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Sanliurfa, Türkiye
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Golden carp with black spots swim in a turquoise pool under the shadow of a centuries-old castle in Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey. According to tradition, it is believed to have been created sometime in the 3rd millennium B.C., after the Mesopotamian king Nemrut bin Kenan threw the prophet Ibrahim into a fire burning on the plains below.
Opposing idolatry and declaring that there was only one God, Ibrahim (Abraham, as he was known to Jews and Christians), was troubling to Nemrut. Ibrahim had to go because Nemrut believed himself to be God. Two Roman columns visible above the plain mark its location.
Forty miles north of the Syrian border, Sanliurfa was once part of Upper Mesopotamia and home to dozens of civilizations, each leaving its mark.
A confederation of Aramaean tribes called it Urhai, while the Seleucids (ruled from 312 BC to 64 BC) used the name Edessa. After its conquest by the Arabians in the 7th century AD, it became Roja. The Ottoman Empire, who conquered the city in the 16th century, renamed it Urfa in 1607.
In 1984, the Turkish word Şanlu, meaning “glory”, was added. “It’s in honor of the city’s resistance during the Turkish War of Independence,” said tour guide Murat Tanlutanur. Local residents were fighting the British and French forces that occupied the city after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
Urfa is known as the city of the prophets. It is worshiped in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and is associated with figures such as Ibrahim, Job, Jethro, and Noah.
Muslim pilgrims head to the Old City’s Dergah Mosque complex, shaded by mature trees and surrounded by a carpet of velvety grass dotted with rose bushes.
At its heart is Balikurgöl (“Fish Lake”), which is actually two ponds filled with hundreds of black-spotted carp. The larger Khalil ur-Rahman marks the place where Nemrut, or Nimrod, is said to have tried to kill Ibrahim. The story goes that God intervened and turned fire into water and logs into fish. The black spots on the scales are said to be ash from a fire. The smaller pool, Einzeriha, is named after Nemrut’s daughter Zeliha, a follower of Ibrahim who threw herself into the fire and died.
“I’m always moved when I visit Barkıkırgöl,” says Mehmet Kaya, a local farmer whose family has lived in Şanlıurfa for generations. “This is more than just a tourist destination. It is a sacred place connected to the stories of the Prophet Ibrahim. People come to pray, feed the sacred fish and feel the peaceful atmosphere. It reminds us of our deep spiritual roots and the stories we grew up hearing.”
Ibrahim is said to have landed unscathed at Balikrigel, but this was not his first close call with Nemrut. While still in his mother’s womb, Ibrahim’s life was threatened because Nemrut dreamed of losing his kingdom. The priests foretold that a child born that year would put an end to idolatry, and Nemrut ordered the death penalty for all newborns and children in the womb. Ibrahim survived, was born in a cave, and lived there until he was seven years old.
Today, dozens of hopeful petitioners are gathering at the entrance to Mevlid Khalil Magarasi, known in English as “Ibrahim’s Cave”, inside the Dergah Mosque complex. Mevlid Halil is translated as “Birth of Halil” and Halil means “friend of God”. Men and women enter through separate entrances.
Women in particular are drawn here by the hope of bearing children or drawing water from sacred springs believed to have healing powers. The air is crisp and slightly damp. As the women recite verses from the Quran and finger the beads, a gentle prayer echoes through the cave and the children remain silent.
Outside, families take selfies and don colorful traditional Sanliurfa costumes at the elegant stone arch-lined Khalil Urrahman Pool.
Sanliurfa’s history is older than the sacred texts. Göbeklitepe, 22 miles northeast of the Old City, is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic site dating from around 9,600 to 8,200 BC. It is currently undergoing active archaeological excavations and is believed to have been used for funerals.
“What’s even more surprising is that it was built by prehistoric people, when pottery and agriculture were not yet developed,” Tanritanur says. “This calls into question everything we thought we knew about the development of civilization. It suggests that religion and ritual may have arisen before, rather than after, the domestication of plants and animals.”
Excavations from 1996 to 2014 revealed its importance. The stone circles at Stonehenge look distinctly modern when compared to their origins in 2,500 BC.
Visitors can walk along a wooden path above part of the excavation site and admire the monolithic T-shaped pillars carved with animals. Information panels explain the layout and history, and a visitor center provides deeper context.
The Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum has more than 10,000 objects on display, including Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hittite artifacts. At 11,500 years old, Wolfaman is the oldest life-size statue in the world and stands alongside delicate figurines, silver ornaments, embroidered clothing and a handwritten Quran. A walk-through restoration of Göbeklitepe provides perspective on the scale and spiritual impact of the original site.
The Haleprivahçe Mosaic Museum, located in the museum’s garden, houses an extensive collection of mosaics from Roman villas unearthed during pipe-laying. The story of Achilles and Orpheus and the scene where the Amazon queen goes on a hunting trip are among the highlights. Across the road are tombs carved into the rock from the 3rd and 4th centuries, forming Kyzylkoyun Nekropol, once the main necropolis of Edessa. Many of the tombs have been left intact and reliefs can still be seen.
kebab and sweet tea
Sanliurfa is more than just history. “To really feel Urfa, you need to sit with the locals, have a leisurely cup of tea, and walk through the old streets,” says Kaya. “It’s not just a place to visit, it’s a place to feel.” The narrow alleys of Kapari Charsh’s covered bazaar are filled with shops selling clothing, household goods, dried fruits and nuts, Worli beads, copper pots, scarves, carpets, saddlebags and more.
“Arab, Kurdish and Turkish cultures are blended here, creating a unique atmosphere that can’t be found anywhere else,” says Tanritanur. Gümürk Khan, a caravanserai-like structure built in 1562, is filled with scarf-wearing men with weathered faces and grizzled beards every day. “Push scarves in lavender and purple checks are traditionally worn by men, especially among older generations, and have symbolic meanings related to tribal identity, social status, and even political affiliation.”
Backgammon dice rattle and sunflower seeds crack. The men sip their tea with sugar cubes in their mouths and smoke curls of hand-rolled cigarettes in the air. Some people drink Mila Kavesi, a bitter coffee made from Mila leaves.
In the evening, the aroma of minced beef and lamb fills the streets as kebabs sizzle on restaurant grills. The best urfa kebab uses meat minced with a knife and seasoned with oregano, cumin, and paprika. Patulkan kebab, or eggplant kebab, is also a specialty of the region.
“But kebabs are not the only food in Şanliurfa,” says Tanlutanur. Local specialties include tikkofte, a spicy raw bulgur dish, and rich desserts such as shuruk tatorsh, a layer of syrup-soaked crepe-like dough stuffed with walnuts and topped with pistachio slices. Personally, Kaya loves Chigufte. “It’s more than just food, it’s a social ritual. Making something by hand and sharing it with friends and neighbors brings people together.”
Food and social life are closely intertwined in Turkey, and Kaya calls hospitality “a big part of Urfa culture.”
“We don’t let our guests leave without eating,” he says. “Our traditions remain strong and we keep our customs alive, from music to dance to the way we celebrate life’s events. Compared to other parts of Turkey, we may be a little more traditional and family-oriented.”
Some men and women still socialize separately. The town’s culinary museum, Mutfak Mzesi, is housed in former private houses around a traditional Hayat courtyard, recreating traditional family life with eerily lifelike mannequins.
Sıra gecesi — “a night of gathering” — is a night when Urfa’s young and old gather to eat, read poetry, and listen to live music. These events are used to pass on traditions, inculcate etiquette, and strengthen community bonds across generations, by celebrating joyful occasions such as weddings, and communal nights of mourning when someone dies.
They are also meant to be enjoyed. Attendees play games, chat, and party Urfa-style until late into the night. Traditionally, it was attended only by men and was held in private homes. Nowadays, both men and women can participate, and they are often held in cafes. Regardless of who attends Sila Gesesi, “this is not a tourist show,” Tanritanur enthuses. “It’s the pulse of the culture.”
Urfa’s main mosque, Ur Cami’i, was built in the late 12th century AD and was modeled after the Grand Mosque in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Men are often seen lying on the carpet here, but they are not always prostrate in prayer. Instead, they often head inside to escape the heat, take a nap, or chat with friends. In many ways, it symbolizes what makes Sanliurfa unique.
“It’s like a living museum,” Tanritanur says. “One moment you may be in a bustling bazaar, and ten minutes later you may be standing in front of a site that will rewrite human history. Whether it’s the ancient stones of Göbeklitepe, the call to prayer echoing from an old mosque, or the warm welcome of the people, there is something mystical about this place. This is a place where past and present truly live side by side.”
