Sights in Şanliurfa (Urfa)
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Gölbaşı
Legend had it that Abraham (İbrahim), a great Islamic prophet, was in old Urfa destroying pagan gods one day when Nimrod, the local Assyrian king, took offence at this rash behaviour. Nimrod had Abraham immolated on a funeral pyre, but God turned the fire into water and the burning coals into fish. Abraham himself was hurled into the air from the hill where the fortress stands, but landed safely in a bed of roses.
The picturesque Gölbaşı area of Urfa is a symbolic re-creation of this story. Two rectangular pools of water (Balıklı Göl and Ayn-i Zeliha) are filled with supposedly sacred carp, while the area west of the Hasan Padişah Camii is a gorgeous rose garden.…
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Dergah
Southeast of Gölbaşı is the Dergah complex of mosques and parks surrounding the colonnaded courtyard of the Hazreti İbrahim Halilullah, built and rebuilt over the centuries as a place of pilgrimage. Its western side is marked by the Mevlid-i Halil Camii, a large Ottoman-style mosque. At its southern side is the entrance to the cave where Abraham was reputedly born. He lived here in hiding for his first seven years – King Nimrod, responding to a prophecy he'd received in a dream, feared that a newborn would eventually steal his crown, so he had all babies killed. This is still a place of pilgrimage and prayer, with separate entrances for men and women.
To visit these…
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Prophet Job's Site
Although it's not the highlight of a trip, Prophet Job's Site is worth the bus ride for its historic significance. It's about 1km southeast of the Gölbaşı district. Legend holds that Eyyüp (Job) was a prosperous and devout man, thus despised by İblis (Satan). İblis took away Job's health, wealth and family, to force him into a crisis of faith. Instead, Job retreated to the cave (Eyyüp Peygamber Makamı) you see here, where he waited patiently in devotion to God.
After seven years, God restored his possessions and health, the latter by means of a freshwater spring that Job unleashed by thumping the ground with his heel. Pilgrims come here to wish for the patience of…
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Kale
Urfa's fortress on Damlacık hill, from which Abraham was supposedly tossed, has good views of the city, but unfortunately there's really not much to see at the actual site. We've also received reports of women travellers being hassled on the slopes behind the castle, so we recommend visiting only during daylight hours, and sticking to the busy areas.
Multiple conflicting histories claim the fortress was either (a) built in Hellenistic times, (b) built by the Byzantines, (c) built during the Crusades or (d) built by the Turks. On the top, most interesting are the pair of columns that local legend has dubbed the Throne of Nemrut after the supposed founder of Urfa, the…
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Güzel Sanatlar Galerisi
Delve into Urfa's back streets and you'll find examples of the city's distinctive limestone houses with protruding bays supported on stone corbels. Although many of these houses are falling into decay a few have been restored, most notably the house of Hacı Hafızlar, near the PTT, which has been turned into this art gallery.
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Şanlıurfa Museum
The museum's gardens contain various sculptures, as well as several mosaics near the entrance, the most interesting showing wild animals. Inside are Neolithic implements, Assyrian, Babylonian and Hittite relief stones, and other objects from Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman times.
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Selahattin Eyubi Camii
On Vali Fuat Caddesi, which leads up from behind Gölbaşı, is this enormous, beautifully restored mosque. It was once St John's church, as evidenced by the altar.
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Yeni Fırfırlı Camii
North of Selahattin Eyubi Camii and you'll notice the Yeni Fırfırlı Camii, a finely restored building, once the Armenian Church of the Twelve Apostles.
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Ulu Camii
Urfa's Syrian-style Ulu Cami dates from the period 1170-75. Its 13 eyvans (vaulted halls) open onto a spacious forecourt with a tall tower topped by a clock with Ottoman numerals.
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Şurkav
If you're keen to admire the local architecture, pop into the Şurkav, a local government building near the entrance to Hotel Edessa, where the courtyard is draped with greenery.
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İl Özel İdaresi Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi
North of the market area, in the neighbourhood called Beykapı Mahallesi (take 1001 Sokak), have a look for this splendid house, restored in 2002. It was once a church.
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Hüseyin Paşa Camii
At Kara Meydanı, the square midway between the belediye (town hall) and Dergah is the Hüseyin Paşa Camii, a late-Ottoman construction built in 1849.
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Narıncı Camii
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Mevlid-i Halil Camii
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İlköğretim Okulu
This stately building now houses a school.
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Hazreti İbrahim Halilullah
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Hasan Padişah Camii
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Halilur Rahman Camii
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Göbekli Tepe
Catapulted to international fame after a National Geographic cover story in June 2011, the fascinating archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe is a must-visit destination from Şanlıurfa. Around 11km northeast of central Urfa, 'Pot Belly Hill' was first unearthed in 1995, and its circular array of Neolithic megaliths is estimated to date back to 9500 BC, around 6500 years before Stonehenge. A carefully constructed wooden walkway circles the site, making it easy to study the centuries-old stone stone pillars with exquisitely stylised carvings of lions, foxes and vultures.
Previously the site was thought to be a medieval cemetery, but is now thought to be the world's first…
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Bedesten
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Arasa Hammamı
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Old Houses
Delve into Urfa's back streets to discover the city's distinctive limestone houses with protruding bays supported on stone corbels. Although many are falling into decay (and are too large for modern families), a few have been restored. Most notable is the house of Hacı Hafızlar, near the PTT. Now an art gallery, the Güzel Sanatlar Galerisi, its courtyards feature finely carved stonework.
The Şurkav, a local government building, has a courtyard is draped with greenery.
North of the market area, in the neighbourhood called Beykapı Mahallesi (take 1001 Sokak), try to find the İl Özel İdaresi Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi, another splendid house restored in 2002. It was…
reviewed
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Mosques
Urfa's Syrian-style Ulu Cami dates from the 1170–75 period. Its 13 eyvans (vaulted halls) open onto a spacious forecourt with a tall tower topped by a clock with Ottoman numerals.
At Kara Meydanı, the square midway between the belediye (town hall) and Dergah, is the Hüseyin Paşa Camii, a late-Ottoman work built in 1849.
On Vali Fuat Caddesi, which leads up from behind Gölbaşı to the Cevahir Konuk Evi guesthouse and restaurant, is the enormous, beautifully restored Selahattin Eyubi Camii. It was once St John's Church, evidenced by the altar. Further north is the restored Yeni Fırfırlı Camii, once the Armenian Church of the Twelve Apostles.
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Bazaar
Spreading east of the Narıncı Camii, Urfa's bazaar is a jumble of streets, some covered, some open, selling everything from sheepskins and pigeons to jeans and handmade shoes. It was largely built by Süleyman the Magnificent in the mid-16th century. Women should be on guard for lustful hands.
One of the most interesting areas is the bedesten, an ancient caravanserai where silk goods were sold. Today you'll still find silk scarves here, as well as gaudy modern carpets and the lovely blue and red scarves worn by local women. Right by the bedesten is the Gümrük Hanı, with a delightful courtyard that is always full of tea- or coffee-swilling moustached gents playing…
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