7 Best Sights in Urfa (Sanliurfa), The Black Sea Coast and Lake Van

Erected around 9,000 BC, 6,000 years before Stonehenge, before even the invention of agriculture, this series of stone circles on a hill 15 km (9 miles) northeast of the town of Urfa have been popularly declared the "World's Oldest Temple." The stones' purpose has been subject to wide interpretation: some believe this was a burial site; others, a place of ritual initiation, or that each circle belonged to a different tribe that gathered here for ritual and trade. What is clear, though, is that no one lived here, and that it would have taken hundreds of people to transport and erect the pillars. The site consists of a series of circles and ovals formed by large T-shaped pillars of equal height, usually with two larger pillars inside. The pillars are thought to have held a roof. Many of the outer surfaces are carved, some are anthropomorphic, others depict the savage nightmares of a hunter-gatherer's life, such as snakes, foxes, vultures, scorpions, and wild boar. Most curiously of all, the structures were deliberately buried when the site was abandoned. Four structures have been exposed since excavations began in 1995, and another 16 have been identified by geophysicists; excavations continue in spring and fall. The circles themselves are off-limits and enclosed by low fences, but visitors are welcome to follow pathways from which all are clearly visible. Take the old highway the D400 east from Şanlıurfa and look for the marked turning on the left just as you leave the built-up area. This road continues about 15 km (10 miles), crossing over the new highway. Shortly after this is a turn, left for the last few miles up the hill to the site. Alternatively, a return taxi (including waiting time) from Urfa should cost around 80 TL. While the site is open year-round, many of the pillars are covered in winter in order to protect them from the elements.

Urfa's fantastic archaeological museum reopened in 2015 in an imposingly large building amid leafy open space. It still has an impressive collection covering the area's long history, interspersed with lifelike recreations of the living conditions in prehistoric times. Especially interesting are sculptures from Göbekli Tepe and the full-size re-creation of one of its temples, but the star of the show is a white, alien-looking statue with obsidian eyes, found in the Gölbaşı lake in 1993. Nearly 13,500 years old, it is the world's oldest full-size man-made human figure. There are also Hittite sculptures from the area, a collection of exquisitely carved antique wooden doors, and a classical sculpture garden.

Also included in the ticket price is entry to the neighboring Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, which houses an incredible array of mosaics that would have once formed part of a Roman-era palace. These include mosaics depicting the life of Achilles, including his mother holding him by the heel and dipping him into the waters of the River Styx. and a magnificent scene of Amazon queens hunting wild beasts.

A short walk east from the park leads to Urfa's bazaar, where in summertime merchants wait patiently in the hot sun for the occasional tour group. The bazaar is filled with small hans—a collection of stores and workshops built around a central courtyard—that have tailors, coppersmiths, and other artisans working away, using what seem like ancient machines and tools. At the literal heart of the bazaar is the wonderful Bedesten and adjacent Gümrük Han, a large courtyard filled with chatting men playing backgammon or chess and sipping tea. Around the courtyard are the small workshops of tailors sewing inexpensive suits. The bazaar is a good place to shop for spices and copper items and you can usually find bargains, especially on carpets and kilims.

The park is a shady oasis on hot days or summer evenings, and is home to the famed carp pools. According to legend, King Nimrod, angry at Abraham's condemnation of the king's Assyrian polytheism, set about immolating the patriarch. God awakened natural springs, dousing the fire and saving Abraham. The carp, according to the myth, are an incarnation of the wood from Abraham's pyre. While historically the story might not, well, hold water—they are probably part of a pre-Christian fish shrine—the gorgeous springs remain. The place has a serene and distinctly spiritual feel to it, with groups of visiting pilgrims and families from Turkey and neighboring countries strolling about and feeding what are probably the most pampered fish in the world. Look for the Byzantine era bell tower beside the lake.

Local legend has it that Abraham was born in the Hazreti İbrahim Doğum Mağarası, a natural cave hidden behind the Hasan Paşa Mosque in the southeast corner of Gölbaşı Parkı. As is usual, men and women enter through separate doorways. Most people huddled inside this small, dark cavern, darkened by 2,000 years of candle smoke, have come to pray, not to snap photos. There's not much to see, but the atmosphere is reverential. Tourists are welcome (many of the visitors inside are themselves from out of town), but remember that this is a shrine.

Urfa's principal mosque was built in the 12th century by Nur al-Din after he captured the city from the Crusaders. It is a relatively simple long vaulted hall, on the southern end of a long grassy courtyard. The town's cathedral once stood here, and you can see the giant octagonal bell tower.

Apart from the two prominent Roman Columns, Urfa's castle is a motley collection of upturned stones, at the top of a lot of stairs. It's impossible to detect any one architectural intent here, probably because the fortress has been razed and rebuilt at least a dozen times since the 2nd century BC. Climb to the summit for a fantastic view of the city. The stairs down are more fun, as they descend through a tunnel cut from the rock.