Gaziantep Highlands

İslahiye Hızır Highland (Huzur Highland)

Transportation: In order to get there, you need to turn south on the İslahiye -Hatay highway at the Nurdağı junction, which is located on the Gaziantep-Adana highway. And then turn west when you come to the town of Altmüzüm and then take the road leading to the villages of Kerküt - Hasanlök - Tandır and the ruins at Cıncıklı (an old monastery). After passing through the vineyards and gardens of Tandır Village, you will continue following this steep winding gravel road lined with pines and small shrubs until you reach the Huzur Highlands (20 km.)

Description: The pass at Burunsuz is surrounded by Tahtalı, Hamo and Havşu peaks, at the foot of which lies the broad mountain plateau. The Huzur highland is made up of a number of spring-fed mountain meadows surrounded with pine, cedar, fir, sycamore, alder and different varieties of juniper trees.

People from the nearby villages, who come to take care of their apple, pear, cherry and sour cherry trees as well as to grow strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers during the summer months bring life and vitality to the highlands as they make use of their small garden plots and raise their cattle. The small creeks and springs fed by the melting snows and ice-cold underground rivers and the mountain meadows covered with snowdrops, narcissus, mullein, daisy, wild cyclamen, tulips and other flowers make this a highland well-worth seeing.

Accommodations - Food and Drink: The local people take advantage of their simple highland houses by offering them to visitors. Those who would like to camp must bring their own tent and other basic supplies.

Little Sof Highland (Gerdek Springs ):

Transportation: Take the Gaziantep-Adana highway out 21 kilometers and turn off at the road to Dımışıklı Village. Take this gravel road for another 10 kilometers and then take the turn off for the Little Sof Highland (Küçük Sof Highland), which is another 2.5 km.
 
Description: The north and northeast section of this otherwise completely rocky untillable highland are farm fields.

Accommodations - Food and Drink: There are no facilities there. Visitors will have to come with their own vehicle and bring any basic supplies with them.

Sof Highland:

Transportation: In order to get there yo need to turn left at the village of Dımışıklı and go another further 3 km. to the village of Sof Alıcı. Take the gravel road north to the highland (2 km.)

Description: The highland, with an elevation of 1400 m. is surrounded with rocky hills and resembles a large a earthenware bowl. The level areas of this mountain plateau are used for fruit orchards. Because they are so rocky, about the only vegetation the hills can support are a few scrub trees. The water which comes out of the southeastern slopes disappears underground in the foothills to the northwest. The cucumbers, apples, grapes and other farm products grown in the clean healthy air of these highlands do not begin to ripen until the end of summer because of the high elevation and for this reason are extremely delicious.

Accommodations - Food and Drink: People who come from Gaziantep and the surrounding villages stay in the simple highland houses. Visitors will have to come with their own vehicle and bring any basic supplies with them.