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.
We visited Pyramids, Machu Pichu, Nazca, Stonehenge, Teotihuacán, but Gobekli Tepe was best among all. What a thrill, it was to visit Gobekli Tepe, world‘s first temple and probably the origin of human civilization. It’s too bad that not too many people know about Gobekli Tepe. So far only five percent been excavegated, but still it’s a thrill and exiting…
A wonderful day spent with my partner and his family. The place is magical. Although there are very few signs with detailed information, the overall feel to the place was serene and spiritual. I had a wonderful day – perfect company, beautiful surroundings – what more can you ask for. This is very much worthy of a visit.
This place is properly called Gobekli Tepe of course- there are a few reviews under that name.
Gobekli is fascinating if you understand how it has rewritten prehistory, less so if you expect lots of info and facilities as you would find at sites of equivalent importance, lascaux, stonehenge, newgrange, carnac. Part of its charm is that there are no…
A small underground cave. Very little to see and becoming very commercialised.
9000 years young gobleckli tepe is emerging slowly out of the ground. The concentric circles of giant t-shaped carved columns incised with ritual animals are amazing, inexplicable and thought provoking. The entire site is littered with arrowheads and chipping and scraping tools. Come see the place that has anthropologists scratching their heads and revising the theory that religion grew out…
This is the second best place for me in Turkiye; 1st one is the Great Mosque of Divrigi. I was hoping to see this place for 2 years then and unplanned I was there. I felt like crying. First temple known on earth. That architectural structure! Those carvings, those hands of the statutes.
It is amazing. That tree where sacrifices…
The alleged birthplace of Abraham is a little confusing in that as it is a holy Islamic site, Men and women have to enter separate entrances and effectively separate caves.
Am not exactly sure whether he was born and lived on the male side or the female side but I was just glad I was in a decent hotel.
It was a thrill just to be at this ancient site. My wife and I were in Turkey for a month. This was an incredible highlight. The temple complex was built by nomadic hunter/gatherers around 10,000 BC, before agriculture, before ceramics, and before the first permanent settlements (e.g. Catal Hoyuk nearby in Konya; Nevali Cori nearby under Ataturk Dam). This…
I liked the thought of all the mystic and all the history that impressed millions of people so far
Amazing temples to discover !
A real experience to discover an ongoing archelological work.
So many questions raise from the new findings on this site. You can see people working.
Lovely view on the region for taking nice photos.
We went there around 10:00. After 11:00 minibuses and buses arrive. I would recommend to go early to avoid crowds.
Transport:…