History and archaeology / Ancient city
Karkamış Ancient City (Archaeopark)
Karkamış, Gaziantep
The great Late Hittite capital on the west bank of the Euphrates; part of the city, also excavated by T. E. Lawrence, has been open to visitors as an archaeopark since 2019.
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Its story
With a history going back to the Early Bronze Age, Karkamış (Carchemish) was an important city in the Mitanni, Hittite and Assyrian periods; it enjoyed its heyday in the Late Hittite period. The battle fought here in 605 BC between the Babylonians and the Egyptians is also mentioned in the Bible. In 1911–1914 D. G. Hogarth, Leonard Woolley and T. E. Lawrence excavated here on behalf of the British Museum. Excavations resumed in 2011 at the site, which had been a military restricted zone in the Republican period. The part of the city lying in Türkiye has been open as an archaeopark since 2019; the palace and temple remains, relief-decorated walls, the old excavation house and the Roman colonnaded street are toured along walkways.
Key facts
- Period
- Early Bronze Age – Roman
- Admission
- Free (according to sources)
- Getting there
- Karkamış district, on the Syrian border; ~73 km from Gaziantep
- Visit duration
- 1.5 hours
Trip purpose
- Photography
- Day trip
Location
36.82939, 38.01556
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karkamış_(antik_kent) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carchemish | https://www.artnewspaper.com.tr/2024/11/22/medeniyetler-kavsagi-karkamis-antik-kenti | https://t24.com.tr/foto-haber/gaziantep-teki-karkamis-antik-kenti-arkeopark-olarak-acildi,8180 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/183691261