The ‘city of prophets’ where three religions align

Tea garden above Dergah Mosque, Sanliurfa, Urfa, Southeastern Anatolia, Anatolia, Turkiye. (imageBROKER/Shutterstock via CNN Newsource)

Under the shadow of a centuries-old castle in Şanlıurfa, in southeastern Turkiye, black-spotted golden carp swim in turquoise pools. Tradition holds they were created after Mesopotamian king Nemrut bin Kenan threw the Prophet Ibrahim into a fire burning on the plain below, sometime in the third millennium BCE.

Preaching against idolatry and declaring there was only one god, Ibrahim (or Abraham, as he’s known by Jews and Christians) was a thorn in Nemrut’s side. As Nemrut believed himself a god, Ibrahim had to go. Two Roman columns, visible above the plain, mark the spot.

What’s in a name?

Şanlıurfa, 40 miles north of the Syrian border, was once part of upper Mesopotamia and home to dozens of civilizations — each leaving its mark.

The Aramaean confederacy of tribes called it Urhai, while the Seleucid Dynasty (while ruled from 312 to 64 BCE) used the name Edessa. After the Arabic conquest in the 7th century CE, it became Roha. The Ottomans, who conquered the city in the 16th century, renamed it Urfa in 1607.

In 1984, Şanlı, or “glorious” in Turkish, was added — “in recognition of the city’s resistance during the Turkish War of Independence,” says tour guide Murat Tanrıtanır. Locals had fought against British and French troops who occupied the city after the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in World War I.

‘City of Prophets’

Urfa is known as the City of Prophets. Revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it is associated with figures including Ibrahim, Job, Jethro and Noah.

Muslim pilgrims head to the Dergah Mosque Complex in the old town, shaded by mature trees among velvety carpets of grass dotted with rose bushes.

At its heart is the Balıklıgöl — “Fish Lake,” actually two pools teeming with hundreds of black-spotted carp. The larger, Halil ür-Rahman, marks the spot where Nemrut, or Nimrod, is said to have tried to kill Ibrahim. God intervened, the story goes, turning flames into water and logs into fish. The black spots on the scales are said to be ash from the fire. The smaller pool, Aynzeliha, is named for Nemrut’s daughter Zeliha, a follower of Ibrahim, who died after throwing herself into the fire.

“Visiting Balıklıgöl is always emotional,” says Mehmet Kaya, a local farmer whose family has lived in Şanlıurfa for generations. “It’s not just a tourist spot — it’s a sacred place tied to the story of the Prophet Ibrahim. People come to pray, feed the holy fish, and feel the peaceful air. It reminds us of our deep spiritual roots and the stories we’ve grown up hearing.”

A holy cave

Ibrahim is said to have landed unharmed at Balıklıgöl, but this was not his first close call with Nemrut. While still in his mother’s womb, Ibrahim’s life was threatened after Nemrut dreamed he would lose his kingdom. Priests foretold that a child born that year would bring an end to idolatry, prompting Nemrut to order the deaths of all newborns and children in utero. Ibrahim survived and was born in a cave, where he lived until he was seven.

Today, dozens of hopeful petitioners gather at the entrance to Mevlid-i Halil Mağarası, known in English as Ibrahim’s Cave, within the Dergah Mosque Complex. Mevlid-i Halil translates as the Birth of Halil, Halil meaning “friend of God.” Men and women enter through separate doorways.

Women, in particular, are drawn here by hopes of conceiving a child or collecting water from a holy spring believed to have curative powers. The air is balmy and slightly damp; soft prayers fill the cave as women recite passages from the Koran and finger worry beads, while children are quietly shushed.

Outside, families pose for selfies or dress in colorful traditional Şanlıurfa garments at the Halil ür-Rahman pool, lined with elegant stone arches.

Rewriting history

Şanlıurfa’s history predates sacred texts. Göbeklitepe, 14 miles northeast of the old town, is a Neolithic site from the Pre-Pottery period of around 9,600 to 8,200 BCE. Now an active archaeological dig, it is thought to have been used for funerary rites.

“What makes it even more astonishing is that it was built by prehistoric people who hadn’t even developed pottery or agriculture yet,” says Tanrıtanır. “This challenges everything we thought we knew about the development of civilization. It suggests religion or ritual might have come before the domestication of plants and animals, not after.”

Excavations from 1996 to 2014 revealed its significance. Stonehenge, whose stone circle dates to 2,500 BCE, seems positively modern in comparison.

