A day in Şanlıurfa: Balıklıgöl, the bazaar and the museum

Most sights of central Şanlıurfa lie within walking distance of Balıklıgöl, the Pool of Abraham. This route starts at the pool, climbs to the castle, crosses the old bazaar and ends at the Archaeology Museum, about 700 m north of the pool. It fits into one day.

Morning at Balıklıgöl

The pool is about 150 m long and 30 m wide. A smaller pool, Ayn Zeliha, lies next to it. Islamic tradition holds that Nimrod threw Abraham into a fire on this spot, and that the fire turned into water and the logs into fish. The carp in the pool are regarded as sacred. They are not caught or eaten, and visitors feed them.

The Halil-ür Rahman Mosque stands on the south side of the pool. An inscription on its minaret dates work there to 1211–12, in the Ayyubid period. The Rızvaniye Mosque and madrasa, built in the 18th century for Rıdvan Ahmed Pasha, governor of Raqqa, also face the water. Both are working mosques, so dress modestly and avoid prayer times.

Up to the castle

The castle stands on the rock directly south of the pool. The accepted view dates the walls to AD 812–814, in the Abbasid period, and a moat cut into the rock surrounds it on three sides. Two columns with Corinthian capitals stand on top. They were set up in AD 240–242, under King Manu IX of Edessa. The path up is steep in places.

Gümrük Hanı and the old bazaar

Gümrük Hanı is about 400 m east of the pool. It was built in the 16th century for Behram Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Urfa, around a single square courtyard. Tea houses now fill the courtyard. They serve tea, coffee, menengiç coffee and mırra, the bitter local coffee. The covered Bedesten adjoins the han on its south side. Nearby, coppersmiths work in their own bazaar.

Afternoon at the Archaeology Museum

The museum opened on 24 May 2015. Its 14 main halls run in date order, from the Palaeolithic to the Islamic period. The best-known piece is the Balıklıgöl Statue, also called Urfa Man, a Neolithic figure found next to the castle. The Neolithic section shows finds from Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe. The Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum stands in the same grounds; its Amazon mosaic draws the most visitors.

Göbekli Tepe as a half day

With a second morning or afternoon, add Göbekli Tepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018. It lies about 15 km north-east of the city centre. The road distance is about 18 km, a drive of 20 to 30 minutes. Visit Turkey has a separate page on the site.

Practical notes

Opening hours of the castle and the museum change, so check them before you go. From the museum, the walk back to Balıklıgöl is about 700 m.