Sacred carp pools and the traditions of Abraham, one of Türkiye's finest archaeology museums, the beehive houses of Harran — and the base for Göbekli Tepe.
Last reviewed on 27 September 2026.
Şanlıurfa — almost always shortened to Urfa — is a large, busy city on the northern edge of the Harran plain in southeastern Türkiye, some way north of the Syrian border. It is one of the most important pilgrimage cities in the country, because Islamic tradition identifies it as the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham (İbrahim), and the pools and mosques associated with him are the heart of the old town. It is also, increasingly, an archaeological destination: the city museum holds some of the most extraordinary prehistoric finds in the world, and Göbekli Tepe and the other "Taş Tepeler" (Stone Hills) sites lie within easy reach. The "Şanlı" ("glorious") prefix was added by parliament in 1984 in recognition of the city's resistance during the War of Independence; locals and road signs use both names.
Under its ancient name, Edessa, the city was the capital of the kingdom of Osroene, ruled by the Abgarid dynasty in the centuries around the start of the Christian era. It became one of the earliest centres of Christianity and of Syriac literature. A famous legend held that King Abgar corresponded with Jesus and received an image of his face on cloth — the Mandylion, or Image of Edessa — which was later carried to Constantinople. Edessa sat on the contested frontier between Rome and Persia and later between Byzantium and the caliphates. In 1098 it became the first of the Crusader states, the County of Edessa, and its capture by Zengi in 1144 prompted the Second Crusade. It passed through Ayyubid, Mongol, Mamluk and Turkmen hands before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Today the population is predominantly Turkish, Kurdish and Arab, and all three languages may be heard in the bazaar.
The story told in Urfa is that the tyrant Nimrod had Abraham catapulted from the hill above the city into a great fire for rejecting idols, and that God turned the fire into water and the burning logs into fish. The result is Balıklıgöl, the "fish lake" — a long rectangular pool filled with carp considered sacred. Feeding them (fish food is sold at stalls) is a ritual for pilgrims and families; catching or harming them is taboo, and there is a long-standing belief that anyone who eats one will go blind. A second pool, Ayn Zeliha, lies beside it, named after Zeliha, whose tears for Abraham are said to have formed it.
Around the pools stands a cluster of mosques and madrasas, including the Halil-ür Rahman Mosque with its square minaret, generally dated to the early 13th century and built over earlier foundations, and the Ottoman Rızvaniye Mosque and madrasa, whose long arcaded front lines the northern side of the main pool. Nearby, the Mevlid-i Halil cave is venerated as the place where Abraham was born and hidden from Nimrod; there are separate entrances for men and women, and queues form on Fridays and religious holidays.
Above the pools rises the citadel, reached by stairs or a tunnel-like path cut into the rock. Its most famous feature is a pair of tall Corinthian columns, which tradition calls the "throne of Nimrod" and the catapult posts from which Abraham was thrown; one of them bears a Syriac inscription. The walls are largely medieval. Climb it late in the day for views over the pools, the old town and the plain.
Allow at least half a day for the museum complex a short walk west of Balıklıgöl. It is one of the best reasons to come to Urfa, and seeing it before Göbekli Tepe makes the site itself far more comprehensible.
Opened in its present building in 2015, the Archaeology Museum is among the largest museums in Türkiye. Its core is the Neolithic of upper Mesopotamia — the period, around 11,000 to 9,000 years ago, when people in this region were building monumental enclosures and beginning to settle and farm. Highlights include a full-scale reconstruction of one of the Göbekli Tepe enclosures, carved pillars and sculpture from Göbekli Tepe, Nevalı Çori and other Taş Tepeler sites, and the Urfa Man (Balıklıgöl statue), a life-size limestone figure found in the city in the 1990s and dated to around 11,000 years ago, often described as one of the oldest known life-size human statues. Later galleries cover the Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, including material rescued from sites flooded by the Euphrates dams.
Next door, a large modern shelter protects the floor mosaics of Roman-era villas discovered in the 2000s when the area was being prepared as a park. The finest is the Amazon Queens mosaic, showing named Amazon warriors hunting, and there are hunting scenes and other figured panels from the late Roman period. Walkways let you look down on the mosaics in situ, which makes this one of the most atmospheric mosaic displays in the country and a good complement to the Zeugma collection in Gaziantep.
Between Balıklıgöl and the city centre lies the old covered bazaar, a warren of trades that still serves local shoppers: copper, felt, saddlery, spices and the dried red isot pepper by the sackful. The Gümrük Han, an Ottoman caravanserai, has a courtyard full of tea tables and is the classic place to sit with a glass of tea and watch the bazaar go by. Look also for the Kazaz (silk) bazaar and the stone mansions of the old town, several of which have been converted into restaurants with courtyards.
Harran, roughly an hour's drive south-east across the plain, is one of the oldest continuously recorded cities in the region. Ancient Carrhae, it was known in antiquity for its temple of the moon god Sin, and it is where the Roman general Crassus was defeated and killed by the Parthians in 53 BC. The Hebrew Bible associates Harran with Abraham's family on their journey from Ur. In the 8th century it was briefly the capital of the last Umayyad caliph, Marwan II, and it later became a notable centre of learning.
