The Southeastern Anatolia (GAP) Corporate Gastronomy Trip is a 4-day, 3-night programme that links the region's three culinary centres, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Mardin, in a single route. It starts at Gaziantep Airport, and transfers between cities are made by private vehicle. Corporate teams of 15-100 experience the cuisine first-hand, from rolling out baklava pastry to cooking regional dishes, and the route creates a strong shared memory for incentive trips and dealer meetings.

What is in the programme?

On the first day in Gaziantep the group explores the coppersmiths' quarter and the spice bazaar, visits a facility where Antep pistachios are processed and shares a group dinner in the evening. On the morning of the second day, at a baklava workshop, the team learns from master bakers how to roll paper-thin pastry and balance the syrup. This is followed by a visit to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, which displays mosaics recovered from the Roman-era ancient city of Zeugma, before the transfer to Şanlıurfa. Gaziantep's place in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a city of gastronomy gives the day particular meaning.

The third day begins at Göbeklitepe, dated to the Neolithic period in the 10th millennium BC and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List; the group then walks around Balıklıgöl and the historic bazaar and works with regional produce such as isot pepper in a local cuisine workshop. The evening follows the format of Şanlıurfa's traditional sıra gecesi. On the fourth day a city walk among Mardin's stone architecture, a Syriac cuisine tasting session and a monastery visit are followed by the return journey.

Highlights

• Two hands-on workshops, baklava and regional cuisine, run with the team split into groups.
• Food meets the layers of history at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum and Göbeklitepe.
• Three cities and three distinct culinary cultures: Antep, Urfa and Syriac cuisine.
• Museum and archaeological site entry, guiding and intercity transfers included.

Who Is It For?

It suits organisations of 15-100 people running an incentive trip, a dealer meeting or an executive team programme. Groups of up to 40 travel with one vehicle and one guide; for larger groups the workshops are divided into parallel stations. The physical effort is moderate: the bazaar walks, the Göbeklitepe site and Mardin's steep, stepped streets require regular walking.

Planning Notes

• Summers in the region are very hot; spring and autumn are the best seasons.
• Flights to and from Gaziantep are not included in the package but can be added separately.
• Comfortable, non-slip shoes are recommended for the old town streets of Mardin.
• Meals outside the programme and the single room supplement are covered by the participant or the organisation.