Visitors can walk along wooden pathways above a portion of the dig, viewing monolithic T-shaped pillars carved with animals. Information panels explain the layout and history, while the visitor center provides deeper context.

The Şanliurfa Archaeology Museum displays more than 10,000 items, including Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hittite artifacts. Urfa Man — at 11,500 years old, it’s the world’s oldest life-size statue — stands beside delicate figurines, silver ornaments, embroidered clothes, handwritten Korans and more. A walk-through reconstruction of Göbeklitepe offers perspective on the original site’s scale and spiritual impact.

In the museum’s garden, the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum houses extensive mosaics from a Roman villa, unearthed during pipe-laying. Scenes from the stories of Achilles and Orpheus and of Amazon queens out hunting are among the highlights. Across the road, tombs carved into rock between the third and fourth centuries form the Kızılkoyun Nekropolü, once Edessa’s main necropolis. Many tombs remain intact, with reliefs still visible.

Kebabs and sweet tea

Şanlıurfa is not just history. “To truly feel Urfa you have to sit with the locals, drink tea slowly, and walk through the old streets,” says Kaya. “It’s not a place to just visit; it’s a place to feel.” The narrow laneways of Kapalı Çarşı, the Covered Bazaar, are packed with shops selling clothes, homewares, dried fruit and nuts, worry beads, copper pots, scarves, carpets and saddlebags.

“There’s a blend of Arab, Kurdish, and Turkish cultures here, which creates a unique atmosphere you won’t find elsewhere,” says Tanrıtanır. Headscarf-wearing men with weathered faces and grizzled beards meet daily in Gümrük Han, a structure similar to a caravanserai built in 1562.“The lavender-colored or purple-checked puşu scarves are traditionally worn by men, especially among older generations and has symbolic meanings related to tribal identity, social status or even political affiliations.”

Backgammon dice clack and sunflower seeds crack. Men sip tea through sugar cubes held in their mouths while smoke from hand-rolled tobacco curls in the air. Others drink mırra kahvesi, a bitter coffee made from mırra leaves.

Evening fills the streets with the aroma of minced beef and lamb as kebabs sizzle on restaurant grills. The best Urfa kebabs use meat minced with a knife, flavored with oregano, cumin and paprika. Patlıcan kebabı, or eggplant kebab, is another regional specialty.

“But food in Şanlıurfa is more than just kebab,” says Tanrıtanır. Local specialties include çiğ köfte, a spicy raw bulgur dish, and rich desserts like şıllık tatlısı — crepe-like layers of syrup-drenched pastry filled with walnuts and topped with slivers of pistachio. Personally, Kaya loves çiğ köfte: “It’s more than food, it’s a social ritual. Making it by hand, sharing it with friends and neighbors — it brings people together.”

‘Cultural heartbeat’

Food and social life are intertwined in Turkiye, and Kaya calls hospitality “a big part of Urfa culture.”

“We won’t let a guest leave without eating,” he says. “Our traditions are still strong and we always keep our customs alive, from music to dance to how we celebrate life events. Compared to other parts of Turkiye, we’re maybe a bit more traditional and family-centered.”

Some men and women still socialize separately. The Mutfak Müzesi, the town’s Culinary Museum in a former private home around a traditional hayat courtyard, recreates traditional family life with strangely lifelike mannequins.

Sıra gecesi — ”night of gathering” — are evenings when the young and old of Urfa come together to eat, recite poetry and listen to live music. These events are used to pass traditions through the generations, instil etiquette and strengthen community ties by celebrating joyous occasions like weddings and nights of communal grief when someone dies.

They’re also about having fun. Participants play games, chat and party Urfa-style, late into the night. Traditionally they were male-only and held in private homes. Now they’re open to both sexes and are often held in cafes. Regardless of who attends a sıra gecesi, “It’s not a tourist show,” Tanrıtanır enthuses. “It’s a cultural heartbeat.”

Urfa’s main mosque Ulu Camii, was built in the late 12th century CE, and was modelled on the Grand Mosque in the Syrian city of Aleppo. It’s common to see men lying on the carpet here, but they’re not always prostrating themselves in prayer. Instead, they often come inside to escape the heat, nap or chat with friends. In many ways, it symbolizes what makes Şanlıurfa unique.

“It’s like a living museum,” says Tanrıtanır. “You can be in a bustling bazaar one moment, and 10 minutes later you’re standing in front of a site that rewrites human history. There’s something mystical here — whether it’s the ancient stones of Göbeklitepe, the call to prayer echoing from old mosques, or the warm welcome you get from people. It’s a place where the past and present truly live side by side.”