Şanlıurfa, commonly known as Urfa, is a major city in Southeastern Anatolia. There’s lots to see in and near the city.
My Posts on Şanlıurfa
History of Şanlıurfa
Urfa is known as the City of Prophets. Job, Jethro, and Elijah are all said to have lived there, and many Muslim and Jewish sources claim it was the birthplace of Abraham. It was originally settled as early as 9400 BC and grew into a city by 3200 BC.
History as Edessa
The city was founded as Edessa (Ἔδεσσα) during the Hellenistic period by Seleucid king Seleucus I Nicator in 303 or 302 BC. It was an Aramaic city with a minority of Macedonian soldiers who had settled there. The city was a major commercial center.
After the decline of the Seleucids, Edessa became the capital of the Abgarid dynasty in 132 BC. It changed hands between the Romans and Parthians a few times in the 2nd century and became a Roman province in 177. It later became an important Christian center starting in the 4th century.
Under the Romans, the city was a melting pot of religions and cultures, with pagans, Jews, Christians, and other religions living side-by-side. The Armenian alphabet was created in Edessa and Samosata (now Samsat) by Mesrop Mashtots (362-440) in 405.
In 609, the Sassanids captured the city and held it until the Byzantines retook it in 628. Their rule was brief, as they surrendered to the Rashidun Caliphate under general Iyad ibn Ghanm (d. 641) in 639. This ushered in the Arab period. Even under Islamic rule, Edessa continued to be an important Christian city. Most of the citizens were Syrian Christians with small minorities of Jews and Muslims.
In October 1031, the Byzantines under George Maniakes (d. 1043) conquered Edessa. During their rule, they staved off a handful of sieges, many led by the Seljuks, and saw an influx of Armenians, who became the wealthiest citizens.
Fall of Edessa
In 1098, Edessa became the capital of a Crusader county controlled by the Franks. They ruled until Imad al-Din Zengi (c. 1085-1146), the Atabeg of Mosul, laid siege and captured the city in December 1144. This was one of the major reasons for the Second Crusade.
Joscelin II (d. 1159) and Baldwin of Marash (d. 1146) tried to retake the city after Zangi was assassinated in 1146, eventually entering after a second siege. They occupied Edessa for six days until Zangi’s successor, Nur al-Din Zengi (1118-1174) arrived with a 10,000-man army. The Franks and many of the citizens were slaughtered, while women and children were sold into slavery. This destroyed the Christian community, which never fully recovered.
The Zengids took control in 1174 followed by the Ayyubids in 1182, the Mongols in 1260, the Mamluks in the early 14th century, and the Aq Qoyunlu in the early 15th century. Urfa was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 under Sultan Selim I. Under the Ottomans, the city regained its prosperity, and small communities of Jews, Armenians, and Greeks sprung up.
Modern Period
By the late 19th century, ⅓ of the population was Armenian. in 1895, 8,000 Armenians were killed in a series of massacres. Most of the 1,000-strong Jewish community fled the following year, and the majority of the Christian population was exterminated during the Armenian and Assyrian Genocides in 1915. Almost all remaining non-Muslims had left the city by 1924.
After World War I, Urfa was assigned to the Mandate of Syria under the Treaty of Sèvres. It was occupied by British and French troops, but the locals formed a militia and drove them out on April 11, 1920. Under the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, Urfa was granted to the newly-formed Turkish Republic. In 1984, in honor of the citizens’ resistance, the Turkish National Assembly renamed the city Şanlıurfa, with the title Şanlı meaning glorious.
Today, Urfa is a major tourist destination, especially for religious pilgrims. It’s considered one of the most religious cities in Turkey. There’s a lot to see and it makes a great base for day trips, especially to Göbekli Tepe and Harran. The majority of its inhabitants are Arabs and Kurds with a smaller Turkish community, as well as roughly 300,000 Syrian refugees. The people are very hospitable and friendly.
Getting to Şanlıurfa
Urfa is well-connected to the rest of the country by air and bus.
Şanlıurfa GAP Airport (GNY)
There are flights to Şanlıurfa GAP Airport (Şanlıurfa GAP Havalimanı) from both airports in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir (as of September 2024). The airport is about 34 kilometers (21.1 miles) northeast of the city. Havaş runs airport shuttles to the city center for 130₺ (as of September 2024), and the ride takes about 45 minutes.
Şanlıurfa Bus Terminal
The Şanlıurfa Bus Terminal (Şanlıurfa Otogarı) is located on the north end of the city. You can find buses to every major city in the region and beyond as well as smaller towns and villages near Urfa.
Getting Around Şanlıurfa
If you’re staying in the old town, you can get around easily on foot. Most of the major attractions are within walking distance. The Şanlıurfa Museum and Haleplibahçe Museum are an easy walk from Balıklıgöl, but if you’re in the middle of the old town, they’re a little awkward to get to. You might want to take a taxi in that case.
Where to Stay in Şanlıurfa
There are several great places to choose from. You can stay at a simple or luxurious modern hotel, a historic stone mansion converted to a boutique hotel, or a hostel.
Palmyra Boutique Hotel
We stayed at the Palmyra Boutique Hotel for two nights. It’s in the heart of the old town and situated in two historical stone mansions.
We stayed in the mansion on the east side of the street. It surrounds a beautiful courtyard where the rooms are located. There’s also a terrace with some decent views of the city and the minaret of the Grand Mosque of Urfa. Our rooms were comfortable, spotless, and perfect for our stay.
The west wing of the hotel, where the front desk is located, has an even fancier courtyard. We had our breakfast on the upper floor of this part of the hotel. It’s a nice spread prepared by some wonderful people. We also appreciated the hospitality of the front desk staff.
Hotel Arte (Permanently Closed)
On my very first visit to Urfa I stayed at the Hotel Arte. It was a modern budget hotel located a couple blocks north of the old town. The hotel wasn’t anything special but my stay was decent. It was a little far from the attractions, however.
Where to Eat in Şanlıurfa
Urfa has some of the most delicious cuisine in all of Turkey. It’s very meat heavy, with lots of kebabs and lahmacun making up the bulk of local specialties.
Cevahir Han
I highly recommend having at least one meal at Cevahir Han, which is regarded as one of the top restaurants in town. It’s situated in an Ottoman caravanserai restored in 2015. The restaurant features an incredible menu full of traditional Turkish dishes as well as local delicacies found only in Urfa. We went two nights in a row and had excellent experiences both times.
For starters, I had a local yogurt soup the first night and lentil soup the second night. My main courses were the hünkar beğendi (lamb stew on a bed of eggplant puree) and the saç kavurma (sautéed lamb, peppers, and spices). We finished off the meal both nights with katmer. Everything we ate was delicious and I’ll definitely make it a point to go back on a future trip.
Çift Mağara
I’ve eaten lunch twice at Çift Mağara, which is a restaurant in a cave on the path up to Urfa Castle. It’s a fun experience with friendly service, good food, and reasonable prices.
On my first visit, I had the saç kavurma. On my second visit 13 years later, I had the Adana kebab. Both were delicious.
