Things to Do in Şanlıurfa: 11 Best Places to Visit

Getting to Know Şanlıurfa

Şanlıurfa lies in Southeastern Anatolia, at the northern gateway to Mesopotamia, at an altitude of about 914 metres above sea level. Known in earlier times as Ruha, Riha and Edessa, the city was long famous under the name Edessa from the Seleucid period onwards. Urfa became a province in 1924; its name was changed to Şanlıurfa by Law No. 3020 of 22 June 1984, and in 2012 it became a metropolitan municipality.

The province is home to some of the most important archaeological finds in human history. Göbekli Tepe, 18 km north-east of the centre near the village of Örencik in Haliliye, is a cult centre dated to about 9600–9500 BC and regarded as the oldest known monumental structure; it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018. Karahantepe, 46 km from the city centre, is a contemporary Neolithic centre with some 250 standing stones, and its excavations began in 2019.

In the heart of the city lies Balıklıgöl (the Halil-ür Rahman and Aynzeliha lakes), where the Prophet Abraham is believed to have been thrown into the fire by Nimrod. Ancient sources also say that the lake was a temple pool dedicated to the goddess Atargatis. Şanlıurfa Castle was built in the Osroene period, and its present walls were built by the Abbasids in AD 814.

When to Go

In Şanlıurfa summers are very hot and dry, and winters are cool and rainy. Averages for 1929–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:

Month	Avg. high	Avg. low	Rainfall	Rainy days
January	10.0 °C	2.2 °C	85 mm	12
February	12.0 °C	3.0 °C	68 mm	10
March	16.5 °C	5.9 °C	65 mm	10
April	22.4 °C	10.4 °C	49 mm	9
May	28.8 °C	15.4 °C	27 mm	6
June	34.8 °C	20.7 °C	4 mm	1
July	38.8 °C	24.4 °C	2 mm	0
August	38.4 °C	24.1 °C	3 mm	0
September	34.0 °C	20.1 °C	5 mm	1
October	27.1 °C	14.7 °C	25 mm	5
November	18.8 °C	8.6 °C	45 mm	7
December	12.1 °C	4.1 °C	79 mm	11

The best periods are March–May and October–November. In July and August daytime temperatures reach 38 °C; visit open-air sites early in the morning or in the late afternoon. In winter there can be wind and rain at Göbekli Tepe.

How to Get to Şanlıurfa

By air: Şanlıurfa GAP Airport opened on 17 June 2007 and is about 35 km from the city centre.

By road: It takes about 2 hours from Gaziantep and about 3 hours from Diyarbakır. Birecik is 83 km from Şanlıurfa and 63 km from Gaziantep. The centre of the Harran district is 44 km from Şanlıurfa.

Şanlıurfa Area by Area

• Centre (Eyyübiye, Haliliye and Karaköprü): Balıklıgöl, Urfa Castle, the historic bazaars, the Şanlıurfa Archaeology and Mosaic Museum, the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum.
• Around Haliliye: Göbekli Tepe and Karahantepe.
• Harran: One of the oldest cities in the world still inhabited; Harran University takes its name from it.
• Around Eyyübiye: The Soğmatar Ruins (15 km from Şuayb City) and Şuayb City.
• Halfeti: The old settlement, 80 per cent of which lies under the waters of the Birecik Dam, and the Karagül (black rose).
• Birecik: A town on the banks of the Euphrates, spread across the slope of Yeşildağ, and the Birecik aubergine.
• Siverek, Viranşehir, Suruç and Bozova: Siverek tava, Suruç pomegranates, the shores of the Atatürk Dam.

Suggested Itineraries

Day 1 – The city centre: In the morning, the area around Balıklıgöl and Urfa Castle; in the afternoon, the Şanlıurfa Archaeology and Mosaic Museum. In the evening, ciğer kebabı in the historic bazaar.

Day 2 – Neolithic Urfa: Göbekli Tepe and Karahantepe; in the afternoon, the Neolithic statues in the museum.

Day 3 – Harran and Soğmatar: From Harran to Soğmatar; in the evening, a sıra night.

Day 4 – Halfeti: A boat tour on the Euphrates and the Karagül.

Şanlıurfa Cuisine

Urfa cuisine is one of the cuisines with the most geographical indications in Türkiye; the province has 50 registered geographical indications. Highlights are Şanlıurfa çiğ köfte (raw meatballs), Urfa tepsi kebabı (tray kebab), Urfa ciğer kebabı (liver kebab), Urfa haşhaş kebabı, Urfa kazan kebabı (cauldron kebab), Urfa soğan kebabı (onion kebab), Urfa patlıcanlı kebabı (aubergine kebab), Urfa lahmacunu (kıymalı ekmeği), Urfa içli köftesi (stuffed bulgur köfte), Urfa yumurtalı köfte (egg köfte), Urfa aya köftesi, Şanlıurfa lolaz dürümü, Şanlıurfa açık ekmeği (open flatbread), Şanlıurfa tırnaklı ekmeği, Urfa pendirli kedeyif (cheese kadayıf), Urfa şıllık tatlısı (şıllık dessert), Urfa zerdesi (sweet saffron rice), Şanlıurfa peynirli helvası (cheese halva), Urfa meyan şerbeti (biyanbalı) (liquorice sherbet) and Urfa peyniri (Urfa cheese). Products: Şanlıurfa biberi (isot) (dried chilli), Halfeti karagülü (Halfeti black rose), Birecik patlıcanı (Birecik aubergines), Suruç narı (Suruç pomegranates), Karaköprü narı (Karaköprü pomegranates), Şanlıurfa sadeyağı (clarified butter) and Şanlıurfa pamuğu (Şanlıurfa cotton).

Handicrafts

Şanlıurfa culha dokuması (culha weaving), Urfa sini darahlığı, Urfa Frenk çömleği, Urfa isot çömleği and Urfa külünçesi have registered geographical indications.

Practical Tips

• There is little shade at Göbekli Tepe; in summer, water, a hat and a morning visit are essential.
• Touching and feeding the fish in Balıklıgöl is forbidden; as they are considered sacred, visit with respect.
• Rumkale, reached by Euphrates boat tours departing from Halfeti, is not in Şanlıurfa but within the Nizip district of Gaziantep.
• In Urfa, respect the traditions of the isot (dried chilli) and çiğ köfte table: çiğ köfte is a sıra night dish specific to the region.