ÞANLIURFA
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...
