1 month ago 437 views

Şanlıurfa Travel Guıde

It's been a while since I've shared my Şanlıurfa notes with you. Tonight, let's share our notes from our last Şanlıurfa trip with the latest confirmed version. But first I would like to talk a little bit about Şanlıurfa.

- Known as the City of Prophets, Şanlıurfa differs from the cities we know not only with its deep-rooted history but also with its mystical atmosphere and food culture. The past of this Southeastern Anatolian city, which awaits its guests who are curious about discoveries, is still a mystery. The history we are talking about is so deep that the 12,000-year-old Göbeklitepe is the first temple and settlement on earth that has been identified so far.

- Karahantepe, which has just been excavated, took the world civilization adventure even further back last week. During the excavation week in September, a magnificent Neolithic sculpture was found, and this sculpture will give us clues to a lot of information.

- These lands, where pagan beliefs and Semitic and Aramaic cultures were born, have also been a center for today's divine beliefs. The story of the incredible miracle of King Abgar Ukkama V in Urhoy (Urfa), the first city blessed by Jesus Christ in history, should be read separately. It goes back to Prophet Abraham, Prophet Job, Prophet Elijah and Prophet Jacob.

- Don't take too short a time to visit Sanliurfa. As Turkey's largest Archaeology and Mosaic Museums trace the city's 12,000-year history, listen to the sounds of pungent spice shops, bazaars where old crafts are kept alive, the smiling faces of shopkeepers, pigeons with bells and hennaed necks fed in almost every house, the magic of Balıklıgöl, Harran and Göbeklitepe, which UNESCO immediately put on the World Heritage List.

- 🌿 Wander through the streets and knock on the doors of the palace-mansions behind the stone walls. The names of hundreds of stone mansions are endless. While the houses where you will see a picture of the Kaaba on their doors symbolize that someone inside is a pilgrim, do not be surprised by the beauty of the artwork henna you will see in the hands of women.

✏️ Among the places to visit in Şanlıurfa are #Göbeklitepe, the symbol of the city, #Karahantepe, #SoğmatarAntikKenti, #BazdaMağarlar, #ŞuaypAntikKenti, #Harran, #Sefertepe, #Sayburç, Neolithic period excavation sites, #UrfaKale, #AynZeliha and the legend of the heartbreaking #Balıklıgöl, The Prophet Eyüp Maqam and Mosque, Rizvaniye Mosque, Mevlid-i Halil Complex, #Halfeti, the land of black roses, and Harran, an 8,000 year old city with a temple of the Moon Goddess Sîn and the Sun God Shamash and the first University in the world.

🧑‍🌾 If Harran is on your itinerary, get ready to meet the architectural remains of Mesopotamia dating back to 6000 BC and the 800-year-old Kümbet houses. These houses are cold in summer and warm in winter, and if you wonder what they are like inside, the Culture House organized by Harran Municipality is the prototype of these houses. When you see it, you say 'what lives there are'.

✨ Don't think that Halfeti is a place where 'I've been there and done that'. While traveling by boat in Halfeti, one of the 11 calm cities of our country, the sadness of Savaşan Village full of memories under the Birecik Dam will fall on your face.
Put the sadness aside... The sine qua non of Urfa is the sıra night. Enjoy the music, the words and the cigköft!

🥢 Buy isot from Urfa's spice shops. It is the flavor added by this spice that makes the raw meatballs and lahmacun you will eat in Urfa special Urfa. They call isot 'Şanlı Isot' and they even make its jam. When you see hot peppers and sun-dried tomato paste, we know you won't be able to resist and buy it.

🌿 Did you know that Şanlıurfa, not Gaziantep, is the place where pistachios grow the most in Turkey? Make room in your suitcase for the pistachios you will take back home. Copper coffee pots, fancy jewelry, walnut sausages, shawls, pouches and stone-embroidered souvenirs... Set a souvenir corner for these.

🍽️ The local drink that you should not return without tasting is 'mırra'. It's a bit strong coffee, but it's good. But before coffee, sit at a nice Urfa table. Eggplant kebab, poppy kebab, Lebeni (buttermilk soup), lahmacun, bostana, pımpırım salad, roasted meat, ribs and of course cigköfte. Take days to try them all. But we suggest you start with the kebabs and, if there is room, finish with the dessert of şıllık. And a good accompaniment to the meal is coruk syrup or licorice sherbet.

🧐 So Which Food Places in Şanlıurfa

👉 Cevahir Han Restaurant (All Urfa Flavors, Sira Night)
👉 Ciğerci Aziz Usta Urfa (liver kebab)
👉 Dedecan Ocakbaşı Urfa (liver kebab, stuffed meatballs)
👉 Gulbaba Restaurant (eggplant kebab in Birecik)
👉 Çulcuoğlu Baklava and Restaurant (lahmacun)
👉 Altin Restaurant (all kinds of Urfa kebab, artisan restaurant)
👉 Gümrük Han (coffee, Kacak tea)
👉 Koprubasi Breakfast Hall (mixed breakfast)
👉 Zahter Breakfast Hall (mixed breakfast)
👉 Edessa Kadayıf Ahmet Usta (Kunefe)
👉 Baklavacı Badıllı Dedeoğlu, (Tray kadayif, cheese katmer dessert)
👉 Şanlı Miroğlu Kadayif and Billuriye (Baked kadayif and kunafeh)

✏️ Eating and Drinking Notes in Urfa:
- Local flavors are usually better in shabby places, but in Urfa, you can enjoy the best of both flavors.