Gaziantep previously and still informally called Aintab is the capital of Gaziantep Province, in the westernmost part of Turkey’s Southeastern Anatolia Region, some 185 kilometres (115 mi) east of Adana and 97 kilometres (60 mi) north of Aleppo, Syria. The city has two urban districts under its administration, Şahinbey and Şehitkamil. It is the sixth-most populous city in Turkey.

The province of Gaziantep is one of the 81 provinces in which Turkey is divided, administered by a governor appointed by the central government.

Gaziantep is a province located in the south central region of Turkey, and is also the name of the capital of the province and its most populous city (853,513 in 2000).

The province is divided into 9 distrcits: 

• Araban
• İslahiye
• Karkamış
• Nizip
• Nurdağı
• Oğuzeli
• Şahinbey
• Şehitkamil
• Yavuzeli

Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialities: Copperware and “Yemeni” sandals, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economic center for Southeastern and Eastern Turkey. The number of large industrial businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of Turkish industry in general, while small industries comprise six percent. Also, Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position in exports and imports.[24] The city is centre of the Green olive oil-based Nizip Soap industry.

Traditionally, commerce in Gaziantep was centre in covered markets known as ‘Bedesten’ or ‘Hans’, the best known of which are the Zincirli Bedesten, Hüseyin Pasha Bedesten and Kemikli Bedesten.

Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist-friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many students studying the English language are willing to be guides for tourists.

Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately US$700 million of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.

With its extensive olive groves, vineyards, and pistachio orchards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.Gaziantep is the center of pistachio cultivation in Turkey, producing 60,000 metric tons (59,000 long tons; 66,000 short tons) in 2007, and lends its name to the Turkish word for pistachio.