Sanliurfa Ili Things to Do

The Sacred Fish

by June.b

The center of attraction to the Balikli Gol area are the thousands of fish that swims around the pool waters. Legend has it that when you catch the fish or eat it --- you'll go blind. I wonder though if it's really edible - they are Carps. Trivia: there are 5 specie of fish as follows: Leuciscus cephalus orientalis, Capoeta capoeta umbla, Alburnus caeruleus, Garra rufa obtusa and Carasobarbus luteus.Whenever you feed the fish, they move fast in your direction wrestling and jumping at each other, opening their mouths like hunger-striken. They may have become very aggresive from the so many visitors who buy the one lira fish feed from vendors around the lake. Even my friend who traveled with me said that there was a belief that when you feed the fish you can make a wish and it may come true. hmmmmm... whatev. I juz made his wish of feeding the fish came true by bringing him there.

Hazreti Ibrahim Halilullah Dergahi

by June.b

Dergah is a prayer place and the square in front of the cave which is said to be the birthplace of Abraham is where pilgrims and religious people congregate. The Mevlid I Halil Mosque is on the other end of the courtyard. There's a small water pond right in the mid of the courtyard where kids playing.

Mosque inside the Cave of Abraham

by June.b

At the entrance of the Cave of Abraham just on the right side of the ticket window is a small mosque where some people offer their prayers after entering the cave and fetching water at the sacred well which btw is conveniently fixed with a faucet.

Ayn Zeliha Gölü

by June.b

Just few walks from the Balikligol is another small lake or pool with wooden bridge is called Ayn Zeliha Golu – named after a follower of Abraham. This is actually our second walking stop after the cave of Abraham. The small lake has lots of the same fish from the Balikligol, as I've noticed there is a canal that connects the two pools. There are tables and chairs and youth staff serving tea, soda and sandwiches that surrounds this small lake. We sat for half an hour just watching the water, the fish and the water fountain in the middle, plus there’s a view of the two columns on top of the mountain. It's refreshing just to relax under the cool shades and the several trees around.You can also rent a boat to paddle you around the lake.

Balikligöl

by June.b

A funny story. My friend and I don’t know where to find this sacred pool and we were walking along the main road very early in the morning, we stopped by a bus ticket office to ask for directions of the sacred pool and the legendary birthplace of Prophet Abraham. Silly me I didn’t make any research of the names of the places - in local vernacular - before going to Sanliurfa. So there we were, my friend is talking to this man in English -- where the fish pool is. The guy at the transport office apparently doesn’t speak any English, so we tried clasping our hands together doing the fish swim sign. Still the guy did not get it, so he said something in Turkish and even wrote it down on a paper which of course we did not understand, and my friend foolishly did the same thing writing the word “FISH”, so I was laughing so hard because it’s so silly of him that the guy doesn’t understand the...

Cave of Abraham

by June.b

As the story goes, the cave is where Prophet Abraham was born. Many women in violet scarves are doing pilgrimage on the site. Get in the courtyard and you’ll find two entrances to the cave – separate for men and women. Entrance fee is TL5, remove your shoes before entering and if you’re kinda religious – even not – you can bring an empty bottle and fill it with the cold water from inside the cave which by the way is drinkable. The space is small enough for maybe a dozen or so people only. They are filling up their small containers and some are just splashing their face with the water. There’s a small window grid (see pics) to the inside of the cave. There’s also a small mosque on the right side just after the entrance upon paying the fee. Local people on pilgrims are nice, they tried talking to us even in sign language, especially the old folks.

Abraham's Pool

by terrycowan

When in Urfa, this is a must-see. The pool is a major attraction. The fish are sacred, and are not to be eaten--not that you would want to. They don't look healthy. They will follow you around the edge of the pool and wait for any scraps to be thrown their way. There are many legends associated with Abraham, the pool and the fish; most of which are, frankly, somewhat bizarre, but interesting nonetheless.

DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT...

by jonturk

Dining on Cig kofte, Seeing the bee-hive houses of Harran, Sipping the special Urfa coffee (mirra), Visiting Atatürk Dam, Feeding the carp at Balikli lake, Spotting the bald ibis (kelaynak) at Birecik. Shopping in the Kapali çarþi (bazaar).

ÞANLIURFA

by jonturk

Ancient Cities Þuayb 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. 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...

Urfa street scenes

by June.b