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The Zeugma Mosaic Museum, home to the world-renowned "Gypsy Girl" mosaic and other treasured artifacts from antiquity, has reached its highest visitor numbers since opening in 2011, drawing 482,436 visitors from the start of the year through late October.
The museum, established by Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Ministry on 30,000 square meters of land along the historic Silk Road, has become one of the primary destinations for both domestic and international visitors to Gaziantep.
Museum Director Ozgur Comak said the 2025 figures have already surpassed the 2024 record of 466,000 annual visitors and predicted the museum will comfortably exceed 500,000 visitors by year's end.
"Since opening, we have now surpassed the 3.5 million visitor mark in total," Comak said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday.
"In 2024, we reached an all-time high of 466,000 visitors. We have matched our own record. By year's end, we will easily exceed the 500,000-visitor mark," he added.
The Zeugma Mosaic Museum set double records during peak periods. Over the Eid holiday, the museum received 23,654 visitors across three days, establishing a three-day visitation record.
On May 17, the museum recorded 8,167 daily visitors, marking the highest single-day visitor count.
The museum's collection features some of the most significant mosaics and artifacts recovered during rescue excavations along the banks of the Euphrates River, including pieces from villas dating to the Roman period.
"The Gypsy Girl" mosaic serves as the museum's centerpiece and primary draw for visitors, attracting art enthusiasts and historians from around the world.
The collection also includes the Mars statue, Roman fountains from antiquity, and unique mosaics discovered during archaeological rescue operations.
The museum was honored with the "Presidential Culture and Art Grand Award," recognizing its importance as a cultural institution and its role in preserving Türkiye's heritage.
Comak emphasized the museum's significant contribution to regional tourism and Gaziantep's broader identity as a cultural destination.
"Gaziantep is known as a gastronomy city, but it is also a culture and tourism city," Comak said, adding, "As a city of museums, Gaziantep conveys its identity, heritage, and past to visitors through its museums."
The museum attracts visitor groups from European and Asian countries, with a significant portion of visitors participating in Southeast Anatolia tour packages that stop at Zeugma as a must-see destination.
Tour guide Yasin Eyupoglu noted that interest in Southeast Anatolia tours during September, October and November has increased substantially this year, with Zeugma being one of the indispensable points on these tour itineraries.
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Ayse Parlak, a visitor from Tekirdag, said she and her group traveled to the region specifically for a Southeast Anatolia tour and were impressed by the Zeugma experience.
Another visitor, Huseyin Cabuk, who traveled to Gaziantep for sightseeing purposes, praised the museum's presentation and preservation of its collection.
"The Zeugma Mosaic Museum is a magnificent museum," Cabuk said.
"I have visited several museums in this region before, but I found this one particularly impressive because the mosaics are beautiful and very well preserved. I was curious to see the Gypsy Girl, and I was able to see it. We are very pleased to have come," Cabuk noted.
Comak noted that visitor numbers have shown consistent year-over-year growth except during pandemic and earthquake periods.
The museum demonstrated resilience following the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes that struck the region.
"During the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, visitor numbers declined. Our museum suffered no damage, but as a precautionary measure, we kept it closed for 74 days," Comak said.
"Despite this, we reached the 200,000-visitor mark that year. This was a very significant figure given the circumstances," he added.
"However, 2024 and 2025 show us that 2026 will welcome very heavy visitor traffic, building on this year's numbers," Comak continued.
"Every visitor who comes brings significant contributions to Gaziantep and our country in terms of culture and tourism. The high visitor numbers are naturally supported by important promotional efforts by our ministry," he concluded.
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