Sanliurfa, the city of the prophets

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In the evening we arrived to the city Sanliurfa, where we will have our dinner in an old traditional house, with traditional live music and events. (Urfa Sira gecesi) The old traditional stone house was very cozy. We were all sitting on the floor, which is off course not comfortable when you have a dinner. But with the combination of the live music and folklore shows it was very pleasant.

During midnight we were off course exhausted. The day began very early and we were traveling the whole day. Having a party after a day like this, it's was killing us. When we left the party, our travel guide brought us to the lake of Abraham. Seeing this area in the nigh is a must and the idea was quickly to see and go to the hotel. But once we arrived, he started with the stories. I was too tired to catch up of anything he told. Beside that I started to feel a bit sick.

But he had a point. Lake of Abraham and its area is fabulous in the night. The day took very long and it was finally time to go to the hotel.

Although we were in one of the best hotels of Anatolia, I was not able to sleep. Extremely tired and in the night I discovered that I caught a food poisoning..

DAY 7

Without proper night rest it was already time to continue. Thanks to the poisoning I couldn't have breakfast which made me weaker. But it was not a showstopper for me to continue the trip.

We arrived again to the area of Abraham's lake and Ayn-i Zeliha Pond.
According to legend, the prophet Abraham believed in a single god. He fought idolatry and smashed idols for the spread of monotheism. As a response, the vicious and cruel King Nimrod had Abraham launched from a catapult from the city's citadel to fall into a pile of burning wood. Luckily, God intervened and turned the fire into water and the faggots into fish. Both now make up the water and fish of the pool called Halil-ür Rahman or fish lake. King Nimrod's daughter, Zeliha, was infatuated with Abraham and pleaded with her father not to have him sent into the flames. When she saw Abraham jump into the blaze, she plunged in after him. The place where she fell turned into the Ayn-i Zeliha Pond.

The cruel ruler's giant slingshot is represented by two Corinthian columns still standing atop the citadel. The enormous carp in fish lake and Ayn-i Zeliha is considered sacred and, according to legend, anyone catching it will turn blind.

Close to the Abraham's lake we went to the area of the mosques which are surrounding the birth cave of Abraham. A short visit to the cave and finally it was time for shopping at the colorful bazaar of Urfa. At the bazaar I took my time and took a rest at a cafe, until it was time to continue to Harran.

About Urfa

Sanliurfa is a city of pilgrimage, sacred to Muslims, Christians, and Jews and is considered by many as the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. Urfa is old, very old. The history of the city dates as far back as 8000 BC. Urfa was dominated by many civilizations, starting with Ebla, the Sumerians, Assyrians, Hittites etc.. After Alexander's arrival the city was renamed to Edessa in Mesopotamia, a name under which it was known until 1637 when the Ottomans conquered it.

Next to the Gölbasi area is the Dergah complex of mosques and parks which surrounds the birth cave of the Prophet Abraham, the Hazreti Ibrahim Halilullah (Prophet Abraham, Friend of God). This complex of mosques and medresses was built and rebuilt over the centuries and is a place of pilgrimage. Apart from the holy places, Urfa's bazaar is perhaps the most colorful of Anatolia.

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Comments

[rima]

its so nice really i like it

[sadik.deger]

You are welcome :)