Kahramanmaras is another province of the Mediterranean waiting “to be discovered.” Though its cuisine resembles in some ways the cuisine of the surrounding regions, the peculiar and often subtle tastes of the Kahramanmaras cuisine with its specially made orchid drink (salep), its world famous ice-cream of goat and cows milk and its various peppers, along with its gilded silver, leather and copper works, which were famous throughout the Ottoman empire, are still alive and offer a unique experience to visitors.

In the 12th century B.C. Kahramanmaras (78 km north of Gaziantep) was the capital of the Hittite state of Gurgum. A massive citadel built in the 2nd century B.C. now houses the city museum with a good collection of Hittite sculptures. Other sites include the 15th century Ulu Mosque and the Tas Medrese. The city is famous throughout Turkey for its ice cream thickened with gum arabic and beaten with a wooden paddle.