The city of Urfa (Sanli Urfa), dates back to the second millennium B.C. when it may have been the capital of a Human state. It has been known variously as Orrhoé, Orhai, and Osrhoene. One of the early Christian communities developed here. Their language was not Greek but rather Syriac. According to the early church historian Eusebius, the first church in Edessa began when Jesus answered a plea for help from the king, Abgar. Thus the community claims to be pre-crucifixion in its origin.
According to tradition, Nimrod had Abraham immolated on a funeral pyre, but God turned the fire into water and the burning coals into fish.
In the second century A.D. a member of that community, Tatian, produced a Syriac “harmony” of the Gospels which was used in the church there. For fifty years Crusaders held the area in the twelfth century and built a citadel. Within the citadel are two columns on one of which there is a Syriac inscription.
These were part of the winter palace of King Abgar. A spring at the foot of the citadel feeds pools of fish sacred carp, according to Muslim tradition. This tradition also states that Abraham stopped here. No remains of any great antiquity are visible In the city although there is a thirteenth century square minaret and a seventeenth century Islamic religious school, the Adb-er Rahman medresesi.
The mosque built on the site where prophet Abraham is believed to have been born.
There are more reviews of GT under Potbelly HIll, which is a bit like reviewing Stonehenge under a different name.
I will post detailed review as soon as I get home, but this place is well worth the effort
Not sure if its True. Serene and Cool Inside.
Kids found it a bore saying its just a cave but a nice site to visit while u in the Urfa Fort & Fish Pools Area
Mind-blowing that such a place has been found, and the location is beautiful. I look forward to hearing more about it as the excavations continue.
Try to use the toilet before you go, because the only facility is a rudimentary outhouse.
Altough the cave is of great significance for three religions a visitor should not forget that nowadays it is mainly a muslim religious site. I think the place had a special aura to it and it was worth a visit but at least on the women's side we got lots of hostile glances. Probably because we were foreign tourists and…
Sanliurfa, also known as the prophets city, is well known for its' Balikli Gol. It's a beautiful and well-designed place. You will not be able to look away from the lake with all the fishes. We have spent a full hour or so at this place, just walking around, feeding the fish and sitting around the lake.
Defintely a must…
The park with the holy fish pond – sounds like a joke, but is a real treat, just walk around, take your time, have some tea, look a people and the fish. It is one of the best parks I have ever visited, holy fish or not 😉
A wonderful trip with the extended family to this site. The experience was magical. There is very little information posted around the site so you must do some homework beforehand. A very restful, spiritual place. I really enjoyed my day here.
If you miss this while you are in the area, you need to go back. This site pre-dates agriculture and all they told you at school about development of culture and religion is thrown out the window. .and the place and nature around it is magic..
Should you have a couple free hours when visiting Sanliurfa (Urfa) be certain to visit this holy place/park. Late afternoon shortly before dusk is a great time to arrive.
Stroll around, feed the fish and have tea beside one of the pools as you listen to the water and watch birds flying through the spray of a large fountain to…
It's amazing what people had built 12 000 years ago, it simply makes you speechless. It's probably one of the most important archeological discoveries, which can completely change the history of the mankind.