The Cultural Exchange Students were our guests.Paying a visit to the Gaziantep Archeological Museum they've got the chance to see the spectacular mosaics saved from Zeugma Antique Site. In the historical Tepebasi district, they loved the fine examples of mid-nineteenth-century southeastern Anatolian architecture , which may seem an incongruous feature of this once-wealthy trading center in southeastern Turkey, but are only one of many elements in a well-preserved example of cultural and religious integration in the late Ottoman Empire. They visited the missionary hospital and school constructed at the request of Tepebasi's merchants ,still stand alongside a collection of synagogues, mosques, and Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox churches in the historical district of Gaziantep. At the center of the district they visited the Millet Hanı, the largest and grandest of the city's hans, or travel lodges, featuring kitchens, animal stalls, and guestrooms that welcomed both wealthy merchants and refugees. During World War I, Tepebasi was a destination for Jewish and Armenian refugees, whose craftsmanship is still visible in intricate Ironwork, carved stone arches and columns, basalt ornamentation, and colorfully tiled courtyard fountains. After the sightseeing tour they had free time for shopping in the Copper and Mother of Pearl Workshop Bazaar. They all enjoyed their visit in this magical part of Turkey; Gaziantep; where the silk road meets the Garden of Eden.
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