The history of Sanlıurfa can be traced back around 9000 years and the atmosphere is one of living history, where traditional life, culture and even clothing is more akin to the Middle East with Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic all being spoken. Sanliurfa (often referred to as Urfa) is also a place of pilgrimage for many religions, containing what is thought to be the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. According to Jewish and Muslim scriptures, he was summonsed by god whilst living there.
The traditional and religious conservatism, combined with the ancient historical monuments, has also given it the name City of the Prophets and has made Urfa a unique place to visit. Away from the city, the ancient village and genuine living museum Harran with its famous bee-hive type houses, has been continuously inhabited for more than 6000 years.
Districts: Şanlıurfa (center), Akçakale, Birecik, Bozova, Ceylanpınar, Halfeti, Harran, Hilvan, Siandrek, Suruç, Viranşehir.
- HOW TO GET?
By Road: Sanliurfa has an important highway route because of its location near Turkey’s southeastern borders with adjacent Arab countries, and it is also at the centre of GAP (the South-East Anatolia Project). From the main bus station to the west of the city centre, regular buses include Istanbul (24 hours), Malatya (7 hours), Erzurum (12 hours), Ankara (13 hours) and Diyarbakir (3 hours). There are also minibuses here.
Bus station tel: (0266) 865 2906.
By Rail: The nearest station is 50m south at Akcakale, just before the Syrian border and a few kilometres southwest of Harran.
By Air: The airport in Sanliurfa has direct flights to Ankara (daily) and Istanbul (2 weekly). There are service buses between the airport and the city.
Airport Tel: (0414) 247 02 78/247 03 43
- Museums and Ancient Cities
1- Şanlıurfa Museum
The museum contains a collection of items excavated from the sites of ancient Harran and Lidar, especially jewellery and pottery from the funerary tumuli on plains of the Euphrates. The gardens contain sculptures, and there are several mosaics depicting images of wild animals. There are artefacts from the Assyrian, Hittite and Babylonian periods, and remains from Kurban Hoyuk, an ancient settlement now submerged under the lake of Ataturk Dam. The ethnography section has intricate wooden doors from traditional Urfa houses, reliefs with Hittite inscriptions and statues from Christian churches. Museum Tel: (0414) 313 15 88 Opening hours: 08.30 – 12.00 & 13.30 – 17.30, closed Mondays.
2- Harran
The historical settlement of Harran, 44km south of Sanliurfa, was mentioned in the Old Testament as the place where Abraham lived before going to Canaan. Islamic historians connect the area to the grandson of the prophet Noah, and also Aaron (Harran) the brother of Abraham. Har-ra-na was mentioned in ancient inscriptions found in Kultepe and Mari dating back to 2000 BC, and also stone tablets found in northern Syria.
Traders used to stay in Harran, which gave the region close commercial relations with Anatolia, and for many centuries it was on the flourishing trade route between Mesopotamia and Anatolia which enabled a rich and diverse culture to infiltrate the area. The ancient town was also famous as an important centre of Mesopotamian idolatry, and its followers believed the sun, moon and planets to be holy which meant that the science of astronomy was well developed here.
The beehive houses of Harran were probably designed in the 3rd century BC, and the site is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited place in the world. Today, few people actually live in the huts and those that remain were built as recently as 200 years ago. The kale (fortress) stands on the eastern side of the hill, and was originally built during the Hittite period and restored by the Crusaders. Its eastern gate still shows the carvings of chained dogs. The 4km long wall, most of it crumbling, has 187 towers and the remains of a 10-sided tower, and plenty of ruins to explore.
3- Şuayb City
These historical ruins, now known as the village of Ozkent, are 88km east of Sanliurfa. It is thought that the remains of the city, built in a large area and surrounded with sturdy ramparts, dates back to the Roman period and there is a mosque on the site of the (supposed) home of the prophet Jethro. It is possible to explore the nearby caves.
3- Sogmatar
This simple village, 15km north of Suayb and 73km from Sanliurfa, is famous for its cave temple which was probably constructed during the 2nd century and used to worship the god of the moon, which was a deep-seated culture of Harran. The village, now in ruins, was the cultural centre of the god Marilaha and there was an open-air temple for praying and sacrificing animals. The temple walls contain Syriac writing and reliefs of human figures. On the rocks on the hill to the west of the castle, there are more figures of gods and ancient writings.
5- Nevali Çori
Antic settlement place named as Nevali Çori is in the borders of Kantara village depended to Hilvan county of Şanliurfa city. it take place near the Katara rivulet that is branch of Firat river and placed right side of river.
6- Kazane
The history of the Kazane settlement (Ugurcuk) can be traced back to 5000 BC. Excavations have unearthed the remains of houses and streets from this period, built on top of a small hill and above the water. Another discovery was an alphabet that translates the Sumerian to the Akad language.
7- Balikli Lake
The nearest thermal spring is at Balikli lake. (Aynzeliha and Halil - Ür Rahman lakes) those two lakes place south west of Urfa city center known as the fall place of prophet Abraham hem thrown in fires, is the most visitor charming places of Urfa with holy fishes and surrounding historical buildings.
When Prophet Abraham started to fight against tyrannical ruler of period Nemrut and idols that people pray and start to broadcast the ideology of Monotheism, thrown in to fire from the hill of today's castle by Nemrut. At this moment fire ordered as " O fire, be cold and safety for Abraham" by God. By this order fire transformed to water and wood transformed to fishes. Prophet Abraham fall in rose yard with in safe. The pla prophet Abraham fall is Halil - ür Rahman lake. According to rumor Zeliha the daughter of Nemrut whom believes Prophet Abraham jump in fire after him, the place she fall is transformed to Aynzeliha Lake. Fishes of the both lakes are accepted holy, don't eaten and protected from local people.