What most visitors come to see are the beehive houses (kümbet evler): clusters of conical mud-brick domes, a building form well suited to the heat because the high domes keep interiors cooler and use no timber. A few are kept as small museums or cafés where you can see inside. Nearby are the ruins of the Harran Great Mosque, with its tall square minaret, and the city walls and citadel. In summer, go early: the plain is shadeless, and midday temperatures are punishing.
The Harran plain itself looks very different from how it did a generation ago. Irrigation water from the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), via the Atatürk Dam on the Euphrates and tunnels to the plain, has turned much of it into cotton and grain fields.
Göbekli Tepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018, is roughly a 20-minute drive north-east of the city centre. Its T-shaped carved pillars, set in circular enclosures some 11,000 or more years ago, have changed how archaeologists think about the origins of monumental building and settled life. A visitor centre and protective roof now cover the main excavated area; see our Göbekli Tepe guide for what to expect and how to plan the visit.
Karahan Tepe lies further east in the Tektek hills, roughly an hour or so from the city. It is part of the same Neolithic landscape — the "Taş Tepeler" project groups a dozen or so related sites — and is known for a rock-cut chamber with pillars and carved human heads emerging from the bedrock. Visitor facilities have been developing in recent years; check whether it is open and how access works before driving out. With a car or a driver, Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe and Harran can be combined over a long day, but the museum is best kept for a separate morning.
Urfa's cooking is built around the isot pepper — a dark, almost purple-black flake with a smoky, slightly sweet heat that comes from being sun-dried by day and wrapped at night to "sweat", a process repeated until the peppers darken. It goes into almost everything and is a good thing to take home. Other dishes to try:
The sıra gecesi ("turn night") is an Urfa institution: a gathering, traditionally of men, held in turn at members' homes, with conversation, music, poetry and çiğ köfte kneaded on the spot. Several of the courtyard restaurants in old mansions now host staged versions for visitors, with a set meal and live regional music. They are a convivial evening out rather than an authentic private sıra, and quality varies, so ask your hotel which are currently well regarded.
Şanlıurfa is one of the hottest cities in Türkiye. In July and August daytime temperatures regularly climb past 40°C, nights stay warm, and outdoor sites such as Göbekli Tepe, Harran and the citadel are hard going after mid-morning. If summer is your only option, sightsee at dawn and in the evening, and spend the middle of the day in the museum or indoors. Spring (March to May) and autumn (late September to November) are far more comfortable, and spring brings green fields to the plain. Winters are mild to cool with some rain. Religious holidays bring large numbers of pilgrims to Balıklıgöl; see public holidays and festivals.
Şanlıurfa's GAP Airport lies well outside the city to the north-east and has domestic flights, chiefly to Istanbul and Ankara; airport shuttle buses and taxis connect to the centre. Long-distance buses link the city to Gaziantep (a couple of hours west), Mardin and Diyarbakır, as well as to the rest of the country. There is no passenger rail service. In the city, Balıklıgöl, the bazaar and the museums are all within walking distance of each other. For Göbekli Tepe there are public and shuttle bus options from the city, but for Harran, Karahan Tepe and Halfeti — the partly submerged Euphrates town known for its "black rose" — a hired car, a taxi for the day or a tour is far more practical. See driving in Türkiye and getting around.
Şanlıurfa province borders Syria. The city and main sites are visited by many domestic and foreign tourists, but check your own government's current travel advice, particularly for areas close to the border.
Islamic tradition, followed widely in the region, identifies Urfa as the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham (İbrahim). The Mevlid-i Halil cave is venerated as his birthplace, and Balıklıgöl is said to be where God turned the fire Nimrod had him thrown into into water and the logs into fish. Other traditions place Abraham's birthplace elsewhere, including Ur in southern Iraq.
They are the same city. Urfa is the traditional name, and the prefix Şanlı, meaning glorious, was added officially in 1984 in recognition of the city's role in the War of Independence. Both names are used in everyday speech and on signs across Turkey.
Göbekli Tepe is roughly a 20-minute drive north-east of the city centre, and there are bus and shuttle options as well as taxis and tours. Karahan Tepe is further east, roughly an hour or so away, and Harran about an hour to the south-east.
Spring, roughly March to May, and autumn, from late September to November, are the most comfortable seasons. In July and August daytime temperatures regularly exceed 40°C, so outdoor sightseeing should be limited to early morning and evening.
They are conical mud-brick houses, called kümbet evler in Turkish, built in clusters on the Harran plain. The tall domes help keep the interiors cooler and need no timber. A few are preserved as small museums or cafés that visitors can enter.
A staged sıra gecesi in one of Urfa's courtyard restaurants is an enjoyable evening of regional food and live music. It is a version of a private social tradition adapted for visitors, so quality varies; ask locally which venues are currently recommended.