Şanlıurfa, also known as the City of Prophets, is one of Turkey’s cities steeped in history. We decided to go to Urfa on a weekend when we went to visit my brothers. Since it was going to be a one-day visit, we immediately completed the preliminary research and set off from Kahramanmaraş at 7 the next morning. After a pleasant 1.5-hour journey, we entered the borders of Şanlıurfa. Our first stop is Göbekli Tepe, which is 20 km away from the city center and changed known history. Şanlıurfa is extremely successful in using tourism. Direction maps within the city help you find the place you want to go as if you had placed it by hand. The road to Göbekli Tepe is a bit difficult, half of the road is dirt and the road is deserted. No matter how much we don’t want to be uneasy, we can’t help it. At the end of the deserted road, we encounter the excavation site with the blue sky. Although transportation is a bit difficult, when you arrive at the area where the temple is located, your mind may become confused with what you see. The works found as a result of the excavations here date back to B.C. We read from the panels that there are temple ruins dating back to 11 thousand years ago. There is also a guard on the hill 24 hours a day. Even though he is old, he follows you like a shadow in every step you take. Since it is far from the city, it does not have many visitors. There is also a grave next to the temple, whose identity is unknown. The view is truly magnificent! There were also camels at the entrance for those who were interested. We love from afar and then move on. Our new stop; The tomb of Prophet Job. It is located in a mosque in Eyüp Nebi Town, near the city of Viran. Direction signs are at your service from the city center to here. You can see ladies and gentlemen wearing traditional clothes in Şanlıurfa more often here. People often come to visit Prophet Job to pray and to find relief from the healing water in the courtyard of the mosque. The tomb was very crowded, but we still went down to his grave. People, mostly elderly, trying to pray inside the tomb cause congestion inside. We wander around the garden of the mosque and drink the water that is said to be healing. On the way out, we eat the pastries and buns we prepared from home, and after arriving at Viran City, we head to the Harran district in the southeast of Şanlıurfa. Harran is the district of Şanlıurfa that still maintains its culture with its domed houses. We visited the Harran Castle and the ruins of Harran University, the first Islamic University, in the district. Despite the extremely inept protection work, the castle was still standing and in all its glory. We visit the castle for a small fee. Even though he is trying to chase the children who are trying to tell something and earn money, the only employee of the castle, who is the security guard, the ticket issuing staff and the parking lot attendant, in vain, they come out everywhere like ants. After completing the castle tour, we go to Harran Culture House, opened by an entrepreneur citizen living in Harran. While this was an old domed house, it has now turned into a cafe to promote Harran culture. There are many accessories inside, from traditional clothes to household items and pottery. Entrance is free, you don’t have to buy anything inside or sit and have a drink in the garden courtyard. We take a look inside with curiosity. Daily tours do not leave Harran without visiting this house, so there is never a shortage of visitors. On the way back from Harran, the beauty of the cotton fields is dazzling. As a native of Adana, it actually hurts my heart. I think it’s been years since we’ve seen these fields. Our new route; Balıklı Lake and Urfa Castle. There is no one who does not know the story of Balıklı Lake. The Prophet who broke Nimrod’s idols. The water and fish of this place, where Abraham lit a big fire and threw it into the fire with catapults, suddenly turned into water and the wood turned into fish. The water and fish of this place still continue to exist. We pass through the narrow streets of the city and roads covered with high walls on our way to Balıklı Lake, our last visit point. None of the houses are visible from the outside, we cannot see anything behind the huge iron doors. As you get closer to where the lake is, traffic becomes terrible. The incredible crowd leaves the car at the first place we found it and we continue on foot. Balıklı Göl is located in the middle of a huge garden. In this place, which resembles a pristine pool, perhaps millions of fish climb over each other to reach the bait thrown by visitors. We immediately grab the bait and feed these beautiful and sacred fish. Şanlıurfa Castle is located just above Balıklı Lake. We go up before sunset. Since the castle is built on a hill, we climb out of breath. There is an entrance fee. The view of the castle is magnificent, the whole of Urfa is under our feet. While we are watching the view, the noise of the city is in our ears. Hz on the castle. There are historical catapults erected years ago as monuments representing the catapults that threw Abraham into the fire. To go down from the castle, we prefer the tunnel passing through the castle. Frankly, this tunnel with very steep stairs is not suitable for security. While we are here, we say that we cannot return without eating, so we enter the very famous restaurant of Urfa called Çift Mağara, under the castle. This is a restaurant created by combining two caves. Since the tables are full, we move to the oriental corners. The decoration of the place is amazing, the music that does not disturb, gives the impression of a friendly atmosphere, but when it comes to the service and the service it offers, it is deplorable. We order kebab as the main course, accompanied by salads and ayran. You can’t come to Urfa without eating raw meatballs, but when I want to order, the waiter says we don’t provide service unless you’re a group, but we want to order dessert. We encounter the same obstacle here, too. The waiter doesn’t offer a solution, all he says is either there will be a group or you will order a tray. I have never seen such a ridiculous practice in my life. 4 people are not enough for the waiter. In short, he says that the only option he can offer in portions for dessert is the local dessert called Şıllık. We have great respect for local flavors, but we don’t like dessert very much. The food is a complete disappointment… I don’t know if the waiters are having a bad day, but their attitude while serving and taking orders was very bad. After the meal, we want to try the coffee called Mırra, which is one of the traditional tastes of Urfa, and another waiter comes to serve. He starts the service without explaining how it is drunk, what it means, why it is important, what we should and should not do, and at the end, with a very meaningless and sullen face, he adds various meanings to the way we drink coffee and tells us that we should tip or marry him, and he insists on this and expects a tip. We always respect the services provided and are considerate about tips, but it was very ugly to try to force a tip on such a bad service. It was also a plus that the account arrived late. We leave the place called Çift Cave extremely dissatisfied. When we go out, we find that it is dark and everywhere is bright. Finally, we look at Balıklı Göl and hit the roads of Kahramanmaraş… Mavimore Turizm is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307