History of Gaziantep

Dating back to the 4th millennium BCE, Gaziantep has traces of Hittite settlement that continued till about 1183 when it was conquered by Turkish tribes. Till then it was predominantly a Syrian town named `Hamtap`. The Ottoman Empire invaded the place in the early 16th century and named it `Ayintab` meaning `good spring`. The rule continues for three centuries uninterrupted until 1919 when it was occupied by the British, which was followed by a French control in 1920. In 1922 however the Turks won back their land from the French troops and the prefix `Gazi` was added meaning `warrior of Islam` and hence the name Gaziantep.

However, before these specific conquests, Gaziantep had been ruled by Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines and the Abbasids.