Balikli Gol in Sanliurfa: The faith legends of Urfa in Turkey

Dressed in traditional outfits, a crowd of men, women and kids sprinkle something into the water of a clean pool. Schools of fish cluster around the long but crowded southern promenade of the pool. The fish jostle for space with their tails, burbling on the sheet of water. I am at Balikli Gol lake —the most popular of all the sights in Sanliurfa city, in the Sanliurfa province of Turkey.

On the northern edge of the pool, behind a series of beautiful arches, is a visitor & arts’ centre and the Rizvaniye Mosque. Halil-Ur-Rahman Mosque borders the pool’s west and Doseme Mosque occupies half of its southern promenade. Some sources say both the mosques are one same entity that used to be “Mother Mary Church” during the Christian rule in Sanliurfa. Evliya Celebi, an explorer who travelled in the Ottoman Empire and its neighbouring regions for 40 years, mentions the mosque as Abraham Halil Dervish Lodge in his written chronicles about Urfa.

Sanliurfa was previously known as Urfa. The prefix ‘Sanli’ was added to its name when the locals put up a brave fight against the French during the independence war of Turkey. The excavations at Gobeklitepe, Harran, and the simultaneous discovery of the oldest human form statue in the world from 9600 BC at the site of Balikli Gol, proved the existence of continuous human settlement in the area from the ancient times.

The lake complex is the most visited place in Urfa city by both tourists and locals. As a religious centre, Balikli Gol in Sanliurfa has no dearth of legends associated with it. Gardens dotted with quaint stalls selling tea, locally known as Çay, pronounced chai (just the way Indians do), and beautiful parks, enhance the complex. Water streams connect the Balikli lake which is also known as Halil ur Rahman lake, with another water body in the complex called Ayn Zeliha lake. Sanliurfa castle, built during classical times, overlooks the complex from the south. The most religiously significant is the complex’s south-eastern part—the cave where prophet Abraham—the father of all monotheistic religion is believed to have been born.

Families sit on concrete benches, under the shades of trees. Some gather on carpets laid on the green grass under bushy trees and enjoy a picnic. The dry Mesopotamian heat does not hit hard here, thanks to the lakes, artificial water streams and the trees. The fish thriving in the waters are considered sacred by the Muslims.

The monotheist and polytheist roots of Balikli Gol in Sanliurfa

According to the legend, King Nimrod (or Nemrut), a polytheist idol-worshipping king, was the ruler of Urfa. Prophet Abraham who was against idol worshipping and polytheism, destroyed all the idols at the king’s palace with an axe. Infuriated, the king sentenced Abraham to death.

The execution of the sentence was rather dramatic according to the legend. The king’s men tied Abraham from two poles on the top of the Urfa castle and catapulted him into a pit of fire that was lit at the centre of the city. However, God casted a miracle and saved Abraham by turning the fire into water and the fuel of the fire—the chips of woods—into fish! Hence, both the lake and the fish residing became sacred. Balikli Gol is also known as the pool of Abraham.

(Note: King Nemrut or Nimrod mentioned here is not related to the UNESCO site of Mount Nemrut and King Antiochus I Theos in any way. The former is a legend the latter are verified historical facts.)

Known by various names at different points of time, the present day city of Sanliurfa saw the rise and fall of kings, dynasties and cults. Before Abraham and monotheism, Sanliurfa was home to nature and idol worshipping polytheists (who are referred to as Pagans and Sabians by monotheists). The myth of the world’s first mermaid—Atargatis, goddess of moon, water and fertility—had origins in Assyria (established around 2500 BC) whose territories included the present day city of Sanliurfa.

The legend says that the Godesses was enchanted by a mortal shepherd and had sex with him. Establishing physical relation with a divine caused the mortal’s death. Atargatis, overwhelmed by guilt and sorrow threw herself into the waters attempting to end her life but the Gods turned her into a mermaid and prevented her death. The site of Balikli lake is thought to be one of the ancient cult sites dedicated to Atargatis, a cult which considered fish sacred.

Roaming around in the greenery and the story of Ayn Zeliha

I join the crowds on the promenade of Balikli Gol. From three tiny wooden counters, men are selling fish food for a nominal price. A queue has gathered around the counters. Some quick photos later, I sit on a bench by a tree. Two curious Sanliurfan girls, take their guardian’s smart phone and quickly dabble in a sentence in Google translate. They ask the name of my home country. They don’t understand the word ‘India’ but gasp in delight when I say ‘Hindistan’. They request to take a selfie with me—I oblige!

I follow the schools of fish in the water channel and cross a footbridge. Along the channel, tourists throng the beverage cafes and cozy food stalls with open-air seating. The walk along the channel brings me to the other lake— Ayn Zeliha. The centre of the lake is graced by a sprinkling fountain. Some boats are docked in a corner. Even this lake has a myth of its own!

