Tobacco, which has a significant place among the industrial plants, is sown in Adiyaman, Siirt and Diyarbakir and a valuable type of tobacco called "the Oriental Type" is grown in these provinces. In the Gaziantep region, olives and pistachio nuts are also among the most important products, along with grapes. Pistachio nuts are also grown in the Adiyaman and Siirt regions.The large pistachio nuts of Siirt are particularly delicious.

The most important underground resource in the region is petroleum. A portion of the crude oil produced in the environs of Raman, Garzan and Kahta, is refined at the Batman Refinery, which is one of the most important industrial establishments in the region. Another portion of the crude oil is transported by pipeline to the filling facilities in the Mediter- ranean Region and then to the other regions by tankers.

The most important industrial city in the Southeastern Anatolia Region is Gaziantep. The textile, machinery and food industries are fairly developed here. Industrial branches such as the cement, food, metal goods, agricultural equipment and similar industries are found in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Sanliurfa where the industries are developing.

Gaziantep
Gaziantep Province, founded on rather fertile lands with a moderate climate, is the most important industrial and cultural center of the GAP region, besides its agricultural wealth. In the city there are architectural works that are the product of a rich history. The past and the present are living side by side in Gaziantep, with its Citadel which is still standing today, the inn and the streets surrounded by historical houses. The Monument of Martyrs, erected for the martyrs who fought against the French occupation during the War of Independence and earned the title of "Gazi" (war veteran) for the city is worth seeing. The Kendirli Church at the center of the city, is a Catholic Church constructed during the French occupation 84 years ago.

Kargamis, located at the junction of the Turco-Syrian border and the Euphrates River, is an important historical center that was the capital city of the Late Hittites. The majority of the findings in the city are exhibited at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. Another important Hittite city, which is worth seeing is, Yesemek, near Islahiye. The city which was used as an open air sculpture atelier between 1200 and 800 B.C., is at the same time one of the oldest stone quarries in Anatolia. Today there are 200 Hittite statues at the site.

The Rum Citadel, in which it is believed the first New Testament was kept in the past, is located on the steep rocks where the Euphrates River and the Merziman Stream merge, has a special importance for Christians. A very deep cistern at the center of the Citadel opens into the Euphrates River. The Belkis (Zeugma), which is 10 km from Nizip County, was an important city of the Romans in the past. The city, which is famous for its floor mosaics, especially in the Roman buildings in that period, is worth seeing.

"Donion's Wedding Scene" at the Gaziantep Mosaic Museum.