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Şanlıurfa: in the footsteps of the Prophet Abraham (Hz. İbrahim)
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Editor's route Pilgrimage and faith routes

Şanlıurfa: in the footsteps of the Prophet Abraham (Hz. İbrahim)

In Urfa, known as the City of Prophets, a morning that runs from the cave where, according to tradition, the Prophet Abraham (Hz. İbrahim) was born to Balıklıgöl (Pool of Sacred Fish), said to have turned to water where he was thrown into the fire; first the shrine of the Prophet Job's patience, and in the afternoon Harran, where according to the Bible Abraham lived for a time with his family. The Turkish section of the Abraham Path, a walking route that traces Abraham, regarded as the common ancestor of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, also links these two towns.

Duration1 days
Walk≈ 3 km
Stop6
Tickets0
AP

AnatoliaPass editorsPilgrimage and faith routes collection · last checked 23 October 2026

The story in 4 parts

Abraham's city

Part 1Fire and water

According to the tradition told in Urfa, the Prophet Abraham was thrown into a fire from the top of the citadel by Nimrod, the city's ruler, for opposing the idols. The fire turned to water and the firewood to fish; this is why the fish of Balıklıgöl are considered sacred and no one catches them. The two columns on top of the citadel are popularly known as Nimrod's catapult.

Part 2The cave where he was born

According to the same tradition, Abraham was born in a cave at a time when Nimrod had newborn boys put to death, and his mother raised him here in hiding. Visited today beside the Mevlid-i Halil Mosque, this cave is one of the city's holiest places for Muslims. There are other traditions about Abraham's birthplace: the Bible links him with Ur of the Chaldees; many scholars identify this with Ur in present-day Iraq, while the identification with Urfa is an old local tradition.

Part 3Harran

According to the Book of Genesis in the Bible, Abraham migrated to Harran with his father Terah and his family and lived here for a time before going on to Canaan. Harran's history does not end there: it was a religious centre known for the temple of the moon god Sin, one of Anatolia's oldest mosques was built here in the 8th century, and in the Middle Ages the city was known as a centre of learning.

Part 4Abraham Path

Judaism, Christianity and Islam all see Abraham as their common ancestor. Building on this shared heritage, the Abraham Path Initiative mapped and waymarked a walking route of about 170 km around Şanlıurfa and Harran between 2007 and 2012; homestays were set up in Kurdish and Arab villages and local guides were trained. Work stopped during the war in Syria; after the 2023 earthquake, the section between Yuvacalı and Kısas was waymarked again. If you want to walk it, don't set off without first checking the current situation and accommodation with the association or local guides.

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Respect guidelines
  • These places are as much places of worship as they are museums: wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees; take off your shoes in mosques, and women cover their heads.
  • Don't walk around inside during prayer times, Friday midday prayers or services; wait outside or stand quietly at the back.
  • Don't photograph anyone praying, lighting a candle or leaving an offering; don't use flash inside, and respect any photography ban.
  • Don't get into arguments about faith with anyone; approach what each tradition holds sacred with the same respect.
  • The fish of Balıklıgöl are considered sacred: don't catch or disturb them; throw only the feed sold at the stalls.
  • Women and men enter the Mevlid-i Halil Cave through separate entrances; wait your turn, keep your visit short and don't photograph people praying.

Visiting routes walked in Anatolia for centuries: churches, mosques, synagogues, tombs, caves and holy springs held sacred in Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Sufi traditions, plus long-distance cultural routes that follow old pilgrimage and caravan roads. These routes pass no judgement on matters of faith; where something rests on tradition or belief rather than history, we say so. Most of the stops are still places of worship today: dress modestly, don't walk around inside during services, keep quiet and don't photograph people praying.

Make your own version
  1. 1

    Shrine of the Patience of the Prophet Job (Hz. Eyyub)

    Start: Eyyübiye, ≈ 2 km south of the city centre; ≈ 5 min by taxi · stay 30 min

    According to tradition, the Prophet Job waited patiently in this cave throughout his grave illness and was healed by the water of the well beside it. Job's patience is described in both the Quran and the Bible. The cave, the well and the mosque beside them form a small complex; visitors drink the water from the well.