8- Urfa Mosques and Churches
Sanliurfa is one of the most important centres of religious tourism, with many places of worship to visit. The most famous ones are Ulu Mosque, Hasan Padisah Mosque, Halil-Ur Rahman Mosque, Hazreti Ibrahim’in Dogum Magarasi (Prophet Abraham’s Birth Cave), Mevlid-i Halil Mosque and Eyup Peygamber Makami (Prophet Job’s Site).
- Fountains, Bridges and Aqueducts
1- Firuz Bey Fountain
Fountain placed on the wall of Eyyübi theology school contiguous to east of Ulu Mosque is built by Firuz Bey in 1781. Only inscription dated to 1191 remained today from theology school. In the same place today seen one liwaned theology school, built on the place of Eyyübi's period theology school by Nakibzade Haci Ibrahim Efendi in 1781.
2- Karakoyun Rivulet
Karakoyun rivulets historical name was Deysan river. This rivulet spring from west of Urfa, by passing trough in side the city and combine with Cüllap river in Harran plain, today dried state. On the Karakoyun rivulet there are starting from west through east; Hizmali bridge, Millet bridge, Jünstinyen aqueduct, Samsat bridge (Eski (old) bridge), Haci Kamil bridge, Beg gate bridge (Kisas bridge) and Demir bridge can be found.
3- Karakoyun
Aqueduct it is between the Millet bridge and Samsat bridge. It is estimated that bridge built by Byzantine Empire Jünstinyen at the year of 525.
- Urfa Castle
It is on the Mount Damlacık south of Halil - ür Rahman and Ayn-i Zeliha lakes at south west site of the city. it is east, west and south sides surrounded with deep defense moat engraved in rocks, north side is consist of precipitous rocks.
- Hamams and Hans
There are eight hamams which date back to the Ottoman period: Cincikli, Vezir, Saban, Velibey, Eski Arasa, Serce and Sultan Hamami. Most are tucked away in the alleyways near the Kapali Carsi, and usually open to men in the morning and evenings, and women in the afternoons.
Urfa also contains some of the most beautiful examples of Ottoman hans, including Gumruk, Haci Kamil, Mencek, Topcu, Bican Aga, Millet and Barutcu Hans.
- Traditional Urfa Houses
Urfa houses generally consist of two sections named haremlik (people call harem) and "oda" (room) selamlık (area preserved for males). Some times these two sections separated with wall and have two separate entrance giving appearance of two separate houses, in some examples they show plans like first entered to selamlık with one main door than a second door connects to harem from selamlık.
1- Haci Hafizlar House
It is at Kara Meydan quarter. This house contiguous to south of post office, been two harem and selamlik sectioned, keeps most of the traditional Urfa ouse properties. This historical house built in 1888, restored by Culture Ministry and converted to government fine arts gallery.
2- Sakibin Mansion
This mansion built by Şair Sakip Efendi whom lived in between the 1796 - 1876 is placed in the Halepli Bahçe. Similar to Nedim Efendi Mansion it lies on large area with harem and selâmlik sections. It is restored by Şanli Urfa municipality in 1985.
3- Küçük Haci Mustafa Hacikamiloglu Mansion (city visitor house)
It is at Şanli Urfa city center, on Vali Fuat Caddesi (Büyükyol) the near of Balikligöl side, west of Selahattin Eyyubi Mosque. This historical Mansion built on the second half of 19th century (near the 1890 year). It has harem and selamlik sections. Famous Urfa stone used as construction material in mansion.
- Geography
The region has extremely hot and dry summers, with temperatures often reaching the mid-40s°C. The winters can be very wet, and the nights sometimes plummet to -12°C. This area has the lowest humidity level in the country, and the best time to visit for a comfortable climate spring and autumn.
- History
Şanlıurfa’s history can be traced back thousands of years. The first known settlers were the Hurrites who built a fortress on the hill, now occupied by the Citadel, in approximately 3500 BC. They were later followed by the Hittites and the Assyrians. Alexander the Great arrived and renamed the city Edessa, using it as an outpost for the Romans against the Persians, and it remained the capital of a Seleucid province until 132 BC. After that it became an independent kingdom, and then was taken over by the Romans and evolved as a significant centre of Christianity from the 2nd century AD, even having its own patriarch.
During the 6th century, the city was caught in the middle of the power struggle between the Romans and Persians, until a peace treaty was signed. It lasted only seven years, when the Arabs entered and ruled Edessa for the next three centuries, then the First Crusade established the county of Edessa, which lasted until the mid 12th century. It was then ruled by the Seljuk Turks and in the early 17th century was renamed Urfa when the Ottomans finally took over. The addition of San (great) to its name was as recent as the late 20th century.
- Where to Eat?
The traditional food of Şanlıurfa is very distinctive. The lahmacun, (hot, thin bread topped with spicy lamb) which is now popular throughout Turkey, originated here. Another speciality of the city is cig kofte (raw minced meat with cracked wheat), and Urfa kebap (spicy minced lamb on a skewer and served with tomatoes and hot peppers). The food in this area is spicy, and care should be taken when eating raw meat especially in the hot summers.
- What to Buy?
The vast area of bazaars in the city specialise in traditional crafts, and sells a wide range of goods including hand-woven handicrafts, hand-made leather saddles, carpets with distinctive zigzag designs.
