Gaziantep Province

Gaziantep Province (Turkish: Gaziantep ili) is a province in south-central Turkey. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep, which had a population of 1,931,836 in 2015. Its neighbours are Adıyaman to the north, Şanlıurfa to the east, Syria and Kilis to the south, Hatay to the southwest, Osmaniye to the west and Kahramanmaraş to the northwest.

Gaziantep Province Gaziantep ili
Province of Turkey
Location of Gaziantep Province in Turkey
Country	Turkey
Region	Southeast Anatolia
Subregion	Gaziantep
Government
• Electoral district	Gaziantep
• Governor	Davut Gül[1]
Area
• Total	7,194 km2 (2,778 sq mi)
Population  (2018)[2]
• Total	2,028,563
• Density	280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Area code(s)	0342
Vehicle registration	27
Website	http://www.gaziantep.gov.tr

Landscape of the province of Gaziantep

An important trading center since ancient times, the province is also one of Turkey's major manufacturing zones, and its agriculture is dominated by the growing of pistachio nuts.

In ancient times, first under the power of Yamhad, then the Hittites and later the Assyrians controlled the region. It saw much fighting during the Crusades, and Saladin won a key battle there in 1183. After World War I and the Ottoman Empire's disintegration, it was invaded by the forces of the French Third Republic during the Turkish War of Independence. It was returned to Turkish control after the Treaty of Lausanne was signed, formally ending hostilities between Turkey and the Allies of World War I.

Originally known as Antep, the title gazi (meaning veteran in Turkish) was added to the province's and the provincial capital's name in 1921, due to its population's actions during the Turkish War of Independence.

Kilis Province was part of Gaziantep Province until it separated in 1994. Turks are the majority in the province.[3]