    Shrine of the Patience of the Prophet Job (Hz. Eyyub)
    Photo: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Place of worship: women cover their heads. The cave is narrow; enter in turn and don't stay long inside.

  2. 2

    Mevlid-i Halil Mosque and Cave

    ≈ 30 min walk (2.4 km) or ≈ 5 min by taxi, heading north, to the Dergâh · stay 40 min

    The cave where, according to tradition, the Prophet Abraham was born and raised in hiding from Nimrod. The mosque beside it was built in the 16th century and enlarged in later centuries; with its courtyard, madrasa and arcades set against the rock, it is part of the large complex known as the Dergâh. The water of the spring inside the cave is believed to have healing powers. Read the second part of the story in the courtyard.

    Mevlid-i Halil Mosque and Cave
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Women and men enter the cave through separate entrances. It gets very crowded at Friday midday prayers and during religious holidays.

  3. 3

    Balıklıgöl · Halil-ür Rahman Lake

    ≈ 3 min walk (200 m), heading west · stay 30 min

    The pool where, according to tradition, the fire lit by Nimrod turned to water and the firewood to fish. It is surrounded by arcaded mosques, madrasas and gardens; the two columns on top of the citadel can be seen from here. The small Ayn-ı Zeliha pool nearby is likewise believed to have formed where Zeliha, Nimrod's daughter, who is said to have leapt into the fire after Abraham, fell. Read the first part of the story by the water.

    Balıklıgöl · Halil-ür Rahman Lake
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Don't catch or disturb the fish; throw only the feed sold at the stalls.

  4. 4

    Halil-ür Rahman Mosque

    At the west end of the pool, ≈ 2 min · stay 20 min

    The mosque, whose arcaded courtyard looks onto the water, is held to have been built in the early 13th century under the Ayyubids; its square minaret is one of the oldest structures on the shore. The arches of the courtyard reflected in the water are Balıklıgöl's best-known view.

    Halil-ür Rahman Mosque
    Photo: Ibosimsek02 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Working mosque: don't go inside during prayer times, and keep quiet in the courtyard.

  5. 5

    Rızvaniye Mosque and Madrasa

    ≈ 2 min along the north shore of the pool · stay 20 min

    The mosque and madrasa built in the 18th century by Rızvan Ahmed Pasha, governor of Raqqa; its long arcades line the north shore of the pool. It is also popularly known as Zulümiye ("of oppression") because of the harsh treatment of the workers during its construction. Sit for a while in the shade of the arcades, then head on to the bazaar.

    Rızvaniye Mosque and Madrasa
    Photo: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Working mosque: mind prayer times.

  6. 6

    Harran · Great Mosque and beehive houses

    ≈ 40 min by car (≈ 47 km), heading south · stay 120 min

    The town where, according to the Bible, Abraham lived for a time with his family. At the foot of the mound stands the square minaret of the Great Mosque, built in the 8th century under the Umayyad caliph Marwan II; it is one of Anatolia's oldest known mosques. The town's look today is defined by mud-brick houses with conical domes; some can be visited. Read the last two parts of the story here: the Abraham Path walking route also reaches Harran.

    Harran · Great Mosque and beehive houses
    Photo: Mehmetkrckrc / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Harran is about 15–20 km from the Syrian border. The site is open to visitors and regularly toured by groups; even so, check the current situation and your own country's travel advice before you go. The midday heat in summer is fierce. (Photo: the minaret and ruins of the Great Mosque.)

One more day? Bursa.

Outside Istanbul

≈ 2 h 15 min · fast ferry + bus · Day trip

Why here: The first Ottoman capital. The Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and Koza Han make an easy day trip; we suggest it if you are staying in Istanbul for more than four days. Not part of this route.

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