Must see attractions in Şanlıurfa

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Around 11km northeast of Urfa, 'Pot Belly Hill' was first excavated in 1994 by a team led by Professor Klaus Schmidt. Their discovery of a ritual complex…

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Şanlıurfa's spectacular archaeology museum is one of the best in Turkey. The region's cultural heritage is displayed across three levels covering a time…

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Dive into Urfa's bazaar alleys to find stalls selling everything from sheepskins and pigeons to jeans and handmade shoes. It was largely built by Süleyman…

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Legend claims that the Prophet Abraham (father of the three major monotheistic religions) was confronted by Nimrod, the local Assyrian king, while…

Southeast of Gölbaşı is the Dergah mosque complex, Urfa's major pilgrimage destination. From the gate, you enter the colonnaded courtyard in front of the…

This domed structure protects the excellent Haleplibahçe (Aleppo Gardens) mosaics, part of a Roman villa complex discovered in 2006 when construction…

This small cave in the southern side of the Dergah Complex is one of Turkey's most important pilgrimage sites. It's believed by many Muslims to be the…

Scoot off busy Divan Yolu Caddesi to explore the narrow alleyways of the Beykapı Mahallesi (neighbourhood) where many of the honey-hued and high-walled…

This Ottoman-style mosque commands the western section of the Dergah Complex. The prayer hall interior includes some beautiful calligraphy and arabesque…

Tucked inside the bazaar district, the vaulted-ceiling bedesten is home to shops selling scarves and silk products.

This mosque and medrese (seminary) complex, dating to 1736, sits along the northern edge of Balıklı Göl.

Urfa's fortress on Damlacık hill, from which Abraham was supposedly tossed, has good city views, but there's not much to see at the actual site. On the…

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…

According to local lore, this mosque, dating to the 13th century, is built upon the spot where Abraham fell safely back to ground after God saved him from…

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…

To admire some typical local architecture, pop into the Şurkav, a local government building near the entrance to Hotel Edessa, where the courtyard is…

The eastern entrance to the Gölbaşı area is marked by this mosque, which was built in the 15th century.

This finely restored mosque was once the Armenian Church of the Twelve Apostles.

This late-Ottoman mosque was built in 1849.

Urfa's backstreets have many distinctive limestone houses with protruding bays supported on stone corbels. This is one of the best restored examples of…