Sakçagöz

In the vicinity of Sakçagöz, a township about 50km/30mi west of Gaziantep, there are five old settlement mounds, the smallest of which has already yielded the remains of a palace with an ante-room and defensive wall, as well as portal lions, sphinxes and stone blocks carved with reliefs (eighth century B.C.; now in Ankara). In all, twelve levels of occupation were identified, from the Stone Age to the first century. Excavation of Karahüyük, about 5km/3mi to the northeast near the village of Gedikli, has revealed a flourishing Early Bronze Age trading settlement with a wealth of finds dating back to the Chalcolithic period.