Sanliurfa
Accommodations
Sanliurfa or ‘Urfa’ is a fascinating and historic city that is approximately 46 Km from the Syrian border and has a population of over 1.7 million people. It is one of the oldest settlements in Mesopotamia and is home to the first Islamic University in the world. Urfa has been known by many names (the most recent being ‘Edessa’) because it is over 3,500 years old, dating it back to the Hittite period.
Being a bridge between Asia, Europe and Africa a lot of different cultures have contributed to the history of this place including the Egyptians, the Babylonians, Greek, Romans, the Seljuk Turks and even Alexander the Great. Sanliurfa has some remarkable sights to see including, Abraham’s Cave which is the birthplace of Abraham; the Pools of Holy Carp (Balikli Lake) next to Abraham’s cave; Covered Market Bazaars where you will be able to find everything you want and many unexpected treasures; Archeological Museum with loads of artefacts and information on this ancient city; and Gobekli Tepe which is the oldest known man-made religious structure in the world dating back to 10th millennium BCE. Sanliurfa is definitely a city that you shouldn’t miss.