Kahramanmaraş Heritage Trail: Exploring History, Culture, and Art

Museum of Kahramanmaraş

The first museum in the city was established in the Taş Medrese. It was moved to Kahramanmaraş Castle in 1961, and to its current location in 1975. Among the museum’s most valuable pieces are the bones of two elephants discovered in the Gâvur Lake Marsh and dated to around BCE 1400. In addition, the museum features life-like animations of the Direkli Cave and the Excavation Site. Finds unearthed in the Domuztepe Tumulus and Excavation Site are also exhibited in the museum. Other items exhibited in the museum are the Maraş Lion, sculptures of various gods, stelae depicting feasts, and stelae and sculptures from the Kingdom of Gurgum. A particularly striking exhibit is the museum’s Roman era mosaic floor. It was unearthed in the Ancient City of Germanicia, discovered in 2000.

Germanicia Ancient City

The city of Kahramanmaraş has been the living place of many civilizations throughout history, such as the Hittites, Assyrians, Macedonians, Seleucids and Romans. The fact that each state brings its own culture here has made Kahramanmaraş have a rich history of cultural diversity. In 64 B.C the Roman Emperor Gaisus Caesar Agustus Germanicus named the city as the "Kaiseria Germanicia." Germanicia Mosaics belong to the Late Roman & Early Eastern Roman Period. These mosaics reflect the political, social, cultural, and economic situation in the city at that time. The depiction in the mosaics include herbal and geometric motifs, the descriptions selected by daily routine, and the composition showing the architectural structure of the period.

Kahramanmaraş Castle

In the city centre, the castle is erected on a hill. This hill has a steep slope on the south side and a gentle slope on its north side. Excavation works in in the castle revealed many historical artifacts from the Late Hittite Period. Among these is the Maraş Lion, which stood at the gate entrance of the castle in the 17th century, according to the writer Evliya Çelebi. The castle itself was built in the Late Hittite Period, with various repairs and additions under the succeeding dominions of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians and the Kingdom of Cappadocia, the Romans, Eastern Romans, Seljuks of Anatolia, the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. The castle survives to the present day. The outer walls of the square bastion are large-cut stones, 1.7 metres deep, and the inner walls are rubble stone. The castle is built in a rectangular design.

Grand Mosque

Artuklu Dönemi mimari örneklerinden, dilimli kubbesi ve minaresiyle Mardin’in sembolü olan Mardin Grand Mosque kayıtlara göre iki minareli inşa edilmiştir. Mosquenin bugün mevcut olan tek minaresinin kare kaidesindeki yazıt, yapım tarihini 1176 olarak vermektedir, fakat bugünkü minare 1888/1889 yıllarında yeni ve elektik bir üslupla yapılmıştır. Bazı Süryani yazarlar kiliseden çevrildiğini söylerler. Yapı kiliseden çevrilmemiş olsa bile, yerinde eski bir kilisenin bulunması muhtemeldir.Yapı 12'nci yüzyıl Artuklu Dönemi mimarisinin temel özelliklerini yansıtır. Erken dönemde özellikle güneydoğuda meydana çıkan, mihrap önü kubbeli enine gelişen Mosque plan ve formunun çok önemli bir örneğidir. Yapının malzemesi düzgün kesme taştır. Grand Mosque’nin kubbesi dıştan yivleme tekniğiyle yapılmıştır. İlk olarak bu binada kullanılmış ve sonraları Mardin’de gelenek halini almıştır ki bazı geç dönem Artuklu yapılarında karakteristiktir. Mosquenin dikdörtgen avlusu kuzeyinde kalır. Avlunun güneyinde mihrap duvarına paralel, beşik tonozlu üç neften oluşan, mihrap duvarına yakın iki nefin kubbe ile kesildiği, enine gelişmiş, mihrap önü kubbeli bir şema görülür. Bu şema, aynı zamanda, çevredeki birçok yapı tarafından taklit edilmiş bir modeldir.

Taş Madrasa

Built in the late 15th century, the medrese today serves as a mescit (small mosque) and storage area. Next to to Grand Mosque, Taş Medrese was originally designed as a külliye (consisting of a madrasah, a mescit and a türbe (mausoleum)). While the medrese has undergone various repairs, it preserves its original texture. It functioned as a madrasah until the 1920s and was restored in 1991 and 1992.

Museum of Ice Cream

The Katip Han, a historic inn next to the Grand Mosque, now serves as the Museum of Ice cream. Each floor of the museum is designed as a separate presentation area; the preparation stages for the famous Maraş ice cream are also featured.

Historical Bazaars of Maraş

With numerous bazaars – including the Kapalı Çarşı, Saraçhane, Bakırcılar, Semerciler, Mazmanlar, Kazzazlar and Demirciler bazaars – Kahramanmaraş is a among the centres of Türkiye where visitors can see traditional handicrafts. The bazaars feature many shops featuring traditional handicrafts such as brocade, copper and brass, handcrafted shoes, felt items, pots and pans, knives, carved wood, saddles and other riding accessories, and jewellery. In the bazaars, visitors can also see the workshops where these crafts are made. The foundation of these historic bazaars dates from the time of Beylik of Dulkadir and they retain their economic vitality.

Independence Museum of Kahramanmaraş

Set in the Culturepark (Kültürpark), the museum depicts the city’s role in the national struggle.

Seven Beautiful Men Literature Museum

Set in the Gazipaşa Quarter of the Dulkadiroğlu District, the historic high school of Maraş was built in the 1850s and housed various educational establishments for nearly 80 years. The ‘Seven Beautiful Men’ name is taken from Maraş author Cahit Zarifoğlu's second book of poems, “Yedi Güzel Adam (Seven Beautiful Men)” and the works of various Turkish poets and philosophers, some of whose paths had crossed in the school in the 1950s are displayed. Along with their writings, their memories are cherished in this museum, opened in 2019.

Abdülhamid Han Mosque

One of the largest mosques in Türkiye, it has a capacity of 10,000 worshippers. Situated on Mercimek Hill, the mosque’s construction was completed in 2011 and it was opened for worship. It can be seen from almost every location in the city.

Malik Bin Ejder Tomb

Set 6 km south of the city centre on a hill overlooking Kumaşır Lake, the structure is believed to have been built in 1201. It consists of a central plaza, a small mosque and part of the tomb. The inclusive small mosque and tomb (türbe), were renovated, as was the landscaping, and it was opened for visitors.