ensure its livelihood.

The historical periods of Gaziantep are chalcolthic Paleolithic Iron, Hittite, Mede, Assyrian, Persian, Alexandrian, Selencid Roman, Byzantine, Islam-Arabic, Islam-Turk periods. It is possible to see the signs of all these periods even today.

The old town known as Ayintap, is located 12 km to the southwest between Duluk Village and Karahoyuk Village. According to the archeological diggins, remains of Stone, and Copper Ages, show that this region is one of the oldest settlement areas in Anatolia.

Gaziantep was under the reign of the Babylonian Empire for some time, then in the 1700's B. C. became a Hittite town. "Duluk Town" was important as a religious center for the Hittities. Islam spread throgh to Anatolia from here. Hz. Okkesiye, who saw Hz. Mohammed's seal and kissed it and was one of his inspiration clerks, was found on a hill which is near the Nurdagi town of Durmuslar.

Gaziantep and its surroundings was governed by Asur, Med, Persian Empires between B. C. 700 and B. C. 546. After Alexander The Great conquered Persia it was then governed by the Romans, until A. D. 636, when it was taken by the Byzantines.

During the conflict of imposing Islam from the Arabic peninsula in the time of Hz. Omer, the Muslim Army captured the Gaziantep region and Hatay from the Byzantines. So the people iving in this area accepted the Islamic Religion in 639. Soon after this Syria and Antakya were governed by Islamic forces and they were taxed. So the famous Omeriye Mosque Of Gaziantep was constracted to symbolize the victory.

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.

source: belkishan.com