Sanliurfa
We left Kahta and headed for Sanliurfa and as the road in had been damaged in bad weather and was not very good we took another route which involved us taking a small ferry across the Attaturk Dam, where the last passenger was a cow and calf which were tied to the rail at the front. It cost 20TL for the 20-minute trip. We then took a rather rough road south to Sanliurfa which is famous in the Bible as the birthplace of Abraham (even bigger in Islam than in Christianity) and where Job exercised his patience.
The Citadel
The Citadel (Hellenistic, Byzantine, Crusader or Turk – nobody seems sure) at the top of the ridge was shut (it was Monday after all) so we strolled through the Golbasi buildings and gardens which commemorate the miracle Abraham’s escape from Assyrian nastiness (involving the carp shown below in a feeding frenzy), and wandered aimlessly in the big bazaar which was very interesting and completely hassle free.
sacred carp in Dergah complex
You are truly in the Middle East here – there are ladies in proper Arab gear and fellers dressed like Yasser Arafat or Ayatollah Khomenei. There are even tour buses from Syria – just down the road – full of ladies in black, coming to visit Abraham’s birthplace.
The area below the citadel has mosques gardens rose gardens and carp filled pools. It is cool shady and a very peaceful place to stop.
The area below the citadel has mosques gardens rose gardens and carp filled pools. It is cool shady and a very peaceful place to stop.
Abraham's birthplace
Chucking out time at the mosque
We overnighted in a large carpark opposite to the Hotel El-Ruha (4TL) which was very convenient for the Golbasi and Dergah areas as well as the citadel. Sanliurfa is very nice indeed and worth a visit, if you did not fancy overnighting in the carpark then an early start and a full day in town should allow you to cover everything.
Other travellers we met did not manage to find anywhere to park in Sanliurfa so perhaps we were lucky in finding the carpark. We followed the signs and then when we got stuck we followed the big coaches. Before you set off learn the Turkish names for the landmarks and follow them and you should have no problem finding the car park, alternatively there may be signs for the hotel opposite.
Other travellers we met did not manage to find anywhere to park in Sanliurfa so perhaps we were lucky in finding the carpark. We followed the signs and then when we got stuck we followed the big coaches. Before you set off learn the Turkish names for the landmarks and follow them and you should have no problem finding the car park, alternatively there may be signs for the hotel opposite.
view over Sanliurfa
Click here to go to Harran's beehive houses and visit a bit of history from Genesis
