We are a proud family rooted deep in the soil of Gaziantep: the Yükseloğlu family. Our roots run deep into the stone streets of Antep, into a tradition of hard work, honour and love of country passed from grandfather to grandson. This project, too, was born of that love — of a family's desire to carry the story of its city beyond all borders.
Below you will find the grandfathers who ran from front to front for their homeland, the legacy they handed down to us, and the project we founded to tell the story of Gaziantep to the world.
An Antep Family, Rooted in This Soil
The Yükseloğlu family is rooted deep in the soil of Gaziantep, passing down trade, craftsmanship and — above all — keeping one's word as if it were an inheritance. On this journey from the narrow streets of the Akyol neighbourhood to the markets of today's world, only one thing never changed: our devotion to Antep and to this homeland.
Two Grandfathers, One Homeland
The pride of our family lies not only in its trade, but in the sacrifices it made whenever the homeland was at stake. In our line there are heroes who laid down their lives for both Gaziantep and this country.
Bostancı Kör Halil — The Man Who Sounded the Mess Call
Our great-grandfather İbrahim Halil Yükseloğlu is remembered in our family by the name "Bostancı Kör Halil" ("Blind Halil the Gardener"). During the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877–78 (93 Harbi), on the Caucasus front, while the army braved every hardship and wrestled with hunger, he waited for supplies for days on end. When relief finally appeared, his commander gave the order to "sound the mess call"; "set the cauldrons boiling, light the fires, the food is coming," he said.
Our grandfather, his body worn out by hunger and cold, sounded that bugle with such love and reverence that — his frame already exhausted from fighting the enemy at the front — he could endure no more, and he lost the sight of both his eyes. The name "Kör Halil" ("Blind Halil") is the memory of that very sacrifice.
Mehmet "Kara Mamet" Yükseloğlu — Sergeant at the Balıklı Front
Kör Halil's son, our grandfather Mehmet Yükseloğlu — known in Antep as "Kara Mamet" — fought heroically as sergeant at the Balıklı front during the Defence of Antep. His valour in that epic resistance earned him one of the Republic's most honoured decorations, the red-ribboned Medal of Independence.
Ziya Nuri Efendi — A Son of Antep in Atatürk's Guard Regiment
Our other grandfather, Ziya Nuri Efendi, son of Ahmet. He completed the NCO (Gedikli) Military School in the infantry branch in 1929–1930 and was promoted to staff sergeant. During the era of Atatürk, he served in Atatürk's Guard Regiment, and had the honour of working alongside Mustafa Kemal Atatürk himself. This is one of the memories our family holds most dear.
In Ziya Nuri Efendi's military records, his hometown is registered as "G.Ayıntap" — that is, Gazi Ayıntap. It is the city's name after it had earned the title "Gazi"; a trace of "Ayıntap", the ancient name this project carries. For us, this is the finest proof of the bond between the past and the present.
Today: Carrying the Legacy into the Future
The founder of this project is one of our family's present-day representatives, Eray Yükseloğlu. Born in Gaziantep in 1970 and having learned trade from his grandfather and his father, Eray Yükseloğlu carried those same values into a new field: telling the story of his city to the world.
Rooted deep in this soil, our family has carried Gaziantep's labour and its name beyond all borders. Our grandfathers fought for their homeland at the front; today we, too, work around the world to support the Turkish defence industry. Now, with that same determination, we want to introduce Gaziantep's cultural heritage to the world.
Why We Started This Project
Gaziantep, with more than 6,000 years of unbroken history, its UNESCO City of Gastronomy title and its peerless cuisine, is one of the most deeply rooted cities in the world. We founded this project to raise our city's recognition abroad and to invite travellers from every corner of the world to discover this ancient and beautiful city.
Our aim is clear: for foreign visitors to come to know Gaziantep, to love it, and to come and see it. To tell the world, as it deserves, of this beautiful city with its incredibly rich history. You can begin the journey with Gaziantep's cuisine, with the cultural atlas, or with the interactive map. If you would like to help us write this story, you can join our volunteer team.