Urfa

Urfa, officially Şanlıurfa, is a city in southeastern Turkey and the administrative center of Şanlıurfa Province. Located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region near the border with Syria, it sits at a historic crossroads of trade routes linking Anatolia with Mesopotamia. The city is commonly identified with the ancient Edessa and is the gateway to nearby archaeological highlights such as Göbekli Tepe and the ruins of Harran.

The area has been inhabited since the Neolithic era and has figured prominently in Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods. Göbekli Tepe, a temple complex dating to the 10th millennium BCE, lies to the north of the city, while Harran’s ruins reflect ancient urban traditions. In the modern Turkish Republic, Urfa serves as the provincial capital and a regional urban center, with its development shaped by the Southeastern Anatolia Project and related infrastructure.

A central cultural landmark is Balıklıgöl, the Pool of Sacred Fish in the city center, a site of religious and tourist significance. Local tradition associates the region with the birth of the Prophet Abraham, and there are related shrines and sites tied to this legacy. Urfa is also known for its distinctive cuisine, including isot pepper (Urfa biberi), which features in many dishes and reflects a mix of Turkish, Arab, and Kurdish culinary influences. Göbekli Tepe’s UNESCO World Heritage status highlights the area’s long prehistoric roots.

Economically, Urfa combines agriculture—cotton, cereals, pistachios—with light industry and food processing. The city is connected by road to Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, and other cities and is served by Şanlıurfa GAP Airport, providing domestic flights and limited international service. The region’s population includes Turkish and Kurdish communities, with Islam as the predominant religion.