The myth attached with lake Ayn Zeliha is a continuation of the story of Balikli Gol. King Nimrod’s daughter, Zeliha, was in love with Abraham. When Nimrod catapulted Abraham to a burning pyre, Zeliha also jumped into another pit of fire. God transformed that fire into water as well and saved Zeliha. That water now forms lake Ayn Zeliha or eye of Zeliha.

I wish I had more time to explore the Sanliurfa castle as well. From the Balikli complex, I see two columns jut out from the roof of the castle, often identified as the two legendary columns from which Abraham was catapulted. I have read of a secret tunnel through which visitors can enter the castle from the Balikli Gol complex. Since I am short on time, I have to make do with just seeing the historic building from the outside. My last point in Sanliurfa’s Balikli Gol complex brings me to the most important point of Sanliurfa’s faith tourism: the cave where Prophet Abraham was born.

The cave of Abraham in Sanliurfa and the story of the Prophet’s birth

I pass through an arch and enter the spotlessly clean courtyard adjacent to the Mevlid-i-Halil mosque. The marble and granite embedded compound is spacious and soothing. However, the foundations of Mevlid-i-Halil mosque is a living example of how the menace of religion has tormented Sanliurfa for millennia. During the period of Seleucus (3^rd century BC), a pagan temple stood at the site of this mosque. The Jews converted it into a synagogue. The Christians modified it into a church. In 1523, Ottoman Muhammad Salih Pasha turned the church into a mosque.

I borrow a scarf from the mosque committee to cover my head, and enter the building that hugs a rocky outcrop adjacent to the Mevlid-i-Halil mosque —Mevlid-i-Halil cave. In the interior-most chamber, women kneel on the floor and pray in reverence. They face a cavity in the wall. A glass barrier encased in a wooden frame separates the women from the cavity. At a water source inside the cave, some fill their bottles. Others kiss the uneven cave walls. The rocky roof hangs low. The water of this cave is believed to have healing powers. Wishes made inside the cave is believed to come true.

The religious story of this cave is a prequel of the Balikli Gol legend. A seer had informed King Nimrod that a child would be born within a few months who would kill Nimrod and destroy his religion. Upon hearing this, Nimrod passed a decree ordering the killing of all children to be born in the coming one year. Abraham’s mother Nona, who was pregnant at the time, hid herself within this cave at the foothills of Mount Damlacik and gave birth to Abraham here, away from the eyes of all. To dispel suspicions, she then left the baby in the cave and went away to live at her original residence.

The baby grew up in the cave in isolation for eleven years. A gazelle fed him her milk. He drank the water of the cave. When Nimrod’s men found him, they took him to the king’s castle and Abraham started living there right under the nose of King Nimrod. The rest of the story I have already narrated before.

Bazaars, bedestens and hans of Urfa

The exit of Balikli Gol complex opens into a bazaar(market). From a streetside vendor, I buy a glass of cherry juice. Corn on the cob, ice-cream, junk jewelleries, spices, dry fruits, perfumes—this market seems very much like the Indian ones. The Turkish would call it crowded, the Indians (living in India), not so much! A jewellery seller even makes an effort to speak the only Hindi he knows. The bazaar leads to a bedesten (covered bazaar). There I find a store that is selling elegant rugs at steal deals. Beside the rug store, a cloth-store owner says “Zardosi, Hindistan,” pointing to a heavy embroidery laden fabric! He probably wants to say that he source the zardosis in his store from India.

The bedesten is followed by Gumruk Han, one of the ten remaining Ottoman inns in Urfa built in 1563 by Behram Pasha during the reign of Sultan Suleyman to provide shelter for the trade caravans of the past. Through this inn runs a pipe that carries water from the sacred Balikli Gol. Just like other historic inns, the square courtyard of this one has also been modified into a dining area with chairs and tables. I observe the crowd and the rare, century-old trees that have stood the test of time. Sitting in the chairs of the courtyard, local men sip Mirra (bitter coffee) and Ceylon tea, the favorites here. Oddly, I don’t see any women.

I exhaust my last day in Sanliurfa and south-eastern Turkey. I arrive at the Sanliurfa airport to catch a flight to Istanbul—the last leg of my Turkey trip.

To watch my Sanliurfa video on Youtube, please click here.

Are you interested in southeastern Turkey and the city of Urfa? Do you like the legends associated with Balikli Gol in Sanliurfa? Have you been to Turkey but missed visiting Urfa? Comment below and let me know!

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Disclaimer: Tania was hosted by Turkey Tourism Board. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the post are of her own